Fane of the Night Serpent

Chapter 4: Fane of the Night Serpent

Ras Nsi has taken the final puzzle cube. The group will have to go into the fane and get it.

Ras Nsi is suffering from the death curse and doesn't know the cause. Yuan-ti rivals are preparing to dispose of him.

Fenthaza

• • She wants to overthrow Ras Nsi

  • She wants to find the Black Opal crown, which is in the tomb.

  • She might try to get the group to create a distraction so she and her allies can kill Ras.

Infiltration: Pretending to be a yuan-ti requires a DC 15 Deception check (non-humans have disadvantage)

Alarm: If the gong in room 9 is rung, most creatures stay where they are. Here's the creatures that investigate (they are from rooms 11, 16, 17 and 18):

• • Sekelok (champion variant) (pg 216)

  • 5 type 1 malisons (this includes Yahru from 17) (MM pg 309)

  • 4 type 2 malisons (MM pg 309)

  • 2 type 3 malisons (MM pg 309)

  • 3 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

  • 6 yuan-ti purebloods (pg 310)

  • 2 gladiators (MM pg 346)

Capture: If the group is captured, they are bound and their gear is put in room 13. There is a fair chance that the gas trap in area 3, pg 116 will take out the group.

When captured, the heroes are put in the pit in room 8. After an hour, Yahru (from area 17) will question them. If the group is calm, he brings them to Fenthaza. If they are rude/defiant, he brings them to Ras Nsi.

If Ras finds out the group is trying to end the death curse, not only will he free them, he'll give them the puzzle cube!

If the Group is Brought Before Fenthaza: 

• • Fenthaza will force the group to perform slave labor for one day (chart on page 112 how their tasks). If the group does the tasks, she'll tell them to assassinate Ras Nsi.

  • They get the puzzle cube they need.

  • She give them the passphrases to area 4.

  • She will change the characters into yuan-ti if they want (!). The transformation ritual is described on page 119.

  • The group must start a slave uprising while Fenthaza goes to kill Ras.

  • She will then try to kill the heroes.

Teleporters (pg 116): Remember that this only transports the person using it, not the whole group! Must be trained in arcana, if they don't have a destination in mind, they appear on a random teleporter elsewhere in the fane.

Teleporter locations:

• • (pg 118) 8. Prisoner Pits

  • (pg 119) 9. The Fane

  • (pg 120) 10. The Harem

  • (pg 121) 11. Throne Room 

(pg 114) 1. Main Gate: Nahth can be bribed with 10 gp or food. Those snake pits are right by the doors! Jumping rules are on PH pgs 182 and 190.

• • Long Jump: Move at least 10 feet before you jump. You cover a number of feet up to your Strength score. If you don't move 10 feet, you can leap only half that distance. Either way, each foot you jump costs a foot of movement.

  • High Jump: Move at least 10 feet first, You leap 3+your STR mod in feet. From a standing position: Half that.

Monsters:

• • Nahth, type 1 malison (MM pg 309)

  • 4 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

  • Swarm of poisonous snakes (MM pg 338)

(pg 116) 2. Hall of War: The basilisks are chained to a wall. If a fight breaks out, one broodguard runs to area 9 to hit the gong, sounding the alarm. That gong is not far at all! It is possible for a yuan-ti to run and hit it in a single round, but maybe give the group a round to try to stop it from happening.

• • Soakosh, yuan-ti pureblood (MM pg 310)

  • 4 yuan-ti broodguard (pg 238)

  • 2 basilisks (MM pg 24)

  • Triceratops (MM pg 80)

(pg 116) 3. Hall of Serpents: Murals of Dendar and Ra Nsi. Hey, there's a button on the wall! Let's press it! DC 13 Con save, fail: You're unconscious! This gas lingers for one minute. Egad! This is where you roll out the captured scenario.

(pg 116) 4. Armory: If you know the passwords to get in the door and pacify the naga, you're good! If not, the door is arcane locked and the naga comes at you. There is a shield in here with the hilarious trait of amplifying everything you say ten times louder.

• • Arcane lock (PH pg 215)

  • Knock (PH pg 254)

  • Bone naga (MM pg 233)

  • 2 minotaur skeletons (MM pg 273)

(pg 117) 5. Fenthaza's Quarters: There's an urn with an air elemental in it. It serves Fenthaza, who has keys to the shackles of the prisoners in room 8.

Looking at the map, this is a tiny room. This fight will spill out into the hallway and possibly room 6, where the chanting skulls can aid the bad guys.

• • Fenthaza, yuan-ti nightmare speaker (pg 239)

  • 2 type two yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • Air elemental (MM pg 124)

(pg 117) 6. Sacrificial Chamber: This is very cool. The skulls chant, giving any yuan-ti resistance to non-magic weapons and advantage on saving throws vs. magic/magical effects! Not too shabby!

There's a lever in here that opens the portcullis that blocks area 8.

• • 4 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

(pg 118) 7. Evil Oracle: This pool is super evil:

• • Get in: You take 5 (d10) psychic dmg when you enter/start turn in it.

  • Look in: Make a DC 15 Wis save. Fail: Take 5 (d10) psychic dmg and gain a random form of long-term madness (pg 260, lasts d10x10 hours).

Stats:

• • 3 type three yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • Eldritch blast (PH pg 237): +5/+5 to hit (two beams), d10+3 force dmg per beam.

  • Minor Illusion (PH pg 260)

  • Poison Spray (PH pg 266): Rg 10 ft, Con save DC 13 d12 poison dmg. 

(pg 118) 8. Prisoner Pits: There's a winch that will lift the grate off of the pits.There is a teleporter in here.

Escaping Manacles (PH pg 152): Escape is a DC 20 Dex check. Breaking them is a DC 20 Str check. 

Prisoners:

• • Tahvo: Human boy (AC 10 HP 2) wearing a flower garland.

  • Sev: Yuan-ti pureblood (MM pg 310) who has long-term madness.

  • Oloma Authdamar: Scout (MM pg 349) who survived the crash of the Star Goddess (pg 84).

  • Pottery Shard: Tabaxi minstrel (pg 233).

  • Gorvax: Firenewt warrior (pg 219).

  • Lomar Dral: Human mage (MM pg 347). A harper searching for Artus Cimber.

  • Mung: Batiri goblin (MM pg 166), suffering from three levels of exhaustion (PH pg 291) Half speed, disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws..

  • Kanuh Natombe: Tribal warrior (MM pg 350), malnourished. 4 levels of exhaustion (PH pg 291) That's disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls and saves, half speed, half hit point max.

  • Zilla Atazi: A pirate (bandit, MM pg 343) of the Dragonfang who was thrown overboard for insubordination.

(pg 119) 9. The Fane: Lots of things in here:

Cauldron: Upturning it is a DC 15 Str check. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a DC 12 Dex save. Fail: 4 (1d8) fire dmg, half dmg on success.

Portcullis: Blocks area 10. There's a lever to raise it.

Balcony: Climb up there is a DC 13 Athletics check. It gives half cover vs. ranged (half cover: +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws)

Yuan-ti Ritual:

• • Once every 10 days. Takes all night. Most of the yuan-ti take part in the ritual.

  • Sometimes, slaves are eaten. Other times, humans are transformed into yuan-ti.

  • You are drugged, then you bathe in the blood of sacrificial victims.

  • You gain d6 levels of exhaustion (PH pg 291). If you live, you gain indefinite madness (DMG pg 260) and rest in area 18.

  • You gain Darkvision 60 ft.

  • At will: Poison spray (PH pg 266), animal friendship on snakes only PH (pg 212). At lvl 3, you can cast suggestion (PH pg 279).

  • Immune to poison.

  • Advantage on saves vs. spells/magical effects.

  • If you die, your body is fed to the hydra in area 21.

  • The transformation can only be undone with a wish spell!

(pg 120) 10. The Harem: Home to Ras Nsi's concubines! This is where the magic happens.

Ishmakal: A doppleganger spy that is working for the Red Wizards, is contemplating the idea of defecting to the side of the yuan-ti. 

Scandal: Sekelok (from area 11) is secretly engaging in ACTIVITIES OF PASSION with a concubine named Neema. Sekelok is Ras Nsi's personal bodyguard, so if the group finds out about this, they can do some hilarious stuff with it.

• • 11 yuan-ti purebloods (MM pg 310)

  • 1 doppleganger (MM pg 82)

  • 2 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

(pg 120) 11. Throne Room: During the daytime, Ras is in here. At night, he's in area 12.

• • Ras Nsi (pg 230)

  • 2 type one yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • Sekelok (altered champion, pg 216)

  • 3 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

  • 4 ghouls (MM pg 148)

Sekelok AC 18 HP 143 +9/+9/+9 12 slashing, plus another 7 if I have more than half my hp left.

• • (2/Day) Indomitable: Reroll a failed save.

  • (Bonus action, 1/Rest) Second Wind: Regain 20 HP

  • Immune: poison

  • Darkvision 60 ft.

  • Adv on saves vs. spells/magical effect

  • At will: Poison spray (PH pg 266), animal friendship (on snakes only) (PH pg 212).

  • 3/day: Suggestion (PH pg 279) DC 13

(pg 121) 12. Ras Nsi's Lair: Ras can tell the group everything about puzzle cubes, Acererak, etc. He doesn't know about the Soulmonger.

(1/Rest) Flying Shields: As a bonus action, Ras can call forth the shields to give himself a +10 to AC! +10! Each time they block an attack that would normally hit, a shield falls to the ground and Ras loses 2 AC.

• • Ras Nsi (pg 230): He's in here at night.

  • Flame Tongue (DMG pg 170)

  • Sending Stone (DMG pg 199)

(pg 121) 13. Storeroom: Azi Mas, an awakened constrictor snake, is lurking in the shadows. He's lonely and somewhat cowardly.

Incense: If you light it, a cloud fills a 20-foot-diameter sphere. All within it must make a DC 16 Con save or fall into a dreamlike stupor that lasts for one hour - once they've been removed from the cloud!

• • Giant constrictor snake (MM pg 324)

(pg 122) 14. Venom Distillery: The door has a whole thing happening:

• • It's locked. Pick It: DC 15 Dex check w/thieves tools.

  • Spot The Trap: DC 20 Perception

  • Disable: DC 12 Dex check.

  • Poison Needle Trap: DC 16 Dex save. Fail: 5 poison dmg, blinded.. permanently! Lesser Restoration will restore your peepers.

Xopal has a Syringe: +3 to hit, 1 piercing dmg and DC 14 Con save or 10 poison dmg (half dmg on success) and poisoned whether or not the save succeeds! They're kicking it up a notch in this dungeon.

Bottle Hazard: Spells like thunderwave will cause the bottles of poison to shatter. 15-foot-sphere of poisonous vapors, DC 15 Con save. Fail: 18 poison dmg (even if you hold your breath). 

Jug: Open this jug? More gas!! The knock-out gas fills the room! DC 13 Con save, fail: You're unconscious for an hour. This gas lingers for one minute. 

• • 1 yuan-ti pureblood (MM pg 310)

  • 5 zombies (MM pg 316)

  • 20 doses of serpent venom DC 11 Con save. Fail 10 poison dmg, half on a successful one.

  • 5 doses of essence of ether (DMG pg 258) Inhaled, DC 15 Con save of be poisoned and unconscious for 8 hours. You can be awakened by dmg/being shook.

  • 5 doses of torpor (DMG pg 258) Ingested, DC 15 Con save or poisoned and incapacitated for 4d6 hours.

(pg 122) 15. Snake Pit: Fall in, 5d6 dmg and snakes!

• • Swarm of Poisonous Snakes (MM pg 338)

(pg 122) 16. Blood Baths: The yuan-ti bathe in blood. Slaves tend to them.

• • 4 yuan-ti purebloods (MM pg 310)

  • 2 type two yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • 5 commoners (MM pg 345) (names on pg 12. Here's some: Olu, Yapa, Fipya, Mainu and Lorit)

(pg 123) 17. Sauna: Yahru is in here shedding his skin with the aid of 2 gladiators rubbing lotion on him. Two lotion men. Have fun!

• • Yahru, type one yuan-ti malison (MM pg 309)

  • 2 gladiators (MM pg 346)

(pg 123) 18. Yuan-ti Nests: Impossible to sneak through without magic.

• • 2 type one yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • 2 type two yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • 2 type three yuan-ti malisons (MM pg 309)

  • 6 yuan-ti purebloods (MM pg 310)

(pg 123) 19. Slave Grotto: Isaar has a slave boy communicate for him. The will of the slaves has been broken by trauma and drugs. Snap them out of it with a DC 17 Persuasion or Intimidation check.

• • Isaar, type three yuan-ti malison (MM pg 309)

  • 2d10 commoners (names on pg 12)

  • 3 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

(pg 124) 20. Underground River: The current is not strong, not a hazard. Ring the cowbell, summon the HYDRA, which shows up in d6 rounds.

Rowboat: (DMG pg 119) AC  11 HP 50 Spd 1.5 mph, holds up to 3 passengers.

• • 4 yuan-ti broodguards (pg 238)

  • Hydra (MM pg 190)

(pg 124) 21. Hydra's Lair: It lurks underwater.

• • Hydra (MM pg 190)

(pg 124) 22. Fungi Cavern: There's a dead yuan-ti covered in fungus. He's got a key. To grab the key without getting fungused, make a DC 12 sleight of hand. The key unlocks the door to area 14. 

• • Green Slime (DMG pg 105)

  • Yellow Mold (DMG pg 105)

(pg 124) 23. Secret Entrance: This connects to the palace ruins (area 20b, pg 110)