The Tomb of the Gray Philosopher (v3.

0 Mog edition)
The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

“To His Coy Mistress” –By Andrew Marvell

A Dungeon World Adventure by Mark Tygart 1.3a variant

(Map from https://stonewerks.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/a-burial-crypt-its-been-way-too-long/)

Introduction

A century or more has gone by and the tomb carved into Unholy Hill has refused to yield up its
treasures. Scholars can attest to its antiquity but little else besides that and the fact that a few groups of
adventurers have attempted to raid it and have never returned! Can your bold group of rogues do any
better?
Background

Long ago the followers of the evil theologian known only as “The Gray Philosopher” entombed his
remains, treasure and a few of his “lucky” students into the Unholy Hill. Unfortunately for them the
“Gray Philosopher’s” evil sect was an esoteric and intellectually demanding one and the fashions of evil
evolved to favor gross physical vices and simple bloodlust in this era. So the Gray Philosopher continues
his corrupt mental ponderings undisturbed in his tomb and now is long forgotten…but not by the
followers of Mog

Questions

1. Why where your characters hired by the cultists of Mog?

2. Who was given the map to the tomb?

3. What do you know of the mysterious “three treasures of Mog hidden in the tomb”?

4. What dire rumours have you heard about the guardians and traps of the tomb?

5. What have Mog worshippers promised you for the “three treasures”?

6. How do you feel about these creepy cultic followers of this Spider God?

Hanging Tree

The Gray Philosopher’s followers planted this horror to guard his tomb and sacrificed students of evil
here who failed their exams here for many years to honor his memory…

HANGING TREE Solitary, Huge

Strangling Noose (d10+3 damage 1 piercing) 16 HP 1 armor
Reach, Far
Special Qualities: Undead, Vulnerable to Fire, Moves Slowly

Undead tree formed by the hanging of the innocent from its limbs. It will attempt to strangle its victim
with rope and noose from it limbs and drain them of all life. Bodies that eventually fall from the tree
often become undead monsters as well.

Instinct: Strangle

Strangle Intruders
Consume the fear of the living
Retreat from fire! (Double damage)
Tomb Doorway

The door will allow entry to a group that can answer its riddle. Otherwise it does everything it can to
misdirect, confuse and block the party from the tomb.

Door’s Riddle:

If you break me I do not stop working, if you touch me I may be snared, if you lose me nothing will
matter. (Answer: Hope)

MAGIC DOOR Solitary, Stealthy, Intelligent, Construct

Magic bolts (d10 damage) 12 HP 3 armor
Close, Ignores Armor
Special Qualities: Arcane Construct

Created to guard magic doors will only answer to the proper key or code word; often the answer to a
riddle. Otherwise they delight in foiling intruders by sending them on false quests, directing them to
traps or simply wasting the party's time.

Instinct: Block entry

Guards access
Lie
Direct to doom

Level One

A hall elaborated decorated with treatises carved into the walls with beautiful calligraphy and pillars in
multiple languages about the “Problem of Evil”. The Problem of Evil refers to the question of how to
reconcile the existence of evil with an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent God. An argument
from evil posits that the co-existence of evil and such a God are unlikely at best or impossible because
evil exists and innocents suffer. Besides philosophy of religion, the Problem of Evil is also important to
the field of theology and ethics.

At the end of the hall is a carefully concealed secret door to the Mummy’s Lair. The Gray Philosopher’s
girlfriend and best student she was “honored” by being entombed alive here to guard her boyfriend’s
crypt. She will creep silently behind the adventurer’s once they descend the staircase and try to strangle
the last party member from behind when the group is distracted. Her lair contains her simple coffin, a
map of the tomb and three levers that if pulled will disable the traps on Level Three. The mummy will
guard her lair ferociously if disturbed.
MUMMY Horde, Intelligent, Construct
Strangle (d6+2 damage) 12 HP 1 armor
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: Undead

Unlike zombies, where one just takes a random corpse and reanimates, mummies are deliberately
created, often to guard an important site. A combination of the embalming process and their isolated
guard posts mean that they can last many times longer than a zombie, making them good long term
investments. They also tend to be smarter, though few mummies are truly intelligent.

Instinct: To protect site

Obey Master
Strangle intrudes
Abide until needed

Level Two

This level includes two elaborate false and empty crypts designed to distract the party so the mummy
can quietly eliminate them one by one. The crypts are enchanted to radiate magic strongly and both
appear falsely to be trapped.

Level Three

This hallway has three deadly traps: A pairs of Swinging Scythes (d2d8), a Collection of Crushing Ceiling
Spikes (1d12) and a Spike Filled Pit (1d12). All three may be disabled by levers in the Mummy’s Lair.
Level Four

Sitting on his own tomb, endlessly pondering is the Gray Philosopher…

GRAY PHILOSOPHER Solitary, Devious

None (Malices: 1d4d each) 16 HP 0 armor
Far (Malices)
Special Qualities: Undead, Incorporeal

A Gray Philosopher is the undead spirit of an evil cleric who died with some important philosophical
deliberation yet unresolved in his or her mind. In its undead state, this creature does nothing but ponder
these weighty matters. The gray philosopher appears as a seated, smoke-colored, insubstantial figure
swathed in robes. It always seems deep in thought. Flying through the air surrounding the philosopher
are a number (1d8) of tiny, luminous, wispy creatures known as Malices. They have vaguely human
faces, gaping maws, and spindly, clawed hands. These vindictive creatures are actually the philosopher’s
evil thoughts, which have taken on substance and a will of their own. The Gray Philosopher cannot be
turned by a cleric but has no attack of its own; it will not defend itself. Unlike the philosopher, Malices
constantly search for victims on which to vent their petty but eternal spite. Malices do not stray more
than 120 feet from their philosopher but may pass through the narrowest of openings in their ceaseless
flight. A malice immune to being turned and may not be damaged while its creator exists. However, all
these creatures vanish instantly if their philosopher is destroyed. When a Gray Philosopher falls to 0 hp,
it looks up with an expression of malicious enlightenment on its face, and then vanishes with a lingering
shriek of evil delight.

Instinct: Creates Malices

•Ponders
•Generates 1d8 Malices
•Only damaged by magic or enchanted weapons
•Will dissolve if given solution to problem (In this case any decent answer to The Problem of Evil will do.
An example would be: Free Will.)
A secret door behind the tomb guards what appears to be a massive chest of gold and gems. This is
really a hibernating and very hungry mimic! It will attack the party unless bribed with food.

MIMIC Solitary, Stealthy, Hoarder

Bite (d10) 12 HP 2 armor
Close

Mimics are natural predators, born by magical means that will eat just about anything that touches
them. As shapeshifters, capable of perfectly replicating the appearance of wood, stone, and metal;
Mimics commonly take on the form of stairs, door frames, chest, and many other shapes. Though larger
mimics are mostly mindless creatures, with only enough intelligence to understand what kind of shapes
blend in with its surrounding environment. Smaller mimics though are not only capable of greater
intelligence, but even of tactics and speech. Mimics care only to feed themselves, but what the food is
doesn't matter to them, and smaller specimens will gladly let an adventurer go by unscratched in
exchange for a bag of food. Such bribes can also be used to gain information or even guidance though a
dungeon.

Instinct: Devour

Take the shape of an object

Devour anyone that comes close
Reveal it's terrifying true form
The real treasure is in the Gray Philosopher’s tomb:

3,000 Coins

“Three Treasures of Mog”

The Illuminating Eye (1 Weight)

An unbreakable crystal sphere that contains a mystical arcane eye floating closed in mysterious amber
fluid. When commanded to open by its owner the sphere acts like a Light spell. The illumination also
reveals secret doors, traps, invisible creatures or objects and illusions.

The Devouring Key (0 Weight)

This key will open any lock or door (magic or not) if the key's owner rolls 10+. A 7-9 and the key will
require a food ration to open the door. On a fail the key will demand an expensive and rare fruit or
vegetable to open the lock. If the owner agrees the key will open the lock but will not function again
until it receives the promised gourmet item.

Mace of Mog (Weight 1)

This enchanted mace blessed by the Newhon god Mog allows the character to double their damage roll
only against corporeal monsters and hit incorporeal monsters for normal damage. Any bearer of the
mace will find their eyes will change to resemble a spider’s eight eyes. This will cost the player four
points of charisma as long as the character owns the mace. Should the player lose the mace the effect
will fade in a few days. It in no way actually impacts the player’s vision.

Mog

Lesser God
Symbol: Silver medallion with the image of Mog
Home Plane: Newhon
Colors: Black and Silver
Alignment: Neutral (Chaotic Neutral)
Portfolio: Secrets, Arachnids, Underworld, Wealth
Worshipers: Thieves, Explorers, Scholars, Criminals, Assassins, Seers
Cleric Alignments: Neutral
Domains: Spiders, Secrets, Fate and Wealth
Favored Weapons: Mace, Dagger

The Lord of Newhon’s Arachnids rules over creatures both eight-legged and two-, dwelling in the
paradisiacal environs of Godsland on Nehwon’s southern continent. Mog’s physical form is that of a
four-legged spider with a handsome, but not yet all-together human face. Some say there is a passing
resemblance between Mog and “that mongrel and long-suspected cutpurse, burglar, and assassin, the
Gray Mouser.”

The Gray Mouser worshipped Mog the Spider God for a time (and also robbed his temple, but Mog was
happy for the few worshippers he still has and forgave his wayward son), and by the end of his
adventures was one of the god's few surviving worshippers. This god is a human-sized spider with a
man's head. His worshippers claim that he sits in the middle of a vast web which contains the fates of all
humans. Some say that a human can survive only so long as he or she can evade Mog's grasp. Mog’s
worship is now rare. Those few who still worship him usually do so in private in order to avoid the scorn
of others. For his part, Mog would like to attract new worshippers, but all his attempts have failed. He
does not have a temple on the infamous Street of the Gods in Lankhmar. He is considerably less evil (he
is amoral) than often portrayed and sometimes confused with Newhon’s voracious and evil Demon
Spider Deity of Ilthmar. He is more like the Anansi, the trickster spider god of African folklore than Lolth.

Mog enjoys hanging out with the Newhon barbarian war god Kos and Death (Newhon).

Mog is always eager to acquire new servants and the players will do nicely. Characters that bear his
mace can expect Mog to begin contacting them in their dreams offering rewards for quests and
promising curses if ignored. He would like to see the artifact the Mace of Mog recovered so that he can
expand his influence further on this Dungeon World…

Anansi is the trickster spider god of West African. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered
to be the god of all knowledge. He is also one of the most important characters of West African and
Caribbean folklore.

He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the southern United States he has
evolved into the “Aunt Nancy” of folklore. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man.

The Anansi tales are believed to have originated in the Ashanti people in Ghana. (The word Anansi is
Akan and means, simply, spider.) They later spread to other Akan groups and then to the West Indies,
Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles. On Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire he is known as Nanzi, and his
wife as Shi Maria.

Anansi is depicted in many different ways. Sometimes he looks like an ordinary spider, sometimes he is a
spider wearing clothes or with a human face and sometimes he looks much more like a human with
spider elements, such as eight legs.

Orlando Jones plays a version of Anansi on the Showtime cable television series American Gods.

Happy Delving!

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

“If there is a God he's a great loathsome spider in the

darkness.”
― John Fowles, The Collector