Unicorn RampantClaw / Claw / Bite magazine & Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Oct 16th Room 4: Wands vs. Wall

Upon entering this hexagonal chamber the first thing that you see is a mesmerizing wall of warm, red energy which seems to cut straight through the center of the room. On the wall to your left are six stone shelves carved into the stonework. Upon each shelf rests a single wand. An ebony plaque laid into the floor reads:

“To gain your prize you must pass the wall”

Under each wand is an etching in the stone each with a single word engraved upon it. The words from left to right are:

Blow, Chill, Bolt, Zap, Sun, Pass

These are the command words for the wands and a clue as to the effect that each wand casts. The wands themselves have a single charge and may be used by anyone capable of uttering the command word. The wall can be destroyed, color by color, in consecutive order, by various magical effects; however, the first color must be brought down before the second can be affected, and so on. Thus, the “Chill” wand must be used before the “Blow” wand etc. in order to bring down each successive layer.

If the party fails to use the wands in the correct sequence, the wands will regain their charges and the wall will reset to its original state once someone attempts to pass through the wall.
Anyone attempting to pass through an active wall will take each and every one of the effects that remain active.

Red (1st)
Stops non-magical ranged weapons.
 Deals 20 points of fire damage (Reflex half).
Dispel: Chill (Cone of cold)

Orange (2nd)
Stops magical ranged weapons.
 Deals 40 points of acid damage (Reflex half).
Dispel: Blow (Gust of wind)

Yellow (3rd)
Stops poisons, gases, and petrification.
 Deals 80 points of electricity damage (Reflex half).
Dispel: Zap (Disintegrate)

Green (4th)
Stops breath weapons.
 Poison (Kills; Fortitude partial for 1d6 points of Con damage instead).
Dispel: Pass (Passwall)

Blue (5th)
Stops divination and mental attacks. 
Turned to stone (Fortitude negates).
Dispel: Bolt (Magic missile)

Violet (6th)
Stops all spells. 
Will save or become insane (as insanity spell).
Dispel: Sun (Daylight)

DM Note: another method of gaining the key fragment would be through a creative use of the Passwall wand to create a passage either under or to the side of the prismatic wall thus allowing someone to squeeze around the wall (Dex check DC 14) to get to the key with the wall still up. However Passwall will not create a passage directly through the prismatic field and will have no effect upon it at all except to negate the 4th layer (provided that layers 1-3 have already been correctly neutralized).

After red is disabled:
The wall of red energy sputters under the chill wind projected by the wand. In its place, a swirling orange edifice with bands that stretch across the room.

After orange is disabled:
Bolts of acid bombard the swirls, which writhe like tentacles, grasping the bolts and dissolving into withered hulks of petrified wood wrapped with barbed wire. Yellow electricity arcs between the tips of the metallic sinews.

After yellow is disabled:
The wooden wall disintegrates into a line of lime green sawdust, which wisps up into the form of mortar in a brick wall, only there are no bricks.

After green is disabled:
The mortar drips with a viscous gel that runs down the spaces between the mortar, dissipating in iridescent blue stones that run the length of the corridor and pulsate with each heartbeat.

After blue is disabled:
A large volley of bolts shoots from the wand, landing in a door-shaped pattern among the blue stones. Blood runs down the wounds, the blue stones turning a deep purple.

After violet is disabled:
A flash as bright as daylight temporarily blinds everyone in the room. When you rub your eyes, you see no signs of the prismatic wall. There, resting on a seventh shelf at the far end of the room is a prismatic key, its hexagonal handle aglow in all six colors of the wall.

Oct 12th Room 3: Golem Guardian

A 40′x40′ chamber opens before you. Nestled in between two large stone fountains set into the wall, a rusty statue twice the size of a man dominates the far wall of this room. Its chest is puffed out, revealing an oversized keyhole. The heads of jackals adorn the walls above the marble fountain basins, their jaws open wide, spewing a steady stream of gurgling, sudsy liquid.

As they approach the fountains or statue:

Glowing embers illuminate the eyes of the ruddy statue. Its metallic jaw rumbles, spilling bits of nuts, bolts, and screws upon the floor. Finally, it speaks.

“I am G-L-M.  I hold great mysteries.  I will not attempt to bar your way – if and only if you can assist me in my existential dilemma. If you challenge my existence, or my authority on such matters, you will face my wrath.”

The rusty statue is a rusted iron golem with a door on its chest and inside there are various potions to heal and restore the party as well as one of Athganazar’s key fragments, an iron key.

If they answer the golem’s questions correctly then they gain the key and the potions.
If they do not answer the questions, then they must fight the golem and the potions will be destroyed. In this case, they will also need to find a way to open the golem’s chest, since it it rusted shut.

Questions:

1. What is my condition?
2. What beast think you that crossed my path to bring me to this condition?
3. What can be used to soothe my weary joints?
4. What other materials are my brethren made from that would not suffer the same fate?
5. Yet I am the mightiest!  Take these metal boxes and give me an appropriate name.  Not all boxes are needed, but all must be heeded. With this he opens his chest and out drop 10-12 boxes labeled with letters. DM Note: Use letter dice or tiles from a popular word game for this.
6. Now tell me how I have earned this name and how I am the mightiest!

One set of answers the golem will accept:

1. Rusted; angsty; bored; disused.
2. A rust monster attacked the golem; the golem has been here between the fountains for far too long; golem has idled too long.
3. Grease or some lubricant; the grease spell; a higher purpose.
4. Flesh, clay, stone (also bone, straw).
5. The answers to this challenge depends on their roll of the letter dice. They will have to make this up themselves – the more patronizing the higher chance of success.
6. Here they should air on the side of honoring and praising the golem to earn its respect.

Upon success, the golem will seem pleased and it will present the healing potions and the iron key.

With each incorrect answer, it will take a 5′ step closer to the nearest adventurer and bellow “Incorrect!”, “No” or “This angers me.” With each correct answer, it will say “Correct” or “Yes” or “This pleases me.”