A Snitch in Time
The DM Lair
CREDITS
Lead Designer: Luke Hart
Lead Developer: Ed Robinson
Cartographer: North of Dusk Productions
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Email: info@thedmlair.com
www.thedmlair.com Lucus Hart, The DM Lair, LLC © 2022
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Use of Open Game Content: This work Uses Open
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A Snitch in Time, Copyright © 2022, Luke Hart, The
DM Lair, LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 1 of 8

CREATURES
• Clockwork Cultist (half-human, half-
clockwork)
o Use stat block for Clockwork
Soldier (CC 65, CR 1)
• Clockwork Beetle Swarm (TOB 61, CR 3)
• Clockwork Abomination (TOB 59, CR 5)
• Clockwork Mantis (TOB2 67, CR 6)
• Zeitgeist (TOB2 383, CR 6)
• One-Headed Clockwork Dragon (CC 111,
CR 8)
• Three-Headed Clockwork Dragon (CC
112, CR 14)
TOB = Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press
TOB2 = Tome of Beasts 2 by Kobold Press
CC = Creature Codex by Kobold Press
DM NOTES
• This adventure is designed for four to
six level-eleven characters.
• It’s expected that the party might need
to take a couple long rests over the
course of this adventure, but no long
rests.
• Contains treasure from one roll on the
level 11-16 treasure hoard table in
Game Master’s Core Rulebook.
BACKSTORY
Decades ago, the Clockwork Enclave, a cabal of
artificers, crafted the Temple of Time. Powered
by mystical clockwork mechanisms, the temple
floated high in the air above the land.
Encouraged by this success, the enclave pressed
onward to further innovations. With time, they
discovered a way to pause time itself, offering
the opportunity for all who dwelt in the Temple
of Time to experience immortality.
However, their clockwork innovations violated
immutable laws of the cosmos and caused a rift
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in time itself to form, centered on the temple.
This rift caused time to “leak” out of the plane
and into an endless interdimensional space
where time was lost. And now, all time on the
material plane is being slowly pulled into this
rift, and an aura of timelessness – where time
stops and all fauna and flora cease to age – is
slowly expanding.
The immediate problem this is causing is that
crops no longer grow, babies are no longer
born, and children remain children. Slowly the
entire circle of life is grinding to a halt, and
scholars theorize that when all time has leaked
from the material plane, it will cause a
chronetic reversal culminating in an entropic
explosion.
In a bid to avoid this fate, the call has gone out
to adventures far and wide who might stop this
from happening.
LOCATIONS
Temple of Broken Time.
NPCS
The Clockwork Enclave. A cabal of artificers
that created the Temple of Broken Time.
Primarch Tempora Chronis. The leader of the
cabal of artificers.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
Build out a handful of random encounters you
can use. You might have a random encounter
take place if the heroes try to use more long
rests than are expected, are in the middle of
raiding a compound and take a long rest, or
even on short rests.
• 1d4 clockwork abominations
• 1d4+2 clockwork beetle swarms
• 1d4 clockwork soldiers and 1
clockwork mantis
• 2 zeitgeists
Page 2 of 8
INCITING EVENT
A local mage and their scholar companion reach
out to the adventures, explaining that their
studies have revealed that time in the region is
beginning to slow down. The pair hypothesizes
that dire consequences might result if
something is not done. After further research
and inquires to extraplanar entities, they’ve
located what they are certain is the source of
the issue: a floating temple in the sky once
inhabited by a cabal of artificers known as the
Clockwork Enclave. The temple was once called
the Temple of Time, but with its believed
abandonment, folks now know it as the Temple
of Broken Time. The mage and scholar ask the
group to investigate and resolve the problem,
promising a treasure that would appeal to the
adventurers (left to GM discretion).
TEMPLE OF BROKEN TIME
The temple is constructed of stone and
clockwork mechanisms and floats 300 feet
above the ground. The interior walls of the
temple are covered with gears and other
mechanisms that are constantly in motion.
ENTERING THE TEMPLE
If the party has access to flying mounts or magic
that allows them to fly, they may easily access
the temple.
Failing that, there is an area of reverse gravity
on the ground below the temple. However, it is
only activated when a riddle is properly
answered. Before this area on the ground
stands a monolith with a clockwork face
constructed on it. When approached, the
clockwork face queries, “Why did the Clockwork
Enclave make the Temple of Time float?” When
the correct answer, “To see time fly” is given,
the area of reverse gravity is activated and
creatures float upward and arrive at the landing
to area T1.
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T1. LANDING ZONE
There are four clockwork cultists here. When
the group arrives, they request their access
numbers. If the group does not provide the
proper numbers (which they don’t have), the
cultists politely ask them to take a number and
wait. There is a number machine on a dais in
the room that gives the group number 412. A
display on the wall indicates that number 198 is
currently being seen. As time does not flow, the
number display never progresses.
In the corner there is a pile of discarded
numbers. Searching the pile and succeeding on
a DC 15 Perception check uncovers a paper with
the number 412 on it. If this is shown to the
cultist, they allow them to proceed further into
the temple.
If the party tries to go further in without the
proper number slip, the clockwork cultists
intone that they are in violation of ChronoCode
132 and must return or be detained. This
triggers an alarm and two clockwork
abominations form from the gears and
mechanisms on the walls and advance on the
group. If the group doesn’t return to wait, the
clockwork cultists and abominations attack.
T2. THE ARBORETUM
This junction is dominated by a clockwork tree
made of gears, springs, and other mechanisms.
Gears occasionally fall from the tree as though
they were leaves, and six clockwork beetle
swarms move about the branches of the tree.
The swarms are not bothered by the group’s
presence but will become aggressive if the tree
is disturbed. The leaflike gears on the ground
may be taken without disturbing the swarm.
Gears. The leaflike gears may be used at other
points in the temple to repair mechanisms,
reducing the difficulty of the final
confrontation.
Page 3 of 8
T3. TREASURE VAULT
This room has broken off from the rest of the
temple. The ten-foot gap in the walkway can be
safely jumped across with a DC 13 or higher
Strength (Athletics) check.
The four massive chests in this room hold the
Clockwork Enclave’s treasure. The outside of
each chest is covered with gears, springs, and
other mechanisms. Inspecting the chest and
succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals that a gear is
missing from each chest. If a leaflike gear from
area T2 is placed into the missing gear spot, the
chest is unlocked and opens freely. Otherwise, a
DC 18 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check is
required to open each chest.
There are two clockwork mantises built into the
far wall of the room, disguised as gears and
springs. If the chests are opened by any other
means than the leaflike gears, they emerge
from the wall and attack. Furthermore, two
zeitgeists materialize over the gap in the
walkway and attack the group from the rear.
Loot. The four chests combined contain 15,000
gp, 1800 pp, 3 topazes (500 gp each), 7th level
spell scroll (GM’s choice), potion of speed,
potion of supreme healing, slippers of spider
climbing, and a clockwork broach.
T4. MEDITATION ROOM
This room contains a simple rug where
members of the enclave would sit in
contemplation, considering greater heights of
innovation and discovery.
T5. THE TIME OF PRESENT: SUNDIAL
This room contains a large sundial in its center,
and the roof has a dome that is designed to be
retracted to allow sunlight in. However, the
dome is currently closed. There is as dormant
one-headed clockwork dragon in the gears on
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the side of the sundial. It is only awakened
when the final battle is triggered (see area T10).
Opening the Dome. A successful DC 17
Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that
the mechanisms on the sundial are broken.
They can be fixed using the leaflike gears from
area T2 and a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Tinker’s Tools) check. If the mechanisms are
fixed, the dome opens, allowing light to hit the
sundial, and the one-headed clockwork dragon
in the gears in this room does not form when
the final battle is triggered (see area T10).
T6. THE TIME OF PAST: WATER CLOCK
This room contains a large water clock in its
center. However, the water clock is not
functioning; time is not being kept. There is as
dormant one-headed clockwork dragon in the
gears on the side of the water clock. It is only
awakened when the final battle is triggered (see
area T10).
Repairing the Water Clock. A successful DC 17
Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that
the mechanisms on the water clock are broken.
They can be fixed using the leaflike gears from
area T2 and a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Tinker’s Tools) check. If the mechanisms are
fixed, the water clock begins to function once
again, and the one-headed clockwork dragon in
the gears in this room does not form when the
final battle is triggered (see area T10).
T7. LIBRARY
The shelves in this room contain books on a
wide variety of topics. Many are historical
volumes and others are reams of notes from
the artificers who created the temple. These
notes contain blueprints.
Notes and Blueprints. Studying these notes and
succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals that the sundial,
water clock, and hourglass in areas T5, T6, and
Page 4 of 8
T9 must be in proper working condition for the
Temple of Time to function properly.
Furthermore, it is discovered that when the
temple is not in proper working condition,
failsafes are activated which put the temples’
defenses on high alert.
T8. BEDROOM
There is a simple bed and table in this room.
This was the private quarters of Primarch
Tempora Chronis. On the table is the primarch’s
private journal.
Journal. A studying the journal for at least 30
minutes and succeeding on a DC 18 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals that three pages
are covered with what appears to be access
codes. These access codes can be used in the
final confrontation with the three-headed
clockwork dragon to disable it. It takes one
action and an entire round to read one page of
access codes; only one page can be read at a
time. Reading a page of access codes disables
one of the heads of the dragon, reducing the
number of bite attacks it can make as part of its
multiattack. Once all three heads have been
disabled, the creature becomes completely
inanimate.
T9. THE TIME OF FUTURE: HOURGLASS
This room contains a giant mechanical
hourglass. Gears and springs cover much of the
surface, and the sand within has been
completely paused and does not flow.
springs on the hourglass does not form when
the final battle is triggered (see area T10).
T10. BROKEN WALKWAY
Perched on the edge of this broken walkway is a
three-headed clockwork dragon. When the
door to area T9 is opened, the dragon animates
and demands the group state their access
codes. These access codes do not exist. After
several moments and reiterating the demand,
the dragon eventually attacks.
When the dragon attacks, the roofs of all the
rooms and corridors float upwards, separating
from the walls. This allows the dragon
unfettered access form above to all areas.
Furthermore, three one-headed clockwork
dragons form: one from the gears on the
hourglass in area T9, one from the gears on the
water clock in area T6, and one from the gears
on the sundial in area T5. All join the combat.
What more, if there were any clockwork
creatures undealt with in the other areas of the
temple, at the game master’s discretion, they
join the combat in subsequent waves.
RESOLUTION
Repairing the sundial, water clock, and
hourglass, and disabling or defeating the three-
headed clockwork dragon fixes the rift into
which time is flowing.

Fixing the Hourglass. A successful DC 17

Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that
the mechanisms on the hourglass are broken.
They can be fixed using the leaflike gears from
area T2 and a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Tinker’s Tools) check. If the hourglass is fixed,
the sand begins flowing freely, and the one-
headed clockwork dragon in the gears and

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Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins,
Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend,
based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. System Reference Document Copyright 2000,
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Philip Larwood, Jeff Lee, Kelly Pawlik, Brian Suskind, and Mike Welham. A Snitch in Time, Copyright 2022, Luke
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