Trials of Xibalba

An adventure designed for a group of four to five 4th-level characters.

In eons past, civilisations long lost to the sands of time worshipped the infernal gods of the Underdark. Amongst
these places of worship is Xibalba, or the “Place of Fear”, a subterranean temple built into a cave system deep
beneath the earth. Here in the underground temple, the would-be champions of the ancients brave the trials of
Xibalba in order to gain the favour of their infernal deities. Now thousand of years later, the rediscovery of these
lost proving grounds, awakens a slumbering darkness within Xibalba, beckoning anyone worthy or foolish
enough to brave the depths of darkness…

Written by Andy Tan (@world.maker)

Art by Héctor Hugo Moreno (@wellofenoryn)

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their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or
unauthorised use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4
The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.


Trials of Xibalba 1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword 3
Synopsis 3
Background 3
Roadmap for this dungeon 3
Notes for the Game Master 3
An Interesting Proposition 4
Area 1: The Descend 5
Cenote Entrance 5
Area 2: A Tribute of Blood 5
Area 3: Crystalline Pool 6
Area 4: The Crumbling Stelae 6
Drowned Tunnels 6
Area 5: The Crystal Sepulchre 6
Area 6: Chamber of the Damned 7
Area 7: Throat of the Beast 7
Area 8: The Whorl 8
The Hall of Trial 8
Area 9: The Great Cycle 8
The Six Houses of Xibalba 9
Area 10: The House of Razors 9
Area 11: The House of Bats 10
Area 12: The House of Fire 10
Area 13: The House of Cold 11
Area 14: The House of Jaguars 11
Area 15: The House of Darkness 12
The Final Test 13
Area 16: The Bounded Gate 13
Area A: Bed of the Fallen 13
Area B: The Furnace 13
Area C: Twin Champions 13
Area D: The Light of Xibalba 14
Aftermath 15
Appendix A: Maps 16
Appendix B: Monsters 18
Acknowledgements 22
Art Credits 22

Trials of Xibalba 2
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Trials of Xibalba
Foreword
• The theme and setting is based on cenotes, or
limestone sinkholes found in the Yucatan
Peninsula in Mexico. These cenotes are
thought to be entrances to the underworld by
the ancient Maya.
• Xibalba is a legendary subterranean realm in
Maya legends where the “Death Gods” reside.
In the Popol Vuh, the Maya Hero Twins
braved the trials of the 6 Houses of Xibalba.
• The recurring theme of crystals and calcified
remains are based on the Crystal Maiden
found in the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre in
Belize.
Synopsis
• The adventure begins when famed explorer
and adventurer, Rinah Goldeyes contacts
the party and hire them for an expedition to
scout out a recently unearthed ruin in the
jungles.
• The players venture into the caverns below
through a well deep in the jungles.
• As the players proceed, they find that the
flooded floors of the tunnels glow with an
unnatural crystalline light. Finding clues
from various inscriptions written in Infernal,
the players discovers the true purpose of
Xibalba.
• Braving the flooded halls of Xibalba and
staving off the hordes of the damned, the
players best the Six Houses of Trials,
obtaining the necessary Keys needed to help
them in their escape.
• Their quest culminates with a showdown
against the last of the Stelaes, guardians set
up by the gods of the Underdark to test the
faithful.
Trials of Xibalba
Background
• Over the course of her adventuring, the famed
Elven explorer Rinah Goldeyes discovers the
site of Xibalba.
• Xibalba is a long-lost ancient proving
grounds used by the would-be champions of
an ancient civilisation to curry favour from the
Gods of the Underdark.
• The last team of adventurers hired by Rinah
disappeared into the depths of the caverns
and hasn’t been heard from since. It has been
3 days since their journey into Xibalba.
• She hires the party to rescue the first team of
adventurers, and to bring any information
or treasure gleamed from the expedition
back to her.
Roadmap for this dungeon
1. Get information from Rinah
2. Clear the Cenote Entrance
3. Find your way into the Hall of Trial
4. Obtain the 6 Keys of Xibalba
5. Unlock the Final Test
6. Survive the onslaught of Choq’-Came
7. Return to the surface
Notes for the Game Master
It is recommended for the game master to read
through this module at least once and visualise
the process before running the game.
Boxed text such as these are meant to be read to the
players, you may choose to do so or add your own
embellishment as necessary, or ditch it completely.
Sidebars such a these provide supplementary but pivotal
information that are for your eyes only. These information may
be provided to the players as well at your own discretion.
And, most importantly, have fun with this
module!

3
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An Interesting Proposition
The party may begin in any settlement with a
large enough forest or jungle nearby to house an
ancient ruin.
After the players finish any preparations or
activities that they wish to perform in town.
Read the boxed text when the players are ready:
After a night’s rest, you awaken to a commotion
coming from outside of the tavern. Wearily you
gather your gear and belongings to have a look at
what is happening outside.
Standing in the middle of the streets is an elven
woman in her early thirties addressing a small crowd
that has gathered before her. Dark brown hair flows
over her ornately woven hide armor. A black cat is
perched regally on her shoulders, surveying the
townsfolk while she addresses them.
• The elven woman is Rinah Goldeyes, a
famed elven explorer of some repute.
• She come to town in an attempt to find
adventurers to help her out.
• Rinah explains that she have recently
decoded a secret map detailing the
location of an ancient subterranean temple
known as Xibalba.
• She has already sent her team of explorers into
the ruin, however it has been 3 days since
they departed into Xibalba and they have yet
to return or contact her via a Sending spell as
per their agreement.
• She now hopes to enlist the aid of the party to
venture into Xibalba after the her first group
of adventurers, to bring them back alive or
dead.
• For this, she is willing to pay each party
member a sum of 250 GP and half of the
treasures found over the course of the
expedition.
Trials of Xibalba
What Rinah Knows
Through conversation with Rinah Goldeyes, the players can
learn some details on Xibalba and the current predicament.
• Xibalba is an ancient temple dedicated to an ancient deity or
deities that has since been lost to time.
• The temple was thought to be a myth until recently, when
Rinah and a few cartographers managed to crack a code found
on a secret map.
• Poring through ancient texts, she believes that the temple
houses a sizeable hoard of treasure ranging from magical items
to gold ingots.
• Her initial adventurer party consists of 4 members:
• Alletol Towerhand - a 4th-level Human Paladin
• Bagda Oakheart - a 5th-level Gnome Wizard
• Father Dethius - a 4th-level Elf Cleric
• Ruth “Quickfingers” - a 4th-level Halfling Rogue
• Bagda Oakheart is a long time associate of Rinah’s, she is
described as cautious and meticulous in her exploration work,
and she acts as the de-facto leader of the first group.
• The absence of her reporting in is described as uncharacteristic
You may also omit or embellish any additional
details or circumstances you feel appropriate to
draw the players in onto this venture.
Rinah has arranged to meet the players at the
edge of town in four hours time. Players may
take this time to finish any preparations that they
might need to do in town. Read the boxed text
when preparations are ready:
At the agreed upon timing, you rendezvous with
Rinah at the edge of town. The elven explorer is
decked out with a heavy looking backpack filled with
what you assume is supplies. The heavy weight of her
backpack does not seem to slow her down as she trots
down the road with ease, her black cat perched on
her shoulders as always, in silent vigilance.
Your journey takes you deep into the forests north of
town. The thick foliage and overgrowth ever
obscuring your view ahead, in a few instances, you
were almost separated from Rinah as you tried to
keep pace with the veteran explorer.
The trek through the forests should be rather
uneventful as Rinah deftly guides the party
through the hidden trails of the forest.
4
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On the third night of travel read this out as the
players are finishing their long rest:
The nights you spend in the deep forest is one of
isolation and pure darkness. For the past few nights
you hear distant sounds of beasts strange and
unknown, their baleful cries echoing through the
dense woodlands.
However, your nights spent camping under the
wooded boughs of the forest passes by without
incident. At daybreak you continue with your trek,
following Rinah’s lead.
At around mid-day your party arrives at a medium
sized grove, a statue of some unknown deity stands
watch over a well located in the middle of the
clearing.
Area 1: The Descend
A 10 foot tall Statue and an 8 feet wide and 40
feet deep Well adorns the otherwise sparse
grove.
• A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check on
the grove and its surroundings will reveal that
there are traces of a settlement or civilisation
of sorts here in ages past.
• The Well goes down 40 feet into a cavern.
• A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check
made on the statue will uncover inscriptions
written in infernal. Anyone who can
understand Infernal can read the following
message:
“Here lies the abyss, and within, the Six Great
Houses of Xibalba. Venture forth if you would gain
the favour of the Gods, the worthy shall rise again
while the fallen shall forever dwell within these
hallowed halls."
• A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) or Wisdom
(Religion) check on the statue will reveal that it
is some sort of infernal being from the abyss.
• The Statue is immune to all damage from non-
magical sources. The Statue has an AC of 10
Trials of Xibalba
and 40 hit points, destroying the statue reveals
a shard of Blue Crystal encased within
• The crystal has a faint-trace of magic to it but
otherwise have no other discernible properties,
it is worth 20 GP
• A rope ladder left by the previous adventuring
party dangles from the edge. The party can
use this rope to lower themselves into the well.
• Rinah Goldeyes has set up camp and will elect
to stay on the surface as a lookout while the
party venture below.
Cenote Entrance
As the players make their descend, read this:
Descending via the rope ladder, you find yourselves
in a large cavern. The incessant sounds of water
dripping punctuates the silence, reverberating into
the distant gloom. As you adjust your eyes to the
darkness, you see that the cavern is half flooded with
waist deep waters. A strange glow seems to be
emitting beneath the icy cold waters in the cavern.
Area 2: A Tribute of Blood
A stone altar lies in this area, an on it a
ceremonial stone knife. A set of worn stairs
lead into the pool of water in Area 3
• Anyone who understands Infernal can read
the inscription carved upon the altar:
“A toll of blood must be shed, a tribute for the Lords
of Xibalba.”
• Each player must use the ceremonial stone
knife to cut their hand and offer up 1d4 hit
points worth of blood in order to gain safe
passage.
• As the players offer up their blood on the altar,
the stone seems to drink in the blood, leaving
nothing behind but the cold, spotless stone
surface of the altar.
• Not doing so will cause the Crumbling
Stelae in Area 4 to rise and attack them.
5
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 Area 3: Crystalline Pool
A pool of waist-deep water floods the chamber.
The crystals spread over the flooded cave floor
crunch and crack with each step the party takes.
• A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or
Wisdom (Survival) check made on the area
reveals a flooded tunnel that can be dived
under, leading to the Drowned Tunnels.
• The watery areas of 3 and 4 are considered
difficult terrain.
Area 4: The Crumbling Stelae
A crumbling stone statue adorns this area. The
statue is halfway submerged in the icy crystalline
waters.
• Anyone entering this area without offering up
their blood in Area 2 or is carrying a Blue
Crystal will activate the statue, causing it to
attack them as the Crumbling Stelae.
The Crumbling Stelae
Combat
• The Crumbling Stelae will concentrate its attacks on anyone
in possession of the Blue Crystal, followed by anyone who
did not offer up their blood at the altar in Area 2.
• The Crumbling Stelae will also attempt to block the flooded
tunnel entrance(Area 3) while attacking the players.
• The Stelae will stop attacking if the Blue Crystal in their
possession is destroyed or ALL players have offered up their
blood at the altar.
Trials of Xibalba
Drowned Tunnels
As the party transitions from Area 3 to here,
read the following out to them:
The air in this area is stagnant, untouched by
sunlight or moon beams for thousand of years. All
around you, you hear a low hum reverberating
though the cavern.
The crystals beneath the waist high waters glow with
unearthly beauty and intensity, lighting up the gloom
in a dim throbbing light.
• The way ahead is split into 3 tunnels, each
leading north-west, north and north-east
respectively.
Sidebar: Treacherous Grounds
• The flooded areas in this section are treated as difficult terrain,
as the waters reach up to 3 feet high and the floors under
them are littered with sharp crystalline shards.
• For every 20 feet travelled by the party, there is a 20%
chance of taking 1d4 piercing damage from the crystals
littering the floors.
• The crystals embedded in the cavern floor also act as a light
source providing vision up to 60 feet.
Area 5: The Crystal Sepulchre
The north-eastern passage leads into a small
alcove. A skeleton fused to crystals lay broken on
the ground.
• A player performing a DC 15 Intelligence
(Nature) check on the crystalline growths will
discover that they are actually masses of
calcified bones warped into crystals.
• A player making a DC 10 Investigation
(Intelligence) check on the crystallised skeleton
will reveal that the skeleton was involved in
combat not too long ago.
• The player investigating the crystallised
skeleton must then make a Dexterity saving
throw against a DC of 15 or be grappled by
the skeleton, as it suddenly jerks to life.
• In either case, roll initiative to keep track of
the turn order as the players react.
6
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• A player grappled by the crystallised skeleton
takes 3(1d4) piercing damage at the start of
their turn and the crystallised skeleton’s turn.
• The crystallised skeleton has 1 hit points, has
an AC of 10 when on the ground, and an AC
of 15 when successfully grappling onto a
player.
Area 6: Chamber of the Damned
The northern passage opens up into a large
chamber containing large stalagmites and two
rock platforms connected by a rotting wooden
bridge.
In the flooded gloom you hear a distant clatter of
bones against rock. Soon the sounds surround you.
You look around in confusion as five crystallised
skeletons appear from the darkness, their eyes ghostly
points of crystalline lights that pierces through the
dimly lit chamber. The waters slosh as the undead
horrors slowly approach you, seemingly drawn to the
life force that you are exuding.
• As the players enter this chamber, 5 Crystal
Bones breaks off from their crystalline prisons
(marked as CB in the maps) and advance on
the party.
Crystal Bones
Trials of Xibalba
Combat
• The 5 Crystal Bones concentrate their attacks on one
random player.
• The Crystal Bones continues to attack a player even if they are
unconscious, they will only stop when either them or the player
that they are currently engaged with is dead.
Aftermath
• Searching the Crystal Bones after the battle will yield 1d6 GP
worth of Crystal Quartz per body.
• A cursory search of the stone platforms after
the battle will unearth a hidden cache of
ancient gold coins worth 300 GP.
Area 7: Throat of the Beast
The north-western passage turns into a long
winding corridor that seems to lead deeper into
the caves. A current can be felt flowing in a
northward direction into the depths of the caves.
Sidebar: Sweeping Currents
• An increasingly strong current sweeps through this passage,
flowing northwards into the gloom.
• For every round in combat, all players must succeed on a DC
10 constitution check or they are swept 5 feet towards the
direction of Area 8.
• Fused to the floor, walls and ceiling are a
myriad of fallen challengers from ages past,
now all doomed to Xibalba as Crystal Bones.
• For every crystal chunk/stalagmite (marked
with an X on the map) the party passes by, roll
a d10, on rolls of 8 or higher, a group of 3
Crystal Bones burst forth.
• Crystal Bones spawn within 5 feet of a
crystal. If a creature is in the space when a
Crystal Bones is spawned, they are pushed 5
feet back and must make a dexterity
saving throw against a DC of 10 or take
1d4 bludgeoning damage.
Combat
• The Crystal Bones continues to attack a player even if they are
unconscious, they will only stop when either them or the player
that they are currently engaged with is dead.
Aftermath
• Searching the Crystal Bones after the battle will yield 1d6 GP
worth of Crystal Quartz per body.
7
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 Area 8: The Whorl
Reaching the end of the tunnel, the party finds
themselves barely clinging on for purchase as the
increasingly strong current threatens to sweep
them under.
• The tunnel ends in a large opening where the
waters in area 7 rapidly flows into. The
downward flowing current will prevent players
travelling to the area ahead from returning.
• Players who wish to be able to return to the
drowned tunnels or the cenote entrance need
to find a way to assist them to swim against the
current to return to this area. (e.g tying a long
rope to a stalagmite or by using a spell like
Water Walk)
The Hall of Trial
Entering this area, read this to the players:
Following the undercurrents, you find yourself in a
large chamber fully submerged in dark icy waters, a
stark contrast to the crystal lit tunnels above.
You count in the distance, all around you, six plumes
of faint light shining from above, and below them
sets of stairs leading upwards.
• This is a central area leading to the six houses
of Xibalba.
• Area 16 is a raised stone dais, an
impenetrable field closes off the area. To enter
Area 16, the party needs to possess the Six
Keys of Xibalba.
• Each Key is held in the six respective houses
where they are guarded behind a trial or a
NPC.
• For every minute the players spend in this area,
roll a d10, on rolls of 8 or higher, a Crystal
Bones spawn within 10 feet of a player.
• Where the Crystal Bones spawn is up to the
DM’s discretion.
Trials of Xibalba
Sidebar: Submerged Hall
• The Hall of Trial is fully submerged and you can swim
underwater as long as you can hold your breath (see
“Drowning” below). You can swim at half your speed. Roll
initiative to keep track of the time spent underwater.
Drowning
• After 1+(con bonus) minutes of holding your breath
underwater you fall unconscious, your hit points fall to 0, and
you begin making your death saving throws. This continues
until you die or unless you are saved in some way.
Light Sources
• The central hall is shrouded in pitch black darkness, the only
light is the 15 feet light coming from the entrances to the six
houses of Xibalba. Except for the House of Darkness (Area 15)
Area 9: The Great Cycle
Located in the middle of the great chamber is a
strange mosaic/contraption of unknown
purpose.
• The mosaic/contraption requires a light
source or Darkvision to be properly examined.
• An Intelligence (History) check against a DC
of 20 made on the mosaic/contraption will
reveal that it is an ancient system known as
The Great Cycle, used by civilisations
ancient and forgotten to track days and predict
the future.
• An epitaph in Infernal is carved around the
circumference of The Great Cycle.
• Anyone who can read Infernal can spend 1
minute to read the epitaph:
8
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“Here lies the Six Great Houses of Xibalba.
Flames burn bright in the abyss,
the sons of Camazotz sings in the silent mists.
Blades and anvils ring for blood,
a lone light burns all who tread in the dark.
Unseen and untouched a shadow prowls the boughs,
a chilling frost descends to test all mortal vows.
Through the purging flames of Xibalba will you rise
anew, a champion of the Gods. Forged and tested in
the fiery crucible of battle.
• Anyone not proficient in Infernal can spend
3 minutes to attempt at decoding the
epitaph. If they do so, they must pass a DC 13
Intelligence (Investigation) check.
• A diagram carved on The Great Cycle depicts
six objects locked behind six houses. Any
Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC
of 10 will reveal the fact that the party need to
find the six keys to proceed forward to the
“Final Test” and to gain the “Blessings of the
Gods”. (Area 16)
The Six Houses of Xibalba
• The Six Houses can be challenged and cleared
in any order of the player’s choosing.
• All areas in this section with the exception of
Area 15 are fully lit.
A Word to the Game Master
To clarify any confusion and to guide them, you may wish to
provide the players a chance to discern their purpose in each of
those rooms by doing a relevant ability check (e.g. Investigation
or Insight) and divulge to them the appropriate amount of
information based on those rolls.
Area 10: The House of Razors
The goal of this room is for players to find the
real Key from out of 6 swords, with 5 of them
being false and hostile Flying Swords.
When the party is ready, read this to them:
Trials of Xibalba
Surfacing into the room, you hear a low buzz that slowly
escalate into a loud whirling sound that pierces the silence.
Before you, the room is filled with spinning blades, several
anvils with swords dot the sides of the room. About 20 feet
from the entrance, you can see a fresh corpse, bisected in
half from waist down.
Side Bar: Whirling Blades
• Roll initiative for the players to keep track of their time and
turn order.
• A player ending their turn within 5 feet of a whirling blade
must succeed on a DC 15 dexterity saving throw or take
1d10 slashing damage.
Area A, B, C, E & F: False Keys
• Sword lies atop these anvils, making a DC 15
Wisdom (Insight) check will notice that these
swords are “unnatural”.
• Casting “Detect Magic” will reveal that all
swords, including the real sword are magical in
nature.
• Touching these false keys will cause them to
animate and attack as Flying Swords.
Combat
• The Flying Swords will prioritise their attacks on the player
who first lay their hands on it.
Area F: Bisected Corpse
• An Intelligence (Investigation) check of DC 10
made on the corpse will reveal that it is
Alletol Towerhand, the Human Paladin part
of the adventuring party that entered Xibalba
earlier.
• Searching the corpse will yield a “+1
Longsword” and 25 GP. The armor and
shield are damaged beyond repair.
Area D: The Key of Razors
• Removing the sword from the anvil will cause
it to reform into “The Key of Razors” a
small key shaped object.
• Removing the Key from the anvil will also
cause the Whirling Blades in the room to grind
to a halt. And all Flying Swords active or
otherwise will also become permanently
inanimate.
9
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 Area 11: The House of Bats
The goal of this room is to retrieve the Key of
Bats from the chest at the end of the room (Area
A), while avoiding the multiple swarms of
magical bats flying overhead.
When the party is ready, read this to them:
As you enter the chamber, a collective of sharp shrieking
sounds echos through the cavernous room as the air above
you stirs with the flapping of a hundred wing beats.
• Further inspection of the corpse will reveal it
to be the Halfling Rogue, Ruth
“Quickfingers”, one of the members of the
first adventuring party.
• Searching the corpse will yield a “+1
Dagger”, a “Dagger of Venom”, a “Scale
Armor” and 40 GP.

You’re barely able to duck as a swarm of bats swoop down

from above, intent on attacking your heads.

Side Bar: Children of Camazotz

• Roll initiative for the players to keep track of their time and
turn order.
• Players start in this room crouched, and they only can move
up to 1/4 of their speed.
• At the end of their turns, players need to succeed on a DC 10
dexterity saving throw or take 1d12 slashing damage.
• Standing up in this room while the swarm of bats are present
will cause the player to automatically take 1d12 slashing
damage at the end of their turns.
• The bats are invulnerable to all forms of damage. Let Avatar of Camazotz
the players know this when they attack the swarm of bats.
• Attacking the bats more than 3 times will cause them to
Area 12: The House of Fire
disperse and reform into an Avatar of Camazotz.
The goal of this room is to defeat the Fire
Combat: Avatar of Camazotz Elemental that guards the Key of Fire (Area
• While the Avatar of Camazotz is active, the rules of A).
“Sidebar: Children of Camazotz” do not apply.
• The Avatar of Camazotz will make attacks until defeated When the party is ready, read this to them:
or the key is retrieved from the chest (Area A), in which case
it reverts back to flocks of bats and drop dead. Entering the chamber, the air shifts and the temperature
slowly increases to that of a searing heat. Magma flows
Area A: The Winged Reliquary from a giant shard of crystallised fire that sits at the end of
the room.
• Contained within the reliquary is the Key of
Bats. As if sensing your intrusion into the chamber, the shard of
• The reliquary can be opened with a DC 15 fire glows to a bright hot red and a large barely humanoid
figure wreathed in flames emerge from its molten depths.
Dexterity check with a set of Thieves Tools.
• Alternatively, the reliquary can be broken into A roar akin to the sound of boiling rocks escapes the
by doing enough damage to it. The mouth of the creature as it slowly shambles towards you.
Reliquary has an AC of 5 and 20 Hit
Points. Area A: Eye of Fire
• The heat generated by the Eye of Fire (The
• After reclaiming the Key, the party finds a
crystallised fire marked as Area A), is magical
beheaded corpse near the vicinity of the
in nature.
Reliquary.

Trials of Xibalba 10
!
• The Eye of Fire is invulnerable to all forms of
damage as long as the Fire Elemental is active.
• Defeating the Fire Elemental will cause all
the flames and molten lava that is present in
the room to be absorbed back into the Eye of
Fire.
• The Shard of Fire then transforms into the
Key of Fire.
Combat
• The Fire Elemental will use its lair action at initiative count 20
(losing all ties) to activate the Eye of Fire. When activated, all
players must succeed on a DC 15 constitution saving throw or
take 5 (1d6+2) fire damage and half as much on a successful
save.
Area 13: The House of Cold
The goal of this room is to defeat the Ice
Elemental that guards the Key of Cold (Area
A).
When the party is ready, read this to them:
A cold frigid wind blows from a strange altar at the back
of the room, chilling all that is in its presence. Frozen
water and ice fill almost every corner of the chamber.
All the while as you are observing the room, the
temperature in the room continues to drop and as snow
begins to fall.
As the harsh cold intensifies, it all culminates as cloud of
white powdery snow ascends from the center of the altar,
slowly it reforms and materialises into a twisted humanoid
caricature that floats towards you.
Area A: Breath of Ice
• Defeating the Ice Elemental causes the frost
and cold winds to stop and the Breath of Ice
(The altar marked as Area A) to shatter,
revealing the Key of Cold.
• The cold produced by the Breath of Ice (The
altar marked as Area A), is magical in nature.
• The Breath of Ice is invulnerable to all forms
of damage as long as the Ice Elemental is
active.
Trials of Xibalba
Combat
• The Ice Elemental will use its lair action at initiative count 20
(losing all ties) to activate the Breath of Ice. When activated, all
players must succeed on a DC 15 constitution saving throw or
suffer 5 (1d6+2) cold damage and its hit point maximum is
reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This
reduction lasts until the target finishes a short rest. The target is
frozen solid and dies if this effect reduces its hit point
maximum to 0.
Area 14: The House of Jaguars
The goal of this room is to retrieve the key at the
stone altar in the chamber either by sneaking
past or defeating the two Displacer Beasts
prowling the wooded confines of the room.
When the party is ready, read this to them:
You are shocked at what greet your eyes, a verdant
expanse of trees and flowers lay before you. An
impossibility you think to yourself.
Before you can sink any further into your thoughts and
marvel at the ephemeral greenery of this room, something
moved under the wooded boughs in the distance…
Area A: Soul of the Forest
• The two Displacer Beasts (Marked DB) will
attempt to stealth as soon as the players enter
the room. They have a +5 bonus to their
stealth roll due to the foliage of the room.
• Roll initiative for the players as soon as they
are ready, to track the passage of time.
• Take note of the player’s marching order.
• A player making an Intelligence (Investigation)
check of any DC on the surrounding area will
be able to see the Key of Jaguars hovering
above the stone altar (marked as Area A).
• A corpse torn to shreds, lay on the stone altar.
• A cursory Intelligence (Investigation) check
reveals it to be Father Dethius, the Elven
Cleric accompanying the first party.
• His body contains a “+1 Mace” and 13 GP
11
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Combat
• The two Displacer Beasts will attempt to sneak up and
attack the players in the lead and the rear in a pincer
manoeuvre.
• It is possible to distract/hold off the two beasts while a player
retrieves the Key of Jaguars from the Altar. Doing so however
will enrage the 2 Displacer Beasts giving them advantage for
their next 3 attacks.
• The Displacer Beasts will not pursue anyone past this room.
Area 15: The House of Darkness
The goal of this room is to find the Key of
Darkness hidden on a random square in the
room, while evading the Will-O-’Wisp that are
spawning from the giant ball of light in the
room.
As more Will-O-’Wisp appears, the room is
slowly lit by their “Variable Illumination”
trait. Therefore, this creates a situation where
allowing multiple Will-O-’Wisps to spawn affords
the players with more light sources, but run the
risk of being overwhelmed by enemies.
When the party is ready, read this to them:
An impermeable darkness covers the room, with only a
large fluctuating sphere of light providing weak
illumination.
Eerily silent and still, a lone metallic glint shines for a split
second before being engulf by the dark. As the light
fluctuate, a lone orb splits from the sphere and begins
floating towards you…
Area A: Heart of Darkness
• The darkness is magical in nature and
cannot be dispelled.
• Roll initiative for the players as soon as they
are ready, to track the passage of time.
• You may plant the Key of Darkness in any
square you deem appropriate.
• The metallic glint is the spot where the Key
of Darkness is located.
• A player making a Wisdom (Perception) check
against a DC of 18 can roughly pinpoint the
location of the metallic glint up, accurate up to
20 feet. (The accuracy is determined by how
high their roll is)
Trials of Xibalba
• Ending your turn on a square will
reveal if the key is on that square. If a
player ends their turn on the square containing
the Key, they may use their reaction to
retrieve the Key.
• Retrieving the Key will cause the Heart of
Darkness to disappear, however any remaining
Will-O’-Wisps will still continue to engage in
combat.
Combat
• The Heart of Darkness (the sphere of light marked area A)
starts off with a Will-O’-Wisp that spawns within 10 feet of
it.
• At the end of every round, a new Will-O’-Wisp appears within
10 feet of the Heart of Darkness.
• The Will-O’-Wisps sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius with
their Variable Illumination trait.
• The Will-O’-Wisps will attack the player nearest to them.
The Fate of Bagda Oakheart
• After the darkness in the room has been
dispelled, the players find a severely weakened
Bagda Oakheart, the leader of the
expedition lying in the corner of the room.
She is on her final death saving throw.
• Roll initiative for Bagda, she has a +2 to her
initiative roll.
• If saved and brought to consciousness by the
party, Bagda will answer their questions to the
best of her abilities.
• She will also elect to stay in this room to
dress her wounds, and implore the party
to find a way out for them and her party.
What Bagda Knows
• She was hired by Rinah to scout out the dungeon and retrieve
whatever that was of historical value for her.
• They are colleagues in the same Explorer’s Guild
• She got separated from her party when they were attacked in
the Hall of Trials by several Crystal Bones.
• She managed to escape to this room before getting lost in the
darkness while coming under attack by the Will-O’-Wisps.
• She have no knowledge on the current whereabouts of her
party.
• The exit for the dungeon is located past Area 16, and it
requires all 6 keys to proceed forward.
• She is carrying a “Wand of Magic
Missiles” and 67 GP.
12
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The Final Test
With the Six Keys in tow, the arcane barrier in
Area 16 is dispelled, allowing passage forward
into the final area of the dungeon.
Area 16: The Bounded Gate
In this section, the party traverses through “The
Furnace”, an area filled with fire-breathing
statues of long-forgotten beings. At the end of
the area lies the Light of Xibalba, a large
crystalline structure, that acts as the final
gateway and challenge to this dungeon.
By presenting the Six Keys into the Light of
Xibalba, it activates and reforms into Choq’-
Came, The Living Crystal. An ancient
Stelae left by the Gods of Xibalba, to serve as a
final test of strength for their would-be
champions.
When the party is ready to approach Area 16,
read this to them:
With the six keys in your possession, you dive headlong
back into the cold and dark waters of the Hall of Trial. As
you swim towards the once inaccessible stone dais north of
the hall, the six keys that are in your possession begins to
glow in tandem with the arcane runes at the end of the
hall.
This glow intensifies to a blinding white light that
momentarily illuminate the once dark waters around you,
for a moment you all collectively shield your eyes from the
intensity of the light. As the light slowly dissipates, you
observe a slight, gentle light streaming down into the dark
waters from an opening in the ceiling at the end of the
hallway…
Area A: Bed of the Fallen
• This area is caked in crystalline dust that a DC
15 Intelligence (Nature) check will reveal to be
calcified remains of of creatures.
• This area can be used as a zone for Short/
Long Rests.
• For every 4 hours spent in this area, there is a
10% chance of 4 Crystal Bones spawning from
the surrounding crystals.
Trials of Xibalba
Combat
• The Crystal Bones continues to attack a player even if they are
unconscious, they will only stop when either them or the player
that they are currently engaged with is dead.
Aftermath
• Searching the Crystal Bones after the battle will yield 1d6 GP
worth of Crystal Quartz per body.
Area B: The Furnace
• Jets of flames shoot forth from stone statues set
into alcoves on either side of the hall.
• The flames have a range of 25-feet, leaving
only a 5-feet wide path in the middle of the
hall as a safe zone from the fire.
• Anything ending their turn within the flames
must roll a DC 13 dexterity saving throw and
1d12 fire damage, or half as much on a
successful save.
Area C: Twin Champions
• Seated on elaborate thrones are a set of 2
skeletons decked in kingly robes and
jewellery. The skeleton on the right is missing
its’s skull.
• Their bodies can be looted for 500 GP worth
of jewellery.
• A epitaph in Infernal is carved into the
ground in between the two thrones.
• This can be read by anyone proficient in
Infernal or by spending 3 minutes
decoding the epitaph and by doing an
Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC
of 18.
“Here lies the twins who dared deceive the Gods of
Xibalba. Let their fates be an example to all who
would make a fool of the Gods.
Wings of a Bat, Sword of the Mighty, Eye of the
Fire, Breath of Ice, Soul of the Forests, and a Heart
of Darkness, present them all to the Light of Xibalba
and be judged of your worthiness.
One way or another, your journey ends here…”
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 Area D: The Light of Xibalba
• A large crystal is housed at the end of the
chamber, numerous inert Crystal Bones is
fused to the structure.
• The crystal is magical in nature.
• The crystal is invulnerable to all forms of
damage when dormant.
• In the center of the structure is 6 Keyholes.
Inserting the Six Keys of Xibalba will cause
the crystal to shift and slowly reform into
Choq’-Came, The Living Crystal.
• When the players are ready, read this to them:

As you insert the six keys into the crystal, the

chamber begins to shake slightly before slowly Choq’-Came, the Living Crystal
increasing into an earth shaking tremor. Dust begins
to fall from the ceilings and you barely manage to The Trove of Champions
steady yourself. Before you, the large crystal begins to • Besting Choq’-Came, the party finds a secret
crack and reform, taking on a more humanoid shape door behind where the Living crystal once lay.
with each passing second. • Inside, they find a cache of Gold Bars and
ancient coins worth 5000 GP.
• When the players roll initiative, read this to
them: • An Emerald Tablet of seeming importance
lie amongst the treasure horde.
As it steadies itself from its awakening, the crystalline • At the end of the chamber is an arch with a
brute scans the room, it spots you and the myriad of veil like field within its confines.
corpses fused to its body begins to writhe, as they
• The arch will take the players back to the stone
collectively let out a soul shattering scream of pain
platform overseeing the Crumbling Stelae
before lunging towards you! 
in Area 2 of the Cenote Entrance.
Combat • Travel by this arch is one-way only.
• Choq’-Came will use its Fire Breath attack on his first round
of combat. It repeats this attack whenever possible.
• As the players leave the Trove of Champions,
• Whenever possible, Choq’-Came will use its Arcane Nullifier
they all feel an unsettling feeling of some
Legendary Action to cast Counter Spell. higher power watching over their actions. The
• At half health or lower, Choq’-Came will attempt to move Gods of Xibalba have granted them
between the plumes of fire in Area B and heal with his Fire each a boon.
Absorption trait.
• Whenever possible, it will spread out its two Slam attacks on
two separate players.
• Crystal Bones spawned from its Armor of the Damned trait
have half Hit Points.

Trials of Xibalba 14
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Aftermath The Boon of Xibalba
• What dark powers have the infernal gods of
With the party besting the dungeons of Xibalba, xibalba gifted the party with?
what comes next? • The DM is encourage to think of effects that
may weave seamlessly into their overarching
The Bargain with Rinah Goldeyes campaign that may provide the players with
• Rinah waits at the exact same spot as you left both positive and negative effects in the long
her. run.
• Will the party keep their word with Rinah and
give her half of the loot or will they bargain Future Plot Hooks
with her? • Rinah may contact the party again as she finds
more ancient ruins.
• With enough persuasion, Rinah may
accede to the party’s request and let • The party may want to find out more about
them keep the full amount of loot. the lost civilisation that revered the Gods of
Xibalba.
• This is made easier if Bagda Oakheart
was saved by the party. • The Emerald Tablet may be a source of great
knowledge or perhaps a key to cracking some
• What about the Emerald Tablet and its
sort of ancient code.

significance?
• The tablet seems to be an ancient
artefact of some importance.
• Rinah is very interested in having the
tablet and is willing to let the party keep
3/4 of the treasure if they would give
the tablet to her.
• The worth of the tablet is unknown.

Trials of Xibalba 15
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Appendix A: Maps

The Cenote Entrance & Drowned Tunnels

High-Res versions of this map is available for free on www.patreon.com/worldmaker


Trials of Xibalba 16
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Hall of Trial, The Six Houses of Xibalba & The Final Test


Trials of Xibalba 17
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Appendix B: Monsters

Trials of Xibalba 18
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Trials of Xibalba 19
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Trials of Xibalba 20
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Trials of Xibalba 21
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to my patron(s) on Patreon: @youresocooldylan.
Thank you, pyromancers.com for the wonderful Dungeon Painter Studios Software.
Appreciation to the Encounter+ Application for enabling the authors to create the monster stat blocks
used in this module.
You can find more Dungeons & Dragons 5e content and future dungeon modules on on
www.patreon.com/worldmaker

Art Credits
Héctor Hugo Moreno or @wellofenoryn on Instagram.

Trials of Xibalba 22
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