FOREWORD
The face of the great green devil. I can’t
remember if I laughed, screamed, or just
sat in awe the first time I encountered
the infamous annihilating trap. What I
do remember is realizing, for the first
time, that Dungeons and Dragons has
changed significantly since the 1970s.
Sure, the core elements of the
roleplaying game have endured the
various iterations that have been
published since, but there was a
different idea about what a Dungeons
and Dragons session should be back
then.
Strahd von Zarovich’s home,
Castle Ravenloft, was the first classic
adventure dungeon I truly ran for my
friends. I loved watching them explore
the castle, which had a heartbeat and a
life of its own. Still, pitting the party
against the evil vampire and his horde of
minions never quite felt as punishing as
that single green devil face. So, after
they escaped the lands of Barovia, we
started having a regular Tomb of
Horrors expedition. We would grab a
few characters, a few snacks, and more
than a few cold beverages, and I would
set them against the most ruthless
dungeon ever crafted-- and they loved it.
There’s something about that
classic dungeon crawl experience that is
refreshing after a while away.
Acererak’s tomb always provided us
with laughs, arguments, and memories.
The only thing that was missing, was a
sense of accomplishment. Even when
you’ve reached the lich’s lair (which
I’m not entirely sure my friends ever
did), you have already burnt through a
half dozen characters along the way.
In comes the Crypt of the
Archmage. This adventure is heavily
inspired by those cold beverage fuelled
nights with my friends. I have tried,
however, to mimic that experience while
still giving the players a fighting chance.
The crypt offers many puzzles, traps,
and battles, but does so in such a way
that you are likely to make it out the
other end alive; provided you are careful
and well prepared.
This adventure can be ran as a
one-shot, and we have playtested it for
that purpose. It is fun to experiment
with upping the difficulty if you play in
that way because.. well, why not? It is
truly designed, however, to provide a
challenging dungeon crawl for an
ongoing campaign. One that is
reminiscent of the brutal dungeons that
came before it. One that would make
Gary Gygax proud.
Daniel Herridge
 INTRODUCTION
The legend of the Crypt of the Archmage echoes The Monster Manual contains stat blocks for the
across all of Faerûn. Hidden along the Sword monsters and nonplayer characters (NPCs) found
Coast, it is said that the crypt only reveals itself to in this adventure. When a creature's name appears
those who are both seeking it, and worthy of the in bold type, that's a visual cue pointing you to
treasure within. Few are fortunate enough to set the creature's stat block in the Monster Manual.
foot inside the fabled tomb of the Archmage. Spells and nonmagical equipment
Even fewer make it out alive. Gazing upon the mentioned in the adventure are described in the
daunting presence of the mausoleum, you feel Player's Handbook. Magic items are described in
anything but lucky. the Dungeon Master's Guide or within the text.
This adventure is designed for a party of
four to five characters of 4th to 6th-level. It is ADVENTURE HOOK
designed to provide a significant challenge to a The aforementioned crypt can be found just
party of that size and strength, and as such it is about anywhere along the Sword Coast (or in
recommended that they be equipped with the any other location, if your adventure is not set
proper gear, weapons, and magic items needed to in the Forgotten Realms).
give them a fighting chance.
It is rumoured that the Archmage has
Text contained within a block like this is meant to hidden a collection of of powerful magic
be read aloud to the players when they encounter items and immense wealth in a secret vault,
a location or creature for the first time. It assumes deep within their crypt. The tale suggests
the characters have a source of light or that any who possess the enchanted
darkvision to see by. weapons and armor locked away in the
Archmage’s cache will become the most
This adventure requires the Player’s Handbook, powerful being in all of Faerûn.
Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. Of course, no archmage would dare leave their
Other published works may be used to add fortune for the taking without protecting it
variation or adapt the adventure to your campaign. with deadly traps, challenging puzzles, and
vicious monsters.
 AREAS OF
INTEREST
A. Graveyard in the Mist
As you approach the supposed site of
the Archmage’s crypt, a thick fog
envelops you. Before long, it becomes
difficult to identify anything further than
arm’s length. You catch yourself as you
nearly trip over a large slab of stone. A
tombstone with your name engraved
upon it.
You find yourself in the middle of
a massive graveyard. A narrow path
cuts through the aisles of headstones,
leading to an ornate building atop a hill
in the center of the yard. A mausoleum
sits overlooking the cemetery.
The graveyard is filled with the names of
the party, their friends and family, and
other acquaintances they may know. The
mausoleum atop the hill contains the
entrance to the Crypt of the Archmage.
If the adventurers investigate any
of the tombstones, or linger for too long
in the graveyard, they are ambushed. 1d6
zombies rise from the ground around
them and and attack. Otherwise, the
graveyard is intended solely to deter those
who would wish to seek the hidden crypt.
Creatures: Zombie (Monster Manual pg.
316)
B1. Mausoleum Entrance (Outside)
The path cutting through the yard leads
to a marble building. The building is
undoubtedly home to the remains of the
Archmage.
This enormous structure is without
doubt the final resting place for
generations of mages. Statues flanking
either side of the sole entrance to the
structure depict the Archmage, or so you
assume, adorned with flowing robes and
a crystalline staff. Pillars of marble line
the front face of the building, and a set
of iron doors with gold filigree rest
slightly ajar.
The mausoleum is protected by a
banshee. Players who step within 80 ft of
the building’s entrance are attacked as the
creature floats through the mausoleum’s
wall.
Creatures: Banshee (Monster Manual pg.
23)
 B2. Mausoleum (Interior)

Inside the mausoleum, a family of eight

mages and warriors rest in sarcophagi
lining all sides of the room. A statue is
sculpted atop each casket’s lid,
depicting its occupant. In the back of the
room a more ornate statue, decorated
with gemstones aplenty, stands behind a
ninth coffin. You can only assume the
coffin, made entirely of gold, contains
the remains of the Archmage. No sign of
the famed crypt can be found.

The eyes of each statue are wide open, staring

at the party as they cross the room. A DC 16
Investigation check on any of the coffins
reveals that the eyelids of each statue contain
a mechanism allowing them to be closed.
The entrance to the crypt below is
hidden within the Archmage’s coffin. Sliding
the golden lid off the casket reveals a 60 ft
drop to C1. Any statues that still have their
eyes open when the lid is removed animate
(use the animated armor stat block);
breaking free from their casket, they
continuously attack the party until they enter
the crypt below.
If the party close the eyelids of all
eight sarcophagi, the entrance to the Crypt of
the Archmage opens automatically, sliding
free from the casket and revealing the room
below.

Creatures: Animated Armor (Monster Manual

pg. 19)

C1. Crypt Entrance

The room below the mausoleum is the

first of many in the Archmage’s crypt.
The crypt is designed to lay waste to
those who attempt to steal the
Archmage’s treasure after their death. It
is more akin to a dungeon, filled with
traps, puzzles, monsters, and magic
items. The first room of the dungeon
sets the tone, as it contains a riddle
relating to a magic puzzle therein.

Bare rock forms the walls of this dingy
room, as though it were carved out of
the earth itself. Four sconces mark the
corners of the area; their amber glow
illuminating a large puddle in the center
of the room. Two iron doors flank the
room on either side, with a large
keyhole embedded in each. A common
passage is written in golden ink along
one of the longer walls of the room. It
reads:
The secret lies inside you all, with
which to paint me on the wall.
Forge a key of ruby-red, but what
will be must then be dead.
The doors of this room are sealed,
requiring a key to unlock them. The key
can be forged by using blood to draw
the shape of a key on the wall beneath
the inscription. The creature from which
the utilized blood was gathered
determines the difficulty of this puzzle.
A grotesque replica of said creature rises
from the puddle, and attacks the party.
For instance, if a character uses their
own blood to depict the key, a
zombified version of themselves will
emerge from the pool’s surface. This
may or may not pose much of a threat,
however an undead dragon, giant, or
beholder would be a cause for much
more concern. Once the creature is
slain, a key manifests on the wall;
appearing in the material plane, the key
perfectly fits the doors on either side of
the room.
Creatures: Depending on the situation,
a variety of monsters can be used for
this encounter.
Any creature that has a “zombie” or
“undead” form in the Monster Manual
can be directly replaced with the
corresponding stat block. For example,
if the party uses ogre blood to paint the
key, an ogre zombie would emerge
from the pool. If a character uses their
own blood to craft the key, use their
character sheet as a stat block for the
creature; give that creature immunity to
poison and necrotic damage. This
method may also be used if the party
uses the blood of a creature that is not
easily replaceable.
C2. Beholder Lair
Four massive pillars of stone, extending
about a dozen feet from floor to ceiling,
corner this cavernous room. The walls
are made entirely of bones, mainly
skulls, from countless indistinguishable
creatures. Across the floor on the far
wall of the room, a large iron door leads
into the next area.
In front of the door, however, a
monstrous being blocks your path.
Seemingly composed of the flesh of the
creatures lining the walls, a floating
sphere with a single giant eye waits,
several feet off the ground. Fleshy
tentacles protrude from the being, each
with an eye of its own. As you enter the
room, all eyes are on you.
The pillars in this room act as cover
from the gaze of the zombie beholder
charged with blocking the adventurers’
path. At the end of the beholder’s turn,
there is a 1 in 4 chance of a skeleton
emerging from the wall and joining the
battle.
Each skeleton summoned this way appears
next to a corresponding player. Skeletons
take their turn immediately after the
beholder, but do not get a turn in the same
round they are summoned.
Creatures: Beholder Zombie (Monster
Manual pg. 316), Skeleton (Monster
Manual pg. 272)
C3. Spider’s Nest
Your walk through the small hallway
leading to the next room is hindered by a
thick wall of webbing. Sticky and hard to
navigate, the webs are much too large to be
mere cobwebs. The room at the end of the
hallway is longer than it is wide. Like a
dining room from a long since abandoned
mansion, the room is lined with dust-
covered tables; on top of them, a spoiled
feast is set forth. Flies circle the rotten meat
laying on plates and serving trays, while
lifeless corpses sit in chairs surrounding
the horrific sight.
Four dyed ropes of varying colors hang
from a ceiling that is far too high to see in
the dark of the dungeon: one red, one
green, one blue, and one black. On the far
side of the room a large iron door is closed,
flush with the wall. No handle protrudes
from the door, and there are no creases by
which it could be pried open.
This room provides the players with a
combination that will be used later in the
dungeon. The ropes in the room must all be
pulled before the sealed door on the far side
slides open. There is no correct order in
which to pull the ropes. Instead, the order in
which they are pulled dictates the correct
combination for the puzzle in area C11.
When a rope is pulled for the first
time, a large bell rings from from above, in
a unique note. After which, two giant
spiders fall from the ceiling and attack the
adventurers.
 If a rope is pulled a second time, no bell
chimes and the second instance of the
color is not included in the combination
found later in the dungeon. Once all
four ropes are pulled, the combination
is set and the room transforms. The
corpses in the room disappear and the
feast becomes bountiful and delicious.
Adventurers who take ten minutes or
more to sit and enjoy the feast gain 3d12
hit points. Any excess hit points gained
in this way are converted to temporary
hit points.
Creatures: Giant Spiders (Monster
Manual pg. 328)
C4. Shrine of Myrkul
Inside this ornate chamber is a small
church of sorts. An altar rests upon a
raised dais at the back of the room,
engraved with a divine symbol. The
symbol depicts a white skull set inside a
black triangle. Behind the altar, a
creature appears to be giving a sermon
to a mass of zombies.
The being, adorned with the
robes of a mage and wielding a staff,
stares at you with icy blue eyes as you
enter. With a quick motion, the doors
behind you slam closed, and the
creature gestures toward you. With a
guttural growl, the zombie congregation
turns and marches toward you.
The leader of the creatures, a deathlock,
and his seven zombie disciples fight to
the death. The congregation is tasked
with stopping the party from reaching
the corridor at the east side of the room,
leading to C11.
Atop the altar lays an unholy symbol of
Myrkul. Players who find the symbol
can immediately attune to it, provided
they are not already attuned to the
maximum number of magic items.
Symbol of Myrkil: This item cannot be
attuned to by creatures of good
alignment. Such creatures take 4d6
necrotic damage upon touching the
symbol. Evil characters who attune to
the symbol gain a +2 bonus to all spells
cast while they are attuned.
Three times per day, a creature
can use the symbol to cast animate dead,
false life, or vampiric touch at 6th level.
C5. Hidden Stairway
A small circular intersection opens up
before you. Ahead and behind you, two
corridors lead in opposite directions.
On the wall between the two hallways,
the statue of a mage towers over you,
with a staff pointing forwards. The
statue, carved from marble, is embedded
with an assortment of gemstones and
fine metals.
A large crystal ball is affixed to
the end of the staff. Across from the
statue, a large iron door rests slightly
ajar, with firelight radiating from the
other side.
Although the party may think otherwise,
the statue is not trapped. A DC 15
Investigation check reveals that the staff
is actually a lever. When pulled, the
lever turns the statue, revealing the
stairs behind leading to A9. A DC 18
Investigation check, or a sufficient
amount of fiddling, also reveals that the
crystal ball can be removed.

Players who attempt to use the crystal ball to
scry on the Archmage do so with advantage.
Although the Archmage is dead, the sensor
originates around the skull in area C6, revealing
the sanguine pool surrounding it.
C6. Acid Pit
The short tunnel leading to this area is lined
with a half dozen torches to light your way. At
the end of the path, you find yourself atop a 5
foot stone platform at the end of a 90 foot
hallway. Affixed to the wall atop the platform
is a torch much different from the others you
have come across. This torch glows with a
green flame, casting everything around you in
an emerald hue.
Beneath the platform, and down a set
of stairs carved from stone, an opaque red
substance fills the hallway. At the far side of
the hallway, through the darkness, you see a
pedestal rising from the liquid below. A
humanoid skull rests atop it, lit by candle
light.
The substance below the platform is part of a
magical trap. Any creature who touches the
substance takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and any
who start their turn submerged in it take 3d6
necrotic damage. The green-flamed torch
affixed to the wall in this hallway is the key to
crossing safely.
The substance is deterred by the flame, which
pushes the liquid back 5 ft in every direction.
The flame cannot be distinguished.
Immediately after the torch is removed
from the wall, 2 stirges fly towards the party
from the ceiling above. The stirges attack any
creature holding the torch until that creature
dies. For every 20 ft the torch moves down the
hallway, two more stirges emerge to attack the
torchbearer.
The skull at the end of the hallway is the
skull of the Archmage. Although it has no
magical properties, it is required to open the
door to C11. After the skull is removed from the
pedestal, all the stirges in the room turn to ash,
and the liquid filling the room becomes water. A
door then appears at the start of the hallway,
leading to C7.
Creatures: Stirge (Monster Manual pg. 284)
C7. Reprieve
The room on the other side of door is
filled with adventurers just like yourself.
Many laugh and converse around the
room, while others sit and drink at a fully
stocked bar on the far side. Nobody
acknowledges your presence as you enter.
There is no bartender manning the bar.
This area is a small room, resembling any
tavern in the realm. The occupants are illusions,
who can be passed through and cannot interact
with the party. The furniture, drinks, and food
within the room are real, however.
The party is free to take a short or long
rest in this area, healing an additional hit die of
damage if they do so. If the party spends more
than one minute in the room with the door shut,
they are magically transported to another part of
the dungeon. Leaving the barroom afterwards
leads to the far-left (otherwise trapped) door of
C9. This effect is irreversible.
C8. Vault
Behind an iron cage-like door, locked with a
large padlock, lies a small treasure trove. Piles
of gold and gemstones lay about the floor, as
high as a full-grown orc in some areas.
Weapons, armor, and tools of all sorts
line the walls of this small room. The vault
before you is immaculately clean, though no
creatures are present.
The vault is locked behind an iron door, but there
are no magic barriers. The lock requires a DC 15
Sleight of Hand check to open.
The coinage in the room amounts to 3d6
thousand gold pieces, 3d6 hundred silver pieces,
and 1d6 hundred copper pieces. There are also 1d12
hundred gemstones of a variety of types and sizes.
Unfortunately, any treasure that leaves the Crypt of
the Archmage turns to ash when it is touched by
sunlight.
The weapons, armor, and tools within the
vault react to sunlight similarly, though they can be
used while the adventurers explore the dungeon.
Players can gather 1d4 of any items in the
Adventuring Gear section of the Player’s
Handbook. All gear in the vault is cursed.
Players who are wearing or wielding any of
armor and weapons in the room roll with
disadvantage during the encounter in C11.
Rolls involving the use of the tools in
this room are attempted at disadvantage
throughout the entire crypt.
C9. Tapestry Room
The walls of this large room are lined on one
side with a tapestry depicting the life of the
Archmage. The human’s rise to power, their
accumulation of wealth, and the creation of the
vault beneath their tomb are all illustrated in
beautiful and colorful embroidery.
On the opposite side of the room, three
identical iron doors are set into the wall,
unlocked. Above them, an inscription written in
common reads:
I have many tongues but cannot taste;
By me, many things are turned to waste
This room at the top of the staircase has four
entrances. Two of the entrances are trapped, and
one is hidden behind the tapestry.
The door leading to the vault in C8 is
hidden behind the tapestry. A DC 16
Investigation check reveals that there is an
opening behind the artwork. Players can lift the
tapestry or cut through it to reach the
entrance on the other side.
 The three doors on the other side of the
door are part of a magic puzzle. The
answer to the riddle above them is
“fire”. Players who bring a torch close
to the doors find a single dwarven rune
magically hidden on them. The runes on
the far-left and middle doors say,
“DANGER” while the far-right door
reads,“SAFE”.
If a player opens a door marked
with the DANGER rune, they trigger a
spear trap on the other side. A poisoned Flute of Construct Control:
spear shoots out from an otherwise
empty room on the other side. This flute is designed to protect against
Adventurers take 1d6 piercing damage the constructs guarding the vault of the
on hit, and must attempt a DC 11 Archmage. The sound of the flute has a
Constitution saving throw. Those who magic influence on all constructs in the
fail the saving throw take an additional area.
10 poison damage and are poisoned for The flute of construct control can
1 hour. The door marked SAFE leads to be played without proficiency. Playing
area C10. the flute takes one standard action.
When the flute is played, all constructs
C10. Music Room within 120 ft resonate with magical
energy. Constructs affected by the sound
This small but well-decorated room is attack with disadvantage until the end of
filled with musical instruments. A the player’s next turn. This effect is not
plethora of lutes, flutes, pipe, and drums considered a charm.
float around the room- playing
themselves magically. The combined
sounds of the instruments form a
beautiful song.
In the center of the room, a
pedestal holds an ornate, wooden box.
The box, left open and angled towards
the entrance, holds the only instrument
not being played: a silver flute.

The instrument in the wooden box is the

flute of construct control described within
the text. There are no traps or monsters in
the room, and characters who take a short
rest in the room heal an additional 1d6 hit
points.
C11. Iron Giant Drum Room
The door leading to this encounter is
magically locked. To open the door, the
Archmage’s skull must be placed in the
indentation in the wall.
The stairway leads to a seven-foot iron
door, upon which an engraving depicts
the Archmage himself. The head of the
mage has been removed, however, and a
foot-wide indentation is carved into the
door in its place. Though there is no
keyhole, the door will not budge,
appearing to be magically locked.
Inside the room, an intricate magical
puzzle hides the door to the Archmage’s
lair in C12. The door is invisible and
becomes visible only when the puzzle is
solved.
In this massive square room, four iron
statues stand at each corner. Each
wielding a massive warhammer, they
stand in front of enormous drums of
various colors. Red. Blue. Green. Black.
There is no other entrance or exit in the
room.
Once the entire party is in the room, or
when any player interacts with a statue
(an iron giant, described in the text),
the sole visible door slams shut, locking
itself magically.
The answer to solving the puzzle
of this room is to get the statues to slam
on the drums in the correct order.
Players who approach within 5 ft of the
statues immediately notice a lever at the
waist of each. Pulling a lever causes its
statue to slam the drum in front of it.
When played in the correct order each
drum makes a unique sound, identical in
tone to the bells in room C3; otherwise,
they make no sound. The order in which
the drums must be played is determined
by the encounter in room C3. If that
encounter has not be completed, there is
no correct combination.
If the drums are played in the
wrong order, the statues animate and
attack the party. The statues can be
attack and killed, or they can be
manipulated to attempt solve the puzzle
again. After an incorrect combination is
played, the puzzle resets.
The invisible door in the room is
opened when either the puzzle is solved,
or all iron giants in the room are killed.
Iron Giant: Large construct, unaligned
AC: 16 (Natural Armor) HP: 120 Speed: 30 ft
STR: 23(+6) DEX: 15(+2) CON: 20(+5)
INT: 10(+0) WIS: 12(+1) CHA: 9(+1)
Saving Throws: DEX +5, CON +8, WIS +4
Skills: Athletics +12 Experience: 2,900 (CR 7)
Servant to Sound: When the drum associated
with the giant is played in the correct order, the
giant becomes lifeless. The giant becomes active
again if the rest of the combination is played
incorrectly, or no other drums are played within
10 minutes.
Multiattack: The iron giant makes two attacks,
one with its greathammer and one kick.
Greathammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
reach 15 ft, one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6)
bludgeoning.
Kick: Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5
ft, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning
damage.
C12: Archmage’s Lair
The final room of the dungeon is home to the
rest of the remains of the Archmage; as well as
their fortune. The Archmage protects the
treasure in an incorporeal form (described in
the text). The exact contents of the treasure are
up to the Dungeon Master.
If the dungeon is used as a part of a long-running
campaign, there is likely a plot-centric item or
weapon that is hidden in the trove. If this is a one-
shot adventure, it may be interesting to leave the
exact contents of the treasure to the player’s
imagination.
Apart from the remains of the Archmage and
the treasure scattered throughout the room, there are
no significant features in the lair. After speaking, the
ghost of the Archmage attacks.
The chamber behind the enchanted door is filled
with treasure and magic items of unfathomable
value. In the center of the room, the remaining
bones of the Archmage levitate several feet from the
floor, properly assembled. Around their bones, the
Archmage’s ghostly form stares at you. As they float
towards you they yell,
“You have made it this far, but you shall never take
my treasure. Your journey ends here.”
Ghost of the Archmage: Medium undead, neutral
evil
AC: 14 (17 with mage armor) HP: 102 Speed: 30 ft
STR: 9(-1) DEX: 14(+2) CON: 15(+2)
INT: 18(+4) WIS: 12(+1) CHA: 13(+1)
Saving Throws: INT +7, DEX +5 Skills: Arcana
+7, Insight +4 Experience: 2,900 (CR 7)
Cantrips (at-will): fire bolt, light, mage hand,
prestidigitation, shocking grasp
1st-5th level (3 5th level spell slots): magic missile,
mirror image, misty step, counterspell, lightning
bolt, banishment, fire shield, cone of cold, scrying,
wall of force

Magic Resistance. The archmage has advantage on Dagger. Melee or Ranged Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5
saving throws against spells and other magical ft or range 20/60 ft, one target Hit: 4 (1d4+2)
effects. piercing damage.

Innate Spellcasting. The Archmage's innate CREDITS

spellcasting ability is Intelligence. It can innately
cast the following spells (spell save DC 15),
Artwork used throughout this adventure were used
requiring no material components:
under the pubic domain or creative commons
(CC0) licenses. The artists who created these
At will: detect magic, mage armor (self only),
works include but art not limited to:
speak with dead, arcange gate
The user b0red on pixabay.com. David L. Johnson.
1/day each: true seeing, invisibility
Earl Geier. Joyce Maureria. Luigi Castellani.
Miguel Santos. Nate Furm (cover art).
Spellcasting. The mage is a 14th-level spellcaster.
Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save
Named artists’ work was obtained thanks to Kevin
DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It regains its
Crawford of Sine Nomine Publishing. Check out
expended spell slots when it finishes a short or
his work, including Sine Nomine’s amazing
long rest. It knows the following spells:
roleplaying game, Stars Without Number.