7. Hidden Museum Night Morning Afternoon
Wing Wing Wing
This room is large and square, about 50 feet
across and tall, holding a tall tree with blue B
bark and enormous green leaves in each corner.
Motes of white and yellow light dance around C
the trees like dust in a ray of sunshine. An ornate A
ballista built from golden coral shell sits on the
ground near one of the strange blue trees, and Evening
opposite that hangs a canoe with an attached Wing
outrigger, all suspended from the ceiling on
delicate silver chains. The canoe is white and Door B. The trunk of the tree in this location
decorated with numerous charcoal symbols. In contains an invisible sigil bearing a word in the
the center of each wall, a rectangular section Sylvan language (the word for graveyard). If spoken,
about the size of an entryway shimmers and the tree’s blue trunk opens like a door, revealing a
ripples like cloth in an unfelt breeze. dark passage leading to area 17-C.
Baba Yaga has traveled across the planes for a Door C. In the main area on the ceiling, a square
long time, and during her journeys she picks up space is oddly colored, detectable with a DC 18
odds and ends that amuse her. She brings these Wisdom (Perception) check. It is a panel that slides
items, some curious and others dangerous, to the away, revealing a darkened cavity smelling of earth
Hidden Museum for adding into the rotational and rot. A tunnel extends beyond the cavity leading
display. A secret storage room accessed only by the to area 8-B.
Grandmother of Witches and a select others stores
various items when they are not on display in the Features of Interest
main room or one of the four wings; these items
include an early Soviet-era tank and a dwarven The following features can be explored here.
flamethrower. Afternoon Wing. This is one of the two larger
The four wings are named for the periods of a wings of the Hidden Museum. Currently, The
day – morning, afternoon, evening, and night. These Curator has two pieces to showcase here, one at
are simply convenient descriptors, each can hold each end. To the left of the entrance into the wing
whatever items have been chosen for display. stands a large pale statue depicting an achingly
beautiful faerie woman, like an elf with exaggerated
Baba Yaga is far too busy to occupy herself with and forlorn features. The statue is constructed of
the actual management of the curious items in moonstone, a rare material found in the Plane of
the museum’s archives, so she brought on an ally Faerie only, and it glitters with iridescent starlight
long ago to help with the load – The Curator, a pit at all times. The Curator happily explains that the
fiend from the Nine Hells sworn now to protect the statue is of an imprisoned archfey from the Court of
treasures of the Hidden Museum of the Dancing Hut. Summer who once tried to overthrow Queen Titania.
The statue’s name is Thelynna.
General Features
The other end contains three coffins on the
The following features apply generally to this area. ground, each made of polished rosewood. A golden
Ceiling. The ceiling in the main area is 50 feet fleur-de-lis symbol rests atop each one, and The
Curator explains they contain the physical remains
high. In each wing, the ceiling is only 25 feet high. of three powerful vampire lords known as the Freres
Light. Glass globes studded into the walls provide de Sang from a Material Plane realm called France.
bright light in all the areas of the Hidden Museum,
but The Curator or Baba Yaga can dim or darken any
of them to dramatically highlight a specific museum
piece.
Wing Passages. The passage leading to each
wing from the main chamber is covered by an
illusion spell meant to obscure the contents.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Door A. These large solid stone double doors lead
to area 6-C.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
50
Blue Trees. Baba Yaga has spent a large amount flipped to off one side of the box opens, allowing up
of time on the Plane of Faerie, and many tales and to four Medium-sized creatures to enter. The Curator
stories place her as an ancient archfey on the same explains that this is the Box of Nothing, and that
level as Queen Titania or King Oberon. Whether it was built by a wizard studying the effects of the
these tales are true or not is some debate, but there Negative Energy Plane. She accidentally tapped into
are a number of curious items from the Feywild an unknown reality where nothing was a tangible
placed around the Dancing Hut; these blue trees are thing, but she was sucked into the box before she
just such items. They are called star trees, and the could experiment further. Baba Yaga took the Box of
large green leaves form perfect star shapes. Nothing to keep it out of wrong hands, though she
apparently has no compunctions with displaying it
Evening Wing. The Evening Wing is smaller than openly in the Hidden Museum.
the Afternoon and Night Wings and usually features
a single piece. Currently, a plain looking gray wooden What happens when a creature is inside the Box
table stands at the back of the room, upon which of Nothing when it is turned on? They disappear!
rests a large brown leather book bound in heavy The Curator suggests nobody does this as even Baba
chains. The book contains a single eye on its surface Yaga has no idea where victims go or how to get
which gives the book it’s title – The Chained Eye. The them back.
Curator doesn’t know much about it, but the eye on
the book moves to watch anyone in the area, darting Outrigger Canoe. This canoe is from an island-
frantically from person to person. hopping people on the Material Plane who live and
die on a vast ocean. A warrior-princess of the island
Merfolk Ballista. This impressive instrument people came to visit Baba Yaga and request a simple
of war was built by an advanced merfolk kingdom favor, which the Grandmother of Witches granted in
in the remote reaches of the Plane of Water. Baba exchange for one of their family canoes. The canoe
Yaga was actually attacked by the undersea warriors, is decorated with symbols in waterproof charcoal
who used these ballistae cunningly attached to the detailing the history of the family’s deeds.
back of whales. She took one of the strange coral
ballista as a curious trophy before laying waste to the Occupants
attackers.
The following creatures may be encountered here.
Morning Wing. Like the Evening Wing, the The Curator. The Curator is unlike any other
Morning Wing houses a single display piece. At
this time, the piece is large, and appears to be a pit fiend known. He is educated, well-spoken, and
great metal hexagonal platform, resting about 5 knowledgeable about a vast array of topics, and he
feet off the ground upon a mass of tubes, wires, and welcomes openly any visitor to the Hidden Museum
mechanical apparatus. Seven hexagonal pads rest on that shows an inclination towards learning. If
the platform arranged in a pattern, while a console anyone tries to take anything from the museum,
attached to the platform contains a dizzying array of however, The Curator gives a single warning before
buttons and levers. The Curator doesn’t have much unleashing his full fiendish power. He can summon
of an explanation for this one, saying only that it was Chicken Foot ogres* to aid in combat to stop any
installed by Baba Yaga; she calls it a Trans-Matter would-be thief while using his own impressive
Sequencer, though the device doesn’t seem to have abilities.
any power.
Roleplaying The Curator
Night Wing. The other larger wing in the Hidden
Museum is the Night Wing, and it contains two The Curator gave up his old ways of chaos and
display pieces currently. To the right of the entrance destruction in exchange for serving as the master
sits an enormous horned skull of some fiendish of the Hidden Museum, and it’s been a dream come
creature; fractures splinter out from a large hole true for this pit fiend. He was always interested
near its top. The Curator sighs sadly when he in collecting items of historic significance in the
explains this was the skull of a great devil general of Nine Hells, and he served the Lord of Dis on the
the Nine Hells, Jolvoth, who was sent by Asmodeus, second layer for a long time as Dispater’s personal
Lord of the Nine, to destroy Baba Yaga and claim the historian. Politics went sideways, however, and The
Dancing Hut. Jolvoth failed, and the Grandmother of Curator was forced to flee to avoid total annihilation
Witches keeps the skull as a reminder for those who – which is when he ran into Baba Yaga by chance.
come looking for trouble. The Grandmother of Witches took the pit fiend in
and offered him a title and a purpose, which the pit
Opposite the skull is a metal box, 20 feet to a fiend readily agreed to.
side, filled with crackling black and white lightning,
popping and humming electrically. A large lever Quote. “Welcome to the Hidden Museum! I am The
stands on one end that can be toggled between Curator, and in here my word is absolute. However,
two settings, one or off. Currently it is on, but if it is as long as you behave, I’m sure you’ll be delighted by
the wonders found in my various wings.”
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
51
8. Fungal Gardens AB
A curtain of purple vines hangs over the C
entrance, beyond which extends a large domed
room. Violet-colored fungal growths cover Access
most of the floor, extending along the lengths
of leafless trees and up the walls. The pungent These are the access points for this area.
smell of earthy vegetation and rot wafts gently Door A. This wooden is unlocked and leads to
on the thick humid air. A stone walkway free of
the purple fungus cuts a path to the middle of area 1-C.
the dome, where a fountain spits oily water into Door B. The plain but extremely heavy iron door
air from a round shallow basin. The walkway
extends to two chambers at opposite ends of the leads to area 7-C.
dome where different colored fungal growths Door C. The tiled bottom of the fountain contains
cluster on the floor and over several crates, one
orangish and the other crimson. four gray colored tiles that stand out from the rest.
If one is pushed, it depresses slightly for 1 minute,
This special garden contains rare fungus and moss and if all four are depressed the jet of water in the
cultivated from across the multiverse. The purple center ceases as an archway rises up from the water.
saturation is a result of the garden’s occupants, a The archway contains a smoke-filled tunnel leading
tribe of violet vegepygmies who are responsible to area 9-A and remains up for 1 minute before
for tending to and managing the garden’s contents. receding back into the water.
Unfortunately, the vegepygmy tribe has recently split
along ideological lines into three competing factions, Features of Interest
and the exasperated chief needs help re-uniting his
people. The following features can be explored here.
Central Fountain. The fountain in the center
Many visitors from the Lower Planes to the
Dancing Hut come through the Fungal Gardens to of the Fungal Gardens is filled with oily cold water
enjoy the rare spores and molds found here, while that leaves a greasy stain in its wake. It gurgles and
servants and representatives of Zuggtmoy, the bubbles from the central spout, and the interior of
Demon Queen of Fungi, revere the whole area as a the fountain’s basin is covered in grimy off-white
sacred site. Several patches of fungi in this area were tiles. The water pulls in from an invisible pump
cultivated from Zuggtmoy herself, though whether running beneath the stone floor of the area, creating
they were given freely or cultivated against her will a tempestuous brew for any willing to drink its
depends entirely on which story is to be believed. contents.
General Features Any creature drinking from the fountain must roll
1d10 and consult the following table.
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the domed chamber is 50
feet high. The two squared chambers have 20-foot-
high ceilings.
Light. The fungus gardens provides violet
illumination throughout the area, creating a constant
aura of dim light.
Spores. The carpet of violet-colored fungus
covering the floors and walls of the domed area fill
the air with tiny spores. A creature breathing in the
spores for more than 1 minute must succeed on a
DC 18 Constitution saving throw; creatures immune
to poison automatically succeed. On a failure, the
spores invade their body and mind, making them
more pliant to the vegepygmies; the victim suffers
disadvantage on any Charisma, Intelligence, or
Wisdom check involving the vegepygmies. The effect
of the spores wears off after the creature spends one
hour outside the Fungal Gardens.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
52
Fungal Fountain Effect years. It was brought to the Dancing Hut by Baba
Yaga in a mold growth picked up in the Wilderness
1d10 Fountain Effect of the Beastlands, one of the Outer Planes, and
the Grandmother of Witches recognized the plant
1 The creature suffers 22 (5d8) poison damage. creature’s nature and offered them a home in the
Fungal Gardens. King Beard ruled the vegepygmies
2 The creature gains 22 (5d8) temporary hit in harmony, and ogre staff of the hut would drop off
points. scraps of meat to keep the plants fed and happy.
3 The creature’s skin turns purple which lasts Recently, however, things changed. Some of the
until the creature completes a long rest. vegepygmies wanted to take a more direct hand in
acquiring their food rather than relying on scraps
A fungal growth obscures the creature’s vision, from the ogres. King Beard tried to keep the peace
but things escalated, and now there are two splinter
4 blinding them. It can be removed as a disease factions – the Rust Cap Tribe (the red fungal
and disappears on its own after the creature patches) and the Orange Rot Tribe. King Beard tries
to keep the peace but the divergent vegepygmies
completes a long rest. won’t talk anymore.
5 All of the creature’s hair falls out. The vegepygmy king is in a bind, and if the
characters show any inclination towards wanting
The creature cannot regain hit points. The to help, King Beard asks that they speak with the
Rust Cap and Orange Rot Tribes. Unfortunately,
6 effect wears off after the creature completes such incidents devolve into violence; the vegepygmy
a long rest, but they do not gain any hit points insurgents want to attack and kill intruders on
their own rather than rely on meat from the ogres.
from the expended long rest. Characters taking up the cause of the vegepygmy
king must defeat a significant portion of the rival
Purple fungal growths appear on the tribes. As a reward, King Beard offers them a bite
7 creature’s joints, inflicting one level of of a special and rare purple mushroom. Taking the
bite increases one of the character’s attributes (roll
exhaustion. randomly) by 4 for 1 hour.
8 The creature becomes invisible for 1 hour. Vegepygmy Tribes. Vegepygmies are small plant
creatures living in fungus and mold patches across
Mold spores infect the creature’s brain and the planes. They feed on blood and bones left in the
memories, inflicting disadvantage on all soil, though they can survive on simple water for a
9 Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws and period of time. They tend to be violent with outsiders
ability checks until the creature completes a and they have no gender; they reproduce by releasing
long rest. progenitor spores in the carcass of a humanoid
creature, and within a week new vegepygmies
A face made of fungus grows out of sprout. Normally, vegepygmies speak their own
the creature’s chest. The face whispers harsh language, but the magic of the Dancing Hut
telepathically to the creature regarding has granted the ones living in the Fungal Gardens
10 strange secrets; the creature gains advantage the ability to speak and understand Common.
on all Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws
and ability checks until the creature completes Roleplaying King Beard
a long rest.
King Beard is a muscular vegepygmy covered
Fungus Patches. The colored fungus patches are from head to toe in purple spores. It has no beard
a result of the strange tribes of vegepygmies living in though it does have a shock of violet “hair” atop
the gardens. Something in the exotic nature of the its head, and King Beard insists this is its beard.
mold, moss, and vegetation reacts with the mental It grew it to look more like the people of the hut,
activity of the plant creatures, and the coloration and the vegepygmy king is incredibly proud of it. In
of the surrounding fungus matches their tribal conversation, King Beard brings up how magnificent
affiliation. The violet-colored fungus is the largest its beard is while pointing to its head.
and represents the Velvet Lichen Tribe, led by King
Beard. The red and orange fungal patches are Quote. “You like my beard, yes? I have a most
divergent groups who have split. magnificent beard. It is a beard of a king! For I am
King Beard.”
Characters moving through the fungal patches
draw the attention of the vegepygmies, who
otherwise do not bother creatures on the stone
paths. Beside the spores filling the air (see General
Features above), the fungus patches have no direct
effect on other creatures.
Occupants
The following creatures may be encountered here.
King Beard of the Velvet Lichen Tribe. King
Beard is the chief of the Velvet Lichen Tribe, having
ruled the Fungal Garden vegepygmies for many
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
53
9. Pools of Paradise S A
S
Gentle piano music fills the air of this large BC
round chamber, dominated by three enormous
pools arranged in the center. Each pool is filled Doors B and C. These secret doors can be
with opaque aquamarine-colored water, which detected with a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception)
obscures the exact depth, and in the center of check, but there’s no obvious means of opening.
each stands a tall statue of a different figure – a A character investigating draws the attention of
gnarled ogre queen on a throne, a tentacle- the piano specters, who ask what they’re looking
faced monstrosity seated on a stone chair, and for. If the character is truthful, one of the specters
a unicorn rising from foam, all carved from (Envy or Clever) offers to open up the door – if the
polished marble. The statues are each quite character can play a song on the piano. Attempting
enormous. A set of stairs near the back of the to play is enough, though the character incurs the
area lead up to a raised platform upon which telepathic heckling from Moklon Murko. Afterwards,
sits two black pianos. Though no one is seated the specter opens one or both doors. The doors
at them, the music in the room seems to be are closed and cannot be opened during the piano
originated from the pianos. Murals on the curved specter’s zany madcap hour. Door B leads to area
walls depict people of all types frolicking and 10-A and Door C leads to area 18-A.
dancing in a light rain shower within a field of
colorful wildflowers. Features of Interest
Guests of the Dancing Hut often seek out this area The following features can be explored here.
to relax and enjoy the comforting waters of the three Dueling Pianos. Two invisible specters of dead
pools, which each offer a different form of relaxation
(which becomes torture for the wrong type of musicians are bound to the pianos. The musician
creature). Baba Yaga herself sometimes come as well specters play excellently, but about once per day they
to relax in one of the pools, perhaps while meeting a become overcome with mania. When this happens,
representative of an aquatic race. for about 1 hour they laugh, cackle, chortle, and
make fun of each other in a zany game of one-
The lifeguard of the Pools of Paradise is a upmanship, with each specter egging the other one
wickedly cruel aboloth named Moklon Murko. in a frenzied musical battle. It reaches a crescendo
Moklon Murko hides in the pools along with the as the music gets louder and crazier when an anvil
pool staff of skum and uses its impressive telepathic drops one of the pianos, ending the mania. Guests of
powers to make sure everyone obeys the pool rules. the Dancing Hut often stay in the Pools of Paradise
in hopes of seeing one of these random events.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 60 feet high.
Chairs. A number of comfortable lounge chairs sit
around the pools. They are cleaned regularly by the
pool staff.
Light. The three pools each give off enough
illumination to provide bright light to the main area.
The raised dais with the pianos is poorly lit in dim
light however.
Piano Platform. The platform the pianos reset
upon is 15 feet above the main floor. The ground on
the platform is constructed of polished wood.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Door A. The only visible door in the area is a set
of wooden double doors covered in harmless purple
fungus. The door leads to area 8-C.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
54
Paradise Pools. Each of the pools offers a Roleplaying Moklon Murko
different form of relaxation and torture. The effects
occur after a creature has immersed themselves in Moklon Murko has decided to play the part of
the water for 1 minute or more. They are each based the dutiful pool keeper – for now. It has slowly
on alignment. Creatures of the relaxing alignment transformed lost travelers to the Pools of Paradise
who remain in a pool for 1 minute or longer have all into its own slave force, the skum, who owe fealty
of their exhaustion levels removed, and gain 1d20 to Moklon Murko and not Baba Yaga. One day, the
temporary hit points. aboleth hopes to marshal its forces and force Baba
Yaga to release it from its eternal punishment, but
Creatures of the torturous alignment in the pool the powerful aquatic aberration is nothing if not
gain 1 level of exhaustion for each minute they patient.
remain in the pool, but a potent psychic effect masks
the drain – the creature losing the exhaustion must Moklon Murko plays the part of an omnipresent
make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or think there is telepathic lifeguard, reminiscent of the worst
no effect. The creature must repeat the saving throw cinematic portrayals from the 1980s. It is abrupt
after every minute until they either die of exhaustion and tactless, and often laughs at the misfortune of
or leave the pool. those in the pools; Moklon Murko loves to entice
travelers into the Paradise Pool most detrimental
Pool of the Ogre Queen. The pool with the seated to it.
ogre queen statue is relaxing for evil creatures and
tortuous to neutral creatures. Quote. “Take a look at my OOL, notice there’s no P
in it!”
Pool of the Rising Unicorn. The pool with the
unicorn statue is relaxing for good creatures and Piano Specters. The two specters at the pianos
tortuous to evil creatures. on the platform only reveal themselves during their
madcap hour of zany music, during which they
Pool of the Tentacled God. The pool with the appear as anthropomorphic ravens. They don’t offer
tentacled god statue is relaxing for neutral creatures details about their previous lives, but if asked they
and tortuous for good creatures. reveal their names as Envy and Clever.
Occupants Pool Staff. Moklon Murko has a staff of twenty
skum which the aboleth uses to perform the menial
The following creatures may be encountered here. tasks of pool maintenance – cleaning the chairs and
Moklon Murko. The Pools of Paradise have gone floors, skimming the pools for floating detritus, and
general upkeep. The skum have translucent pale
through a long list of pool keepers over the years, but white skin, and their original humanoid forms have
none have been as ruthless as the current keeper. given way to octopoid lower torsos. They are mute
Moklon Murko is an aboleth at the height of its and obey the mental commands of Moklon Murko
telepathic power, but a run-in with Baba Yaga forced without hesitation or question; even Baba Yaga
the powerful creature to serve the Grandmother of cannot command them to act against the will of the
Witches in the Dancing Hut for an unspecified length aboleth.
of time. She dishonored the creature by placing it
in charge of the pool, replacing the former keeper
(a storm giant). Powerful magic binds the aboleth
to the Pools of Paradise, though it has the benefit of
immunity from the effects of the pool along with total
invisibility for it and its staff while inside one of the
pools.
Moklon Murko has decided to embrace his role
as pool keeper and lifeguard, at least on the surface.
Any new arrival to the area hears the telepathic
voice of the imperious aboleth listing the rules of the
Pools of Paradise – no running, no swimming until
30 minutes after eating, no pushing or shoving, no
roughness in the pools themselves, and absolutely no
releasing waste in any of the pools. Breaking any of
these rules results in a punishing blast of telepathic
power; the victim must make a DC 20 Intelligence
saving throw, suffering 35 (10d6) psychic damage
on a failure, or half as much on a success. Moklon
Murko sends the pool staff to deal with intruders
after the first warning.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
55
10. Grinding Gears A CS
The cacophonous sounds of machinery and B
moving parts fills the air of this area, which
consists of two hexagonal chambers connected bludgeoning damage. The gears on the floor have
by a smaller central hub. Gears of all shapes their own effects detailed under Features of Interest.
and sizes, many moving against rather than with
adjacent gears, crowd the walls and ceilings, Access
with a few larger ones placed on the ground
in clusters of three; a massive central gear sits These are the access points for this area.
rotating rapidly between the two connected Doors A and B. These doors are comprised of a
chambers. Black oil covers most of the gears,
dripping from the ceiling and down the walls to complex web of small, interlocking gears. To open
form puddles all along the floor. it, a creature must succeed at a DC 16 Intelligence
check after 1 minute; it can be opened in a round
This area may seem like a critical function, but by making the same check at disadvantage. Door A
it’s all for show. Baba Yaga has traveled the planes leads to area 9-B and Door B leads to area 11-A.
extensively, and she found the moving components
making up the Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus a Door C. This door consists of a single gear on the
fascinating region, so she pulled in some to see how wall, and it is placed to blend in with the surrounding
they work. What started out as a small collection gears. Finding the door requires a DC 20 Wisdom
of gears in this area quickly grew organically into a (Perception) check, and then opening it requires a
sprawling mess of clockwork mayhem, which the DC 18 Intelligence check after 1 minute; it can be
Grandmother of Witches has been happy to watch opened in a round by making the same check at
unfold. disadvantage. The door leads to area 2-C.
One unintended side effect of pulling in the
organic gears from Mechanus was the presence of a
stowaway – a large oil jelly came onboard as well. Oil
jellies are native oozes of Mechanus, but since Baba
Yaga pulled it and the gears into the Dancing Hut, the
oil jelly in this area has evolved. It has grown along
with the gears, and its gained sentience. It calls
itself Slick, and it can spontaneously create versions
of itself within the confines of the area in ways
previously unknown to most oozes.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the two hexagonal rooms
of this area is 60 feet high. The middle section over
the central gear is only 20 feet high.
Light. Ambient light along the walls filters
through the multitude of moving gears, creating dim
light throughout the area. At times, the light becomes
strobe-like when a gear moves faster than normal.
Noise. Hundreds of gears grind together in
an asynchronous rhythm, creating a cacophony
of colliding and squealing metal. Any Wisdom
(Perception) check that relies on hearing suffers
disadvantage in this area.
Wall Gears. The area is filled with gears of all
kinds, and unlike precision gears found in places
like Mechanus, they move erratically. Any creature
starting its turn adjacent to a wall must make a
DC 18 Dexterity saving throw; on a failure they get
caught in a sudden gear shift and suffer 14 (4d6)
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
56
Features of Interest Occupants
The following features can be explored here. The following creatures may be encountered here.
Central Gear. The central gear between the two Slick. Oily black puddles and stains appear all
main areas moves at an intermittent speed, shifting over the walls, gears, and floors of this chamber, and
wildly from a leisurely rotation to a high-speed spin. they initially react like a typical oil jelly* - moving
Any creature trying to pass through the area of away from movement or fire. If the characters
the central gear from one region to the other must interact directly with any gear, such as attacking or
succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check; on casting a spell at one, they are quickly met with an
a failure, they get caught by the gear’s rotation and oil jelly that takes the shape of a vaguely humanoid
must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. being. It speaks slowly in a murky, low tone voice,
Roll 1d20 to determine the gear’s current rotation. introducing itself as Slick, and wants to know what
The victim suffers 1d6 bludgeoning damage per the characters are doing.
rotation, or half damage on a successful saving
throw. The gear can be slowed or stopped with Slick is an oil jelly who has gained sentience, and
spells, but it generates any lost parts in a single perhaps even immortality. It can spawn an endless
round. Attacking or affecting the gear directly also number of oil jellies in this area to overwhelm and
draws the wrath of Slick (see Occupants below). restrain foes, but it’s more curious than harmful.
It wants to learn as much about the outside world
Large Gear Cluster. A cluster of three larger as possible. However, if any part of Slick is taken
gears sits on the ground in one chamber of the area. outside Grinding Gears, it becomes inert and loses
Each of the three gears in the cluster is 20 feet wide its connection to the host intelligence, which is
and 5 feet tall, and they interlock together perfectly, somehow tied into the gears of the area.
moving in synchronous harmony with one another
at a constant and regular speed. By some unknown Roleplaying Slick
property, this gear cluster can affect time in the
room, and it radiates strong transmutation magic Slick has the mental capabilities of a small child,
under a detect magic spell. They don’t rotate fast though it has a surprisingly robust vocabulary;
enough to harm adjacent creatures, and any creature it just doesn’t know what all the words mean.
can climb on top of them without issue. Sometimes, Slick uses a word wrong and feels as
though it is being used wrong, so it asks if it used
If a Medium-sized or smaller creature stands in the word correctly to anyone it is conversing with.
the direct center of cluster, the movement of the Slick is curious about everything, but it is also
surrounding gears harmonizes with time itself, and hyper-protective of the gears in the room; harming
the creature gains the benefit of the time stop spell or forcefully stopping any gear draws Slick’s wrath
for 4 rounds. Slick is unaffected, and generally for a round before it abates. Destroying a gear
watches the creature for the period of stopped time. completely sends Slick into a frenzy, where it
At the end of the time stop, the creature ages rapidly, summons oil jellies all across the room to attack all
becoming 1d20 years older and gaining a level of intruders for 1 minute. Oil jellies spawn repeatedly
exhaustion. and Slick doesn’t lose focus until the minute passes,
at which point it calms down and forgets the event
Small Gear Clusters. Three sets of three gear even happened.
clusters sit on the floor of this chamber. Each of
these gears is 10 feet wide and about 3 feet tall, and Quote. “What is it that you are doing currently with
similar to the Large Gear Cluster they move at a your hands now that I am seeing? I am unfamiliar
steady pace that does not affect adjacent creatures or with these actions. Please to be doing the explain.”
impede movement on top of them. The three clusters
affect time in strange ways as well, though the effect
is more localized.
If a Medium-sized or smaller creature stands
in the direct center of a small cluster, the gear
movement synchronizes with the creature’s life
rhythm. The creature gains the benefit of the haste
spell for 1 minute. At the end of the effect, the
creature suffers from a level of exhaustion.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
57
11. Keep of the Wine Cellar A
An azure landscape of endless sky opens up C
in this room, but the illusion of open air is
only temporary; the outer walls creating the B
perimeter of the area are simply painted to look
like endless sky. The tall, four-towered castle in Access
the center is no illusion, however, and seems
to be built upon a cloud foundation. Each of These are the access points for this area.
the towers is capped with a conical roof of blue Door A. The door on the ledge with the bridge
tiles, and the castle’s walls are white and pearly.
A bridge extends out from this platform to the leading to the entrance to keep is large and wooden.
castle’s massive wooden doors. It leads to area 10-B.
Baba Yaga prides herself on her wine collection. Door B. On the opposite side of the room from
Over the years, it has grown considerably, and for Door A sits a similar platform against the wall at a
quite some time she accepted bottles of rare vintage height of 50 feet. This stone door leads to area 12-A.
in exchange for small favors and information. The
wine cellar in the Dancing Hut kept expanding, but Door C. A hidden panel sits on the floor of the
that made it a target for other forces in the hut eager main keep; it can be detected with a DC 18 Wisdom
to raid the wine racks for their own gain. Baba Yaga’s (Perception) check. It can be opened by any creature
solution was to encase the entire wine cellar in a from the Plane of Air, or by creating a magical wind
small castle. or breeze to wash over it; Clousseau is happy to
open it for characters if they are polite, and any
The Keep of the Wine Cellar was the result, and creature bound to the Dancing Hut can order one of
Baba Yaga brought on the perfect steward – a wine- the invisible stalkers to open it. It lifts up to reveal a
snob djinni named Clousseau. Clousseau’s sense of passage leading to area 19-C.
taste is so refined that he can identify any wine in the
keep by smell alone, and he offers his smug advice to Features of Interest
anyone in earshot.
The following features can be explored here.
General Features Keep Gates. The only entrance to the Wine
The following features apply generally to this area. Cellar Keep is the main gate in front of Door A.
Ceiling and Floor. The room is 150 feet tall from The doors are enormous, about 20 feet tall and
half that wide, and made of white iron mined from
floor to ceiling, and the platforms with the doors are cloudstone islands in the Plane of Air. Characters
located 50 feet above the ground. The walls and floor approaching the gate are greeted by the booming
are painted to look like open sky but they are strong voice of Clousseau who demands to know what
and solid as any other wall in the Dancing Hut. the characters are seeking. He grills them on
their knowledge of wine; a character with a noble
Falling. The keep in the area floats on a background or one involved in wine-making can
cloudstone pulled from the Plane of Air, and the make a DC 18 Intelligence check to pass Clousseau’s
bridge that extends from Door A to the keep’s gates test.
is solid. Outside of this, creatures need to fly to get
around the keep and its environments, and without
this ability they fall to the bottom (50 feet down).
Keep Walls and Towers. The walls of the Wine
Cellar Keep are 50 feet tall, and the four towers are
each 75 feet tall. The entire structure is constructed
of radiant white stone with a ceiling over the interior
made of the same stone.
Light. The keep radiates light due to a simple
permanent light enchantment; bright light floods the
outer and interior regions of the area.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
58
If the characters fail but do not insult the sensitive Roleplaying Clousseau
djinni, Clousseau opens the door anyway but keeps
an eye on them. If the character succeeds, the doors Clousseau is an arrogant, snobbish djinni with
fly open and the bombastic djinni rushes out to greet a hyper-inflated ego and sense of self-worth. He
the fellow wine enthusiast. believes wine (and, to a lesser extent, other alcohols)
is the great equalizer between commoners and
Keep Interior. The keep’s interior contains four nobles, humanoids and monsters; they all taste it
enormous wine barrels which produce an unlimited the same, and they can show their sophistication
supply of wine (chardonnay, riesling, merlot, and and civilized attitude by recognizing the qualities
chianti); the wine is common but potent, and in wine and celebrating it with like-minded people.
Clousseau offers all visitors a sample that can last Clousseau looks down his nose at anyone who is not
as long as the visitor wants. Four interior doors, at least willing to learn more about the wide variety
much smaller than the keep gates, lead into the four of wines and spirits, and he talks animatedly with
individual towers, which contain the actual wine fellow wine snobs.
cellars of Baba Yaga.
Clousseau has an ongoing rivalry with Zahaba the
Wine Towers. Each of the four towers contains a Firebrand, the efreeti taskmaster in the Forge of the
spiraling staircase going up, an odd placement for a Blind (area 6). Zehaba has a fondness for purple
“wine cellar” but one Clousseau defends as the best blazeberry wine, a red vintage, which Clousseau
method for preserving wine in the Dancing Hut. Each keeps out of the efreeti’s hands. The two fight an
tower is dedicated to a different broad type of alcohol endless battle with proxies and travelers willing to
– red wine, white wine, ales and beer, and spirits partake in petty vengeance acts; Clousseau enjoys
(including gin, vodka, and whiskey). The towers are playing pranks on Zahaba and the efreeti bribes
hollow with the staircase circling around a spire of travelers to steal purple blazeberry wine bottles.
cushioned air, with the walls filled with racks and
racks of bottles. They are not marked at all and Quote. “Ahh you have a fine palette, yes! This is
there’s theoretically no limit to the height – the stairs indeed a rare bottle of chardonnay brewed by the
continue beyond the tower’s height in an endless dwarven monks of Erackinor. You can taste the
ascent. chillness of the grapes grown on the rocky slopes of
Mount Celestia, and it brings out a sharpness in the
The column of air in the center of each tower is flavor that is both bold and flavorful.”
gentle enough to carry an object, like a bottle, safely
to the ground. Invisible Stalkers. Clousseau is too large to go
into the wine towers himself, so he commands a
Occupants legion of invisible stalkers to fetch any vintage. The
invisible elemental beings wait for commands from
The following creatures may be encountered here. the djinni wine steward in the main area of the keep,
Clousseau. Wines and spirits have always and they obey Clousseau and any other creature
bound to the Dancing Hut.
fascinated Clousseau. As a djinni from the Plane of
Air, Clousseau was born into a life of luxury without
responsibility; his brothers were more interested
in pursuing the approval of their powerful father
in their ancestral home, the Citadel of Deshuum.
Clousseau learned all he could about the wines of
the Plane of Air from travelers and even sky pirates
from the city of Calypso, and it all drove the young
djinni to seek out more and more knowledge.
Clousseau ended up traveling the planes for a
period of time and earned a reputation as a snobbish
fool willing to sell his magical powers in exchange
for rare wines and alcohol. He didn’t drink them
beyond a quick taste, but he mentally catalogued
the properties of that taste for later recollection;
he could recall anything he drank in this manner.
Eventually, after Baba Yaga had to eat her last four
wine stewards due to laziness and incompetence,
she sought out Clousseau specifically. The djinni was
delighted to be so honored, and he has loved his post
in the Keep of the Wine Cellar for many years.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
59
12. Mighty Menagerie ab c
de
This area is split between two large square CS
sections, each laid out similarly to the other. The
sections contain a number of glass encasements f
each populated with a beastly creature,
apparently stuffed and placed inside amidst a AB
diorama of natural vegetation. Creatures in the
glass enclosures include a greasy rust-pelted g hi
bear covered in horns standing on its hindlegs, a j kl
floating jellyfish the color of a full moon floating
in midair, and a bulbous barrel-like thing with a to mental commands to “open” by any creature
starfish head and numerous reaching tendrils within 10 feet. Thossruxx is willing to show it to the
extending from its strange body. characters in exchange for information. It opens to
reveal a passage leading to area 3-C.
Numerous locations throughout the Dancing Hut
highlight the collecting nature of Baba Yaga, but Features of Interest
perhaps the best example is the Mighty Menagerie.
Here, the Grandmother of Witches stores creatures The following features can be explored here.
she has encountered in her travels across the planes, Glass Boxes. The main feature of the Mighty
and while they look dead and stuffed they are instead
in a state of suspended animation. A state that can Menagerie are the twelve glass boxes, six in each
be ended on a whim by breaking the glass or through of the two distinct regions; four large ones and two
the act of the keeper. smaller ones. They are labeled a through l on the
map and described in detail below. Any of the three
To watch over the Mighty Menagerie, Baba Yaga illithids in the room can open a box and remove the
made a deal with a secret empire of mind flayers suspended animation spell on the inhabitants with
hiding out in the Astral Plane. The illithids have an action. In addition, if any damage is dealt to the
long sought control over the mythical hut, and the glass, safeguard measures take effect – the glass lifts
skirmishes between Baba Yaga’s forces and the mind and the suspended animation ends. The creature is
flayers grew more and more fierce – until a truce was always hostile towards the nearest creature.
established between the great elder brains and the
Grandmother of Witches. As a sign of goodwill, Baba
Yaga gave the illithid ambassadors control over the
Mighty Menagerie. The two forces watch each other
carefully, probing each other for weaknesses while
maintaining the letter of the accord between them (if
not the spirit).
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 40 feet high.
Light. Globes of pale light, like the light of a
Material Plane moon, hang attached to the ceiling.
The illithid ambassador watching over the Mighty
Menagerie can command the brightness with just a
thought, and it usually keeps it at a dim light level.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Door A. This simple set of wooden double doors
leads to area 11-B.
Door B. Similar to the opposite entrance, these
double doors are unadorned and lead to area 13-A.
Door C. This wall panel is cleverly disguised as
any other section, and can be discovered with a DC
18 Intelligence (Investigation) check. It responds
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
60
Many of the creatures in these glass boxes can be j. A mighty eagle with bright orange and red
found in Monsters of the Infinite Planes, a product feathers hangs here, its wings spread out in majestic
available on the DMsGuild from the designer. Feel glory. It is an aethon, an intelligent and benevolent
free to substitute creatures to fit the resources you eagle found on the Olympian Glades of Arborea.
have available, and don’t be afraid to put in exotic or
strange creatures (though keep the size to Large or k. Dirt fills this glass box, and poking its nose out
smaller). of the dirt is a large dog-sized blue-skinned mole. It
is a storm mole, a rare type of creature found in the
a. This glass box contains a chuul, a lobster-like Twin Paradises of Bytopia.
monster, in a diorama scene depicting an underwater
coral forest. The glass box does not actually contain l. A razor-horned ebon-skinned boar stands frozen
water however. in this box, its eyes red and its muscles taut. This is
a blackhide, a fierce beast found in packs across the
b. A slimy white frog, the size of a halfling, sits on Infinite Layers of the Abyss.
a log in a marshy diorama. This is a brekekex, a type
of giant frog found in marshes and swamps of the Occupants
Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia.
The following creatures may be encountered here.
c. A pair of enormous otter-like monster are posed Illithid Ambassadors. There are always a
with fangs bared and claws extended in a forested
diorama. These creatures are dobhar, protective group of three mind flayers serving in the Mighty
beasts found in the wild regions of Shurrock on the Menagerie. Currently, the leader is Thossruxx,
Twin Paradises of Bytopia. whose telepathic voice projects as deep, sonorous,
and slow. The aberrations are not openly hostile
d. This glass box contains a small iron cube towards visitors, per the terms of their agreement
floating in midair, upon which sits a massive locust- with Baba Yaga, but they are intensely curious about
like creature, with a pair of fierce horns atop its everything they can learn; they ask strange and
head. It is a bonespear, a verminous creature native unsettling questions about the characters, including
to the Infernal Battlefields of Acheron, though details about their backgrounds they’ve picked up
swarms of them can be found across the Lower through their impressive telepathic abilities.
Planes.
Thossruxx asks a lot of questions about the layout
e. This glass box is filled with water and contains of the hut and what rooms the characters have
the motionless form of a mighty gar fish, though its passed through to get to the Mighty Menagerie; the
skin is rotted away and its eyes hold the luster of mind flayers are not allowed outside this area except
unlife. It is a rotten gar, a rare undead creature that under Baba Yaga’s strict supervision.
swims the River Oceanus.
Roleplaying Thossruxx
f. A long, worm-like monster coils in this glass
box, surrounded by an aquatic-themed diorama Thossruxx has the patience of an immortal creature,
(though it is not filled with water). The creature is a but its superiors on the Astral Plane are starting to
sea worm, found primarily in the Plane of Water. get nervous about their agreement with Baba Yaga.
They worry the powerful ogre witch is learning
g. This glass box is larger than the others and more about them than they are of her, and they sent
contains an iron mauler, a fierce predator found Thossruxx in the last rotation to push their secret
across the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. It appears agenda as strongly as possible.
as a rust-colored bear covered in gratuitous spikes
and horns, and its hide is as thick and tough as Thossruxx is also interested in testing the
iron. Many demons on the Abyss fear these great characters into taking a rash action, in which case
monsters who attack any and all with reckless the mind flayer immediately releases creatures
abandon. from the glass boxes in order to deal with the party.
The mind flayers hang back and use their psychic
h. A strange creature called an elder thing is powers to try and stun the characters and let the
frozen in this box. Elder things are intelligent monsters destroy them; if the monsters are defeated
creatures who are believed to have originated from Thossruxx claims diplomatic immunity as long as
the Far Realm, and their ruins dot several planes; the the illithids did not take any physical action against
Plane of Ice contains a massive frozen city believed the party. If Thossruxx and its fellow aberrations are
to have been built by the elder things. killed, Baba Yaga shows up and is visibly unhappy
with the characters (though secretly glad to be rid of
i. A large pale jellyfish-like creature hangs in this the mind flayers).
glass box surrounded by a diorama resembling a
night sky. The creature is a luna jellyfish, which Quote. “Good evening, travelers. Welcome to the
floats out of the River Oceanus and is believed to be Mighty Menagerie. Please feel free to look around
linked to Hhallashaa the Great Jellyfish on the lowest but I must warn you, do not touch.”
oceanic layer of the Blessed Fields of Elysium.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
61
13. Curious Library B
Hallways extend out from the doorway, running A
left and right each to separate large square
chambers lined with bookshelves from floor to CS
the ceiling stretching up beyond the 20-foot-
height of the hall. A wide staircase in front of Door C. The third door from the Curious Library
the door leads up to a broad central area filled is found in the reading room, hidden behind a
with numerous comfortable reading chairs and secret panel in the corner. The panel is found with
convenient small tables. Shadowy figures in a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check but
tattered black robes move about the bookcases, opening it requires asking a librarian wraith; the
placing books back and keeping things in undead creature obeys silently and opens the panel,
general arrangement. revealing a passage leading to area 20-C.
It’s no secret that Baba Yaga loves knowledge in all Features of Interest
forms, but perhaps her favorite medium is the simple
unassuming book. The Grandmother of Witches The following features can be explored here.
is fond of reminding travelers about the value False Doors. There are four doors set into the
contained in a book - “It can be the darkest secret
of the worst god in the multiverse, or a collection of walls of the Curious Library, but only two are actual
knock-knock jokes. All are important. All should be doors. The other two are false, though they are
valued equally.” difficult to discern as false. They open and look
the same as the two real doors. A character with
The Curious Library in the Dancing Hut is Baba a passive Perception of 16 or higher senses a cold
Yaga’s shrine to knowledge. It contains four near- breeze if they are within 5 feet of the open door but
infinite sections along with a wide assortment of there is little other indication something is amiss.
travelers, who are free to request books from the
librarian wraiths – as long as they don’t harm them If a living creature passes into a false door, they
or take them from the Curious Library. Spellbooks are tumbled through the dark interior of the Dancing
and scrolls are not kept here; those are reserved for Hut in a dizzying, terrifying trip that affects the mind
special shelves in the Treasure Vaults (area 27). as well as the body. The creature gains a level of
exhaustion as they are deposited out of a random
General Features door in the Curious Library, and then they must
make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw; on a failure
The following features apply generally to this area. their memory of the doors in the area are scrambled
Ceiling. The hallways connecting the four wings beyond recollection. Algoth the Lost can help
characters who get turned around in this manner,
of the Curious Library have 20-foot-high ceilings. if the characters have befriended the befuddled
Each wing extends up about 500 feet, with shelves arcanaloth.
lining the walls all the way to the top. The central
reading room has a 50-foot-high glass domed ceiling
that looks out onto a swirling miasma of churning
color.
Light. Small motes of light fill the air, magical and
unassuming, but they provide constant bright light
throughout the Curious Library. They naturally dim
in the presence of the librarian wraiths, creating
shadowy trails in their wake.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Door A. Like the other doors set along the walls
in the outer ring of the Curious Library, this door is
unadorned wood. It leads to area 12-B.
Door B. This plain wooden door is unlocked and
leads to area 14-A.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
62
Library Wings. Each of the four wings of the Roleplaying Algoth the Lost
Curious Library is filled with books, tomes, and
scrolls covering an incredible array of topics. The Like most of his kind, Algoth has a brilliant mind
vast array of knowledge in these shelves rivals that and a sharp wit – he just doesn’t remember any
of Candlekeep on the Material Plane, though from a of the core instincts that define the yugoloths on
broader spectrum – chapbooks and pulp novels are the grand scale of the multiverse. He’s curious
found in great abundance here, along with copies of and charming, offering advice and observations
broadsheets and newspapers from a great variety of for travelers in the Curious Library. He treats the
planes. librarian wraiths with utmost respect, and has
leaned on some of his own magical abilities to
Unfortunately for visitors, there’s no apparent retrieve books that he knows the location.
organization to the knowledge. Books on magical
theory are found next to picture books for children; Algoth speaks politely with travelers, though he
finding a book on a particular topic is difficult, since often just forgets about the false doors since he
the librarian wraiths are only capable of fetching rarely leaves the Curious Library. Baba Yaga may
a book by title and not general subject. Algoth the have larger designs for the arcanaloth but she
Lost keeps a mental list of books he’s read, including seems content to leave the fiend in the library for
their topics, so he may be able to offer insight if now.
the characters are seeking knowledge regarding a
specific subject. Quote. “I think you’ll find the wraiths most
agreeable, as long as you don’t take any of the books
Reading Room. The central area of the Curious from the library or try to burn them. I saw one chap
Library is devoted to reading and studying. come here a few years ago determined to burn
Comfortable chairs and convenient tables are everything in the east wing. Complete nutter that
scattered about here, all perfectly normal and one, and the wraiths took care of him quite nicely.”
functional.
Librarian Wraiths. There are an unknown
Occupants number of wraiths in the Curious Library. They
can be summoned to help find a book by asking
The following creatures may be encountered here. aloud in any language, “I need assistance.” One
Algoth the Lost. There are a number of strange of them materializes out of a shadowy corner and
approaches, though it says nothing and offers no
creatures found throughout the Dancing Hut who guidance. The librarian wraiths are imbued with
owe no allegiance to Baba Yaga or her adopted knowledge of every book title and author in the
daughters. Each has its own story, and Algoth the Curious Library, but they don’t know the contents of
Lost is one of them. He is an arcanaloth, a yugoloth the books.
fiend from Gehenna renown for their greed and
magical aptitude. Unfortunately, however, Algoth had
an encounter with something that wiped his memory
completely. He doesn’t know what happened, he
doesn’t know if he has enemies, and he doesn’t know
where he came from.
But that hasn’t stopped Algoth the Lost from
spending all of his fiendish time in the Curious
Library, reading and enjoying his time. He stumbled
upon Baba Yaga in the great witch’s planar
wanderings some years ago. What did Baba Yaga see
in the memory-less yugoloth? None know for sure,
but she invited him inside and showed him to the
Curious Library. She encouraged Algoth to read to
help understand his predicament, which he has done
voraciously and without end. He seems content to
stay in the Dancing Hut, at least for the time being,
and offers suggestions and guidance to characters
who come to the area.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
63
14. Alchemy Laboratory B
Strange odors swirl invisibly in this chamber, AC
which seems dedicated to alchemical study
and potion creation. Numerous tables set Access
about the room contain a wide variety of tools
and ingredients useful to pursuing alchemical These are the access points for this area.
subjects, and a series of cabinets against the Doors A, B, and C. The three doors into this
one wall look to contain many raw ingredients;
shelves and drawers are all labeled with their room are all made of heavy iron, and they are each
contents. The room’s center holds a large square locked. Opening one requires a minute of time and
table upon which rests an enormous, ornate a successful DC 18 Dexterity check with thieves’
brass samovar. A number of foreboding suits of tools; the check can be done in a round if made at
armor stand around the room at rigid attention. disadvantage. The locks are not sentient but they do
hunger for lock pick tools, so on a failure the tools
The art of alchemy has long fascinated Baba Yaga, are devoured by the door lock with a gulp.
and she maintains this well-stocked laboratory in the
Dancing Hut dedicated to its study and perfection. Door A leads to area 13-B, Door B leads to area
The components and equipment in this area are 4-B, and Door C leads to area 15-B.
rivalled only in the personal chambers of the most
famous and dedicated alchemists of the multiverse, Features of Interest
and none can match Baba Yaga’s collection of rare
ingredients. The following features can be explored here.
Alchemy Cabinets. The unlocked cabinets
However, Baba Yaga herself rarely visits here.
She pursues her potions quietly in the privacy of her against the back wall of the laboratory contain
own room, where she utilizes magical cauldrons to countless drawers filled with a wide assortment of
mix new and exotic brews. The brass samovar is alchemical ingredients and components, ranging
still useful from time to time, though Baba Yaga has from the common to the strangely exotic. Each
turned the maintenance of the Alchemy Laboratory drawer contains a handwritten note on the front
over to a strange keeper – a brain in a jar named indicating its contents, with some holding a variety,
Professor Lukyanenko Ilyich, who was once a such as the “reptilian eyeballs” drawer which
prominent instructor in the Izzet League of Ravnica contains various preserved eyeballs from lizard-like
before falling victim to dark circumstances. creatures (including firenewts, lizardfolk, monitor
lizards, and behir), and the “humanoid hair” drawer
General Features with small subsections holding clippings of hair from
humanoid creatures.
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The 30-foot-high ceiling holds numerous
exhaust fans to pull unwanted gases out of the
room and into exhaust vents to be pushed out to the
outside.
Light. Globes of continuous light hang along
the walls, providing dim light throughout the room.
However, each table contains a lantern with a
magical light inside that can be turned on or off;
when set to on, each lantern sheds bright light in a
20-foot-radius. The color of the light can be changed
with a small knob adjustment at the base of each
lantern.
Smell. The potent aroma of chemicals hangs over
this area, though it would be far worse (and actually
poisonous) if it weren’t for the exhaust fans in the
ceiling.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
64
Sometimes, a unique or rare ingredient does Roleplaying Professor Ilyich
run out, in which case Professor Ilyich may request
some help from a band of travelers coming into the Professor Lukyanenko Ilyich was a brilliant
laboratory. He’s too busy and important to leave human alchemist working in the city of Ravnica.
himself, and the helmed horrors are no use outside He spent years in the laboratories of the Izzet
the hut. Such excursions could be the basis for an League, creating new and exotic potions, most of
entire series of adventures across the planes! which did not have any practical application. These
experiments nonetheless advanced the field of
Brass Samovar. A samovar is an urn used to boil alchemy in new and exciting ways, and his passion
water for tea, but the one in the laboratory here is and skill gave him the freedom to pursue these
a bit more special. It is much larger than a typical strange avenues largely unhindered.
samovar, inscribed over its brass surface with images
representing creation and transformation. When That all came to an end when an explosion of
commanded, the samovar heats the water inside it tremendous proportion destroyed Professor Ilyich’s
as if a heat metal spell had been cast, and it refills alchemy lab and most of the surrounding building.
automatically when it is emptied. The command The Izzet investigation revealed nothing untoward
phrase is the following: “Boil, my little samovar.” A and declared Professor Ilyich dead – but the truth
dozen teacups, a number of tea spoons, and a copper is more complicated. The alchemist’s body was
bowl holding sugar cubes sit on the table next to the shredded but some alchemical reagents kept his
samovar as well. brain alive – and mobile. He crawled out of the
wreckage and eked out a strange living in the
Laboratory Tables. Each of the four tables in the Ravnica sewers, avoiding kraul patrols, until he
Alchemy Laboratory contains enough equipment to eventually was picked up by an agent of Baba Yaga.
cover an advanced version of alchemist’s supplies; He was brought to the Dancing Hut and placed in a
using them grants advantage on any ability check jar in the Alchemy Laboratory, and Professor Ilyich
involving alchemist’s supplies. There are four distinct was reborn as a strange undead thing atop a golem
sets, one for each table, and they could theoretically body.
be bundled up and moved separately, though
Professor Ilyich and the helmed horrors have orders The transformation did nothing to temper the
to keep everything inside the laboratory unless professor’s sharp tongue, berating tone, or
expressly allowed by Baba Yaga. eccentricities, however. It did give him a new
purpose – he believes he deliberately attacked in
Occupants Ravnica due to a new formula he was working on.
Is Professor Ilyich right to keep a low profile? Or
The following creatures may be encountered here. has his new undead state brought on paranoid
Helmed Horrors. To assist Professor Ilyich and delusions?
others, Baba Yaga enchanted a group of six helmed Quote. “No no no! The essence of gorgon blood
horrors who stand at attention in the corners of must NOT be mixed with the unpurified unicorn
the room. The constructs obey the commands of tears until they are brought to a temperature of at
Professor Ilyich and any other creature bound to the least 100 degrees! Maybe you should go look for
Dancing Hut. your brain to see if it’s in a jar somewhere, sheesh!”
Professor Lukyanenko Ilyich. The Alchemy
Laboratory has a permanent resident who requires
neither sleep nor rest – Professor Lukyanenko Ilyich,
formerly of the Izzet League in the city of Ravnica
and now a brain in a jar attached to the body of a
headless flesh golem. Professor Ilyich’s flesh golem
has long, delicate fingers attached to its bulky arms,
allowing for precise movements normally not found
in golems.
Professor Ilyich is a brilliant if somewhat
eccentric alchemist, and he’s often in the middle
of some experiment in the laboratory. Many of his
experiments result in an explosion, though the hardy
flesh golem body and the glass encasement around
his brain protects him from the worst of the side
effects.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
65
15. Observatory of the All-Eye S
S
The below intro assumes the characters enter this
area from area 6, which leads to Door A. Adjust the BAC
description if they arrive from another door.
a powerful magical force – a disintegration spell
A wide passage extends down a flight of broad or effect is enough to open them from the main
steps before opening up into a wider room. chamber. Bzellezellebus can be convinced to open
The room is dominated by an enormous orrery them up if the characters flatter the beholder and
containing numerous rings of gold and silver persuade it. From the inside, the door panels can be
circling around a series of attached spheres of opened with an action and they remain open for 1
various size and color. In the orrery’s center is minute before closing automatically.
a massive floating eyeball, lidless and sinister,
the iris rotating quickly to scan everything in Access
the room. Two circular daises topped with stone
chairs sit in front of the strange orrery; the These are the access points for this area.
ceiling above the chairs is domed and appears to Door A. The main door at the top of the stairs in
open through some process.
this area is unlocked and leads to area 6-B.
This room is dedicated to studying the mysteries Doors B and C. These doors are hidden in
of the multiverse, or at least that was its original
intent. The two chairs lift up and open to a view of the secret rooms with the globes. Access to the
the surrounding region, though it can be adjusted rooms from the larger area is difficult (see above
using the orrery to see vistas far beyond the current under Secret Doors), though the doors leading to
location of the Dancing Hut. It is all powered by the other areas of the hut are unremarkable wooden
All-Eye, the central eyeball in the orrery, which once structures. Door B leads to area 14-C and Door C
belonged to a mighty beholder. leads to area 16-A.
In addition to the orrery and the observatory Features of Interest
seats, there are two smaller rooms behind secret
doors. These rooms contain magical globes The following features can be explored here.
representing the physical realms immediately All-Eye. The main feature of the observatory is
surrounding the Dancing Hut, one for the surface
area and one for the sky. Some planes and the All-Eye trapped within the complex orrery. It is a
destinations do not map properly to the globes but living thing with a powerful mind comprised of pure
they can still be useful for navigating and plotting telepathic power, though it rarely communicates
courses. Baba Yaga sometimes visits these rooms to directly with any creature except for Baba Yaga. The
plan for the hut’s next move. eye itself was taken forcibly from Bzellezellebus
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 30 feet high,
except above the orrery and the observatory seats;
the domes above these areas reaches up to a height
of 50 feet.
Light. The All-Eye in the center of the orrery
radiates luminous light, and coupled with the glass
globes studded along the walls, the area is regularly
bathed in bright light. The smaller rooms containing
the globes are lit only by the globes themselves,
which create dim light in those areas.
Secret Doors. The rooms with the globes on
either side of the main entrance at Door A are
hidden behind secret doors placed on the walls
behind the observatory seats. Finding these secret
doors requires only a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception)
check, but opening it requires the application of
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
66
the beholder who is now cursed to serve as the often use this to scan the surrounding world for
observatory’s guardian and guide; the proud and desired features.
xenophobic creature hates that it cannot use its
central eye, though it can still see with its eyestalks. Observatory Seats. While the All-Eye dominates
the layout of the observatory, the main feature is
The All-Eye functions like the beholder’s anti- actually in the two observatory seats on the daises.
magic cone except that it can activate it and If a creature sits in one of these seats, the stone
deactivate it with an action (this does not close the chair rises up to the ceiling slowly as the dome
All-Eye, unlike with a regular beholder’s anti-magic above opens up. The dais raises to place the seat
cone). It uses this feature to defend the orrery or within the dome, sealing it and leaning the chair
Bzellezellebus from attacks. If a creature requests back as the walls dissolve away in a spectacular
a vision from the All-Eye, a bolt of blue energy arcs display of illusory power. Stars and cosmic fire
out to strike the mind of the requestor. The target whirl in the display while a deep, sonorous voice
must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw, narrates a theory regarding the nature of the
suffering 35 (10d6) psychic damage on a failure, or stars and space itself. The show lasts for about
half as much on a success. Regardless of the save 15 minutes and cannot be stopped. The two seats
result, the target gains a glimpse of the future; they function independently but are otherwise identical in
gain the benefit of a single Portent, which functions function.
the same as the feature of the School of Divination
wizard subclass. It lasts for 24 hours or until used. Occupants
Globe of the Stars. This large globe is black and The following creatures may be encountered here.
suspended between two copper rings, one vertically Bzellezellebus the All-Eye. The only permanent
encircling the globe and the other horizontally.
Upon closer inspection it is revealed the globe is not occupant of the Observatory of the All-Eye is
actually a physical object but more of a black cloud, Bzellezellebus, a beholder who has been driven
inside of which can be seen small motes of light of insane through a combination of disparate factors.
various size and color. This is a representation of the Primarily, the creature suffered the loss of its central
sky on the plane where the Dancing Hut currently eye, which sits now as the All-Eye in the orrery; as a
sits; on planes with no sky or stars the cloud is result, Bzellezellebus cannot use its anti-magic cone
simply blank. at all. All other eyestalks function normally, and in
the case of combat the All-Eye can activate to defend
If an intelligent creature places its hand on the its former host.
“globe” they become psychically linked to it, and
their consciousness expands out to encompass the Roleplaying Bzellezellebus
endless landscape of night sky. For the Material
Plane, using the Globe of the Stars in this way allows Bzellezellebus is wild and unpredictable. One
the user to see how close celestial objects are to moment, the creature could be railing against the
each other, and they can zoom around the cosmos injustices it has suffered at the hands of Baba Yaga,
with a briefest thought. It can be disorienting, and and the next it could speak eloquently on the nature
how much is out there to be found depends upon of the multiverse and the creation of existence
your campaign. across the planes. It hates everything but loves an
engaging conversation, though Bzellzellebus doesn’t
Globe of the World. This globe represents the use normal reasoning.
physical world upon which the Dancing Hut currently
resides, and even an infinite plane bends and warps In conversation, Bzellezellebus refers to itself in
itself to fit the globe’s surface. The Globe of the the third person and often resorts to petty insults
World contains a perfect replica of the landscape at and comments about the physical appearance
an incredible height, and if an intelligent creature of the creatures around it. And the truth is that
places their hand on the globe they become while the beholder hates Baba Yaga with all of
psychically linked to it. They can view the vast its aberrant body, it could never leave the All-Eye.
landscape of the world from a remote viewing Was Bzellezellebus born with the All-Eye or was
position, capable of moving with incredible speed it transformed into it by Baba Yaga? The beholder
across the geographic features to find or search for doesn’t talk about it.
some place.
Quote. “Of course, if you had an ounce of power
The Globe of the World is not a “live” view of the possessed by Bzellezellebus, Bzellezellebus
plane’s geography, so it doesn’t include creatures or wouldn’t need to explain this to you. But you don’t,
transient features, though some magic connecting so Bzellzellebus must use smaller words. ”
to the larger hut automatically creates the perfect
map on the globe. Baba Yaga or one of her daughters
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
67
16. Stable of Nightmares A
A long room stretches out, reeking of brimstone C
and smoke. Six wide side chambers are set
along the walls, each blocked by a black iron B
gate to create enclosed stalls. Many of the
chambers hold fiery-maned coal-black horses, if they are being stubborn); the night hag always
flames licking along their hooves and out of keeps a handful of black fruit in her pocket.
their flaring nostrils. Piles of ash-gray hay lay
scattered about the floors and stalls of the area Features of Interest
along with shards of charcoal; smaller side
rooms at either end of the hall seem to hold The following features can be explored here.
surplus quantities of hay and charcoal. Mortar and Pestle Storage. There is a secret
Baba Yaga takes great pride in her herd of room in the stable where Baba Yaga keeps her
nightmares, the black fiendish horses known to roam famous means of conveyance – a powerful and
the Lower Planes of the multiverse. She breaks most magical mortar and pestle. The secret door to the
of them in herself, training the willful fiends to obey area is well concealed, discoverable only with a DC
her commands, and in return she treats them well. 22 Intelligence (Investigation) check, and it can only
Often, she’ll let the herd out to roam the surrounding be opened with a series of knocks (three quick short
landscape wherever the hut lands, and her rigorous knocks, pause, followed by three more quick short
hold over the creatures ensures they always return knocks). Unless she’s out, Baba Yaga’s Mortar and
when called. Pestle is found inside.
The stables and nightmares are maintained by a Taking the artifact from the storage room without
cruel night hag named Gabby Ratcackle while Baba the command word invokes a random dreadful
Yaga attends to other needs, and while malicious curse; the Magic of Baba Yaga section has the table
Gabby does care about the fiendish horses under and details.
her charge. She hates visitors, however, and she’s
willing to unleash the herd in response for any slight,
perceived or real.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the stables and stalls is 20
feet high.
Heat. Nightmares are creatures of fierce fire, and
the stables are kept at an uncomfortable temperature
as a result. Creatures not resistant or immune to fire
suffer 7 (2d6) damage every minute they spend in the
area.
Light. The presence of the fiery horses creates
a constant aura of dim light throughout the stables,
supplemented by several strategically placed red-
glowing bricks placed along the walls.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Doors A and B. These are the main entrances to
the area, and they are unlocked black wooden doors
that swing open easily. Door A leads to area 15-C
and Door B leads to area 17-A.
Door C. The ceiling in the middle of the stables
contains a sliding panel that moves away to reveal a
passage leading to area 20-B. Gabby Ratcackle often
uses this passage to fetch special apples from the
Black Orchard to treat the nightmares (or bribe them
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
68
Stalls. The six stalls in the stable hold the herd Roleplaying Gabby Ratcackle
of nightmares. The black iron fences open easily
and are not locked, allowing the fiendish horses Gabby Ratcackle is overtly cruel and enjoys making
to push them open on their own. They remain in others suffer. Exactly how she came into Baba Yaga’s
the comfortable stalls out of loyalty to Baba Yaga service is not fully known, but as a night hag it’s
and Gabby Ratcackle, and they have no interest in possible she came willing to serve in the Dancing
leaving the Dancing Hut permanently; they are let out Hut. Rumors swirling around the barracks of the
into the surrounding landscape on a regular basis Chicken Foot ogres suggest Gabby fled the Gray
to stretch their legs and spread death and terror in Waste of Hades after angering one of the death gods
their own ways. in the Triumvirate of the Grave, but the night hag
has a habit of killing and eating anyone who brings
Storage Rooms. Four rooms located at the end up her past.
of the hall hold food for the nightmares and a wagon
for transporting it easily. One of the rooms contains Gabby’s one weakness is the herd of nightmares
large piles of ash-gray hay, specially prepared and under her care. The temperamental fiends are
harvested from swampy fields in the Lakeland (area notoriously difficult to control, but Gabby doesn’t
G). The hay is fire-proof and the nightmares love it. view them as her possessions. She treats them
The other room contains charcoal chunks brought like treasured family, children even, and she is very
over from the Forge of the Blind (area 6). Gabby protective of them, though she trusts them to protect
Ratcackle feeds the nightmares the charcoal and themselves. The only person who cares more about
gray hay herself, never relying on servants or staff. the herd is Baba Yaga herself, and Gabby often chats
at length with the Grandmother of Witches when
Occupants she comes to pick up the mortar and pestle.
The following creatures may be encountered here. Quote. “What are you looking at? I smell weakness
Gabby Ratcackle. Night hags have a well-earned on you like a stink. I should let my precious
nightmares out to trample you and end my misery of
reputation as cruel and vicious creatures, but Gabby having to be in your presence. My nightmares would
Ratcackle goes above and beyond the reputation. love to get some exercise.”
She is merciless, loud, and confrontational, and
enjoys violence for its own sake. Gabby is always
looking for an opportunity to unleash the herd of
nightmares, especially on paladins and clerics of
good-aligned deities; she also has a deep and abiding
hatred for bards and musicians of any kind. Gabby
spends most of her time feeding the nightmares and
chasing away the ogre staff of the hut.
Nightmares. The herd in the stable consists of
twenty nightmares who owe complete and unfailing
loyalty to Baba Yaga and Gabby Ratcackle. Baba
Yaga has been known to loan out a nightmare to an
ally or daughter for special occasions, and at any
given time about half the herd are out galloping
across the landscape wherever the Dancing Hut
has landed. If something were to happen to the
nightmares, the people responsible would quickly
find themselves earning Baba Yaga’s ire, bringing out
the fearsome Baba Yaga the Hungry to attack and eat
the offenders.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
69
17. Graveyard of Kings A B
C
The stone walls of this large square room are
covered in thick, black tendrils of vegetation, Light. The gargoyle statues radiate dim light,
and the floor is comprised of rough-packed dirt. filling the area with the dull radiance.
In the center of the room stands a gray-stone
mausoleum upon which perch four looming Vines. The thick black vines are part of the
gargoyle statues at each corner of the 20-foot-tall graveyard’s natural defense system. If any hostile
structure, their eyes filled with pure blackness creature ends their turn within 10 feet of the wall or
that sends shivers through the soul. Flanking the ceiling, the vines lash out to ensnare them; the target
central mausoleum are a series of raised earthen must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or
mounds resembling graves, with a carved be restrained. A restrained creature can attempt to
tombstone at the head of each. A chillness break free with a DC 18 Strength check as an action,
hangs in the air that prickles the skin, raising which can also be attempted by an adjacent creature.
goosebumps.
Access
Baba Yaga’s obsession with death as a unified power
led her to construct this area, aptly named the These are the access points for this area.
Graveyard of Kings. She keeps a number of dead Doors A and B. The main doors into the
rulers buried in the earth, letting the ambient energy
of the Dancing Hut leech power and substance from graveyard are located on opposite ends of the square
these formerly powerful beings. So far it has yielded chamber; these doors are heavy iron and unlocked.
little beyond the occasional animated corpse, which Door A leads to area 16-B and Door B leads to area
is swiftly put down by the graveyard keeper, an 18-B.
intelligent storm giant skeleton named Lord Dedbos.
Door C. Inside the mausoleum, a yawning black
The residents of the graves did not volunteer their gate stands against the wall. It appears as a wall
bodies to Baba Yaga’s cause, so she has had to steal of pure black, very unlike the other doors in the
them away from their normal resting place. This has Dancing Hut, but entering it takes the traveler to
caused some problems recently, especially when the area 7-B.
Grandmother of Witches stole the corpse of a fallen
king while his attendant priests prepared the ritual
to raise the dead ruler back from the dead. Several
attempts at recovering the remains of the king have
been made, though so far they have not found the
Graveyard of Kings.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. Like the walls, the ceiling is covered in
ropy black vines clinging to the stone; the ceiling is
40 feet high.
Life Drain. Pure necrotic energy leaks from the
eyes of the gargoyle statues, creating the chill feeling
in the area. If a living creature takes a short rest
in this area they gain a level of exhaustion; taking
a long rest sucks the very life out of a creature,
inflicting 6 levels of exhaustion over the course of the
rest. The gargoyle statues are the source for this life
drain. Undead creatures are invigorated by the drain,
regaining 10 hp at the start of each turn as long as
they have at least 1 hp remaining.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
70
Features of Interest Roleplaying Lord Dedbos
The following features can be explored here. Lord Dedbos speaks in a low deliberately paced
Gargoyles. The gargoyles are more than just voice, slow and methodical, and he’s never in
a rush to say or get to anything. He ruminates
simple statues; they are conduits for necrotic power philosophically on the nature of the graveyard
linked to the Negative Energy Plane. They are not and the occupants, referring to the dead bodies
alive, though their forms are carved so exquisitely as his friends and colleagues in a joking manner.
that an onlooker could imagine them coming to life Lord Dedbos has a dreadful sense of humor with
at any moment. The necrotic energy leaking from the worst comedic timing, but his love of puns is
their eyes is not immediately harmful, though living legendary.
creatures feel a deep troubling uncomfortableness
while within 20 feet of a gargoyle. The gargoyles Quote. “You could say I’m so calm because nothing
can be destroyed, but attacking them provokes Lord gets under my skin. Do you get it? Because I don’t
Dedbos and the shambling graveyard (see Occupants have any skin.”
below).
Lord Dedbos is under strict order to let no one dig
Graves. There are a total of fourteen graves up one of the graves unless it’s Baba Yaga herself,
in the graveyard, each capped with a headstone and the storm giant skeleton steward has performed
bearing their name, time and place of death, and his duties admirably. He calls up the shambling
brief description of the manner of their demise. The graveyards if things look to be getting out of hand,
names likely mean nothing to the characters, and but his formidable combat skills generally means he
there is no clear link between them except they were can deal with most threats himself.
all regional rulers who died; some violently, others
from disease, and a few by natural causes. Baba The intelligent storm giant skeleton writes
Yaga chose them exactly for their randomness to see regularly in his journal in an archaic form of Giant;
how a little bit of necrotic power from the Negative characters who can read Giant must succeed on
Energy Plane would affect each of them. a DC 18 Intelligence check to decipher the lesser-
known dialect, which is usually reserved for kings
Lord Dedbos is responsible for digging the graves and those close to the gods of the giants. Asking
and putting down any risen undead creature. He Lord Dedbos about this elicits a shrug, but if
records his notes on their state in a heavy journal someone were to suggest he was a king himself, the
kept inside the mausoleum. While the characters are storm giant skeleton may realize he is a part of the
exploring the graveyard, one or more of the graves experiment in the graveyard. How he reacts to this
may erupt with an undead horror; Lord Dedbos information is up to you, but it wouldn’t be out of the
always appreciates a bit of help defeating them. question for Lord Dedbos to go berserk and attack
everyone, calling the shambling graveyards to his aid
Mausoleum. The central mausoleum is where in the process.
Lord Dedbos spends most of his time. He can
squeeze through the small doors on the side, which Shambling Graveyards. There are two
are unlocked and quite heavy, and he rises to greet shambling graveyards* lurking in the dirt; they can
any visitors to the area. The mausoleum interior be summoned by Lord Dedbos at any time to help
holds shovels sized for a giant, along with a large deal with intruders. The plant monsters are the
brown book with yellowed pages. This is the journal ones responsible for the black vines along the walls
of Lord Dedbos, which he writes in at the request of and ceiling of the area, and are otherwise mindless,
Baba Yaga in order to understand the effect on the obeying the commands of Lord Dedbos and any
dead kings in the graves. other creature bound to the Dancing Hut.
Occupants
The following creatures may be encountered here.
Lord Dedbos. The keeper of the Graveyard
of Kings is an enormous storm giant skeleton
named Lord Dedbos. He retains his original mental
attributes in his current undead state but his
memories have been wiped. He doesn’t know it, but
he was once the king of a vast giant empire on a
Material Plane, and he died of natural causes long
ago. Baba Yaga reanimated him through special rites
and placed him in charge of the graveyard; in truth,
Lord Dedbos is as much a part of her experiment as
the dead bodies in the graves!
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
71
18. Coliseum of Ancient Sands C
A short, wide bridge extends out to the edge AB
of a towering coliseum which fills most of this
expansive rectangular chamber. The ceiling is floor. Each door is made of steel and unlocked; Door
only 20 feet above you, but the ground is about A leads to area 9-C and Door B leads to area 17-B.
50 feet down. The bridge opens into the top of
the coliseum’s stands, providing a good view Door C. This door is located on the ground floor.
of the surrounding area. The coliseum is oval- It stands out against the stone wall as a roughly
shaped, with two tall standing tiers running hewn chunk of rock, and while it is unlocked it takes
along its length. In the center, the floor is covered one minute to open due to its weight and unwieldy
in sand and patched with stains of brown, black, nature. It leads to area 19-A.
and red, along with the scattered remnants of
weapons and armor. Two large chambers, one Features of Interest
at each end of the coliseum, allow for more
luxurious seating while offering a fantastic view The following features can be explored here.
of the arena itself. Four iron portcullises block Coliseum Floor. The floor of the coliseum is
entrance to tunnels extending out from the sandy
arena floor. The ceiling overhead contains a covered in a thick layer of sand filled with debris
large globe shedding bright light like a small sun. from countless gladiator matches along with
bloodstains from all manner of combatants. Several
The Coliseum of Ancient Sands has played home nonmagical weapons lay scattered about along with
to a vast number of martial competitions over the scraps of armor; in a pinch, a one-handed piercing,
years, and the spectacles often draw crowds of bludgeoning, or slashing weapon can be found with
hundreds from across the multiverse who come relative ease by kicking up sand for a round. Four
to view the bloodiest entertainment. Baba Yaga portcullises stand along the walls leading to the
loves competition, and while she rarely attends coliseum underground; these are raised and lowered
the gladiatorial events herself, she recognizes from an alcove along the inner wall.
and honors the draw such blood sports have on
creatures, especially those in the Lower Planes. The sandy floor of the coliseum is where the
matches are held for the enjoyment of the gathered
Which is why she has hired a small army of spectators. Some matches feature humanoid or
yugoloths to maintain the arena, keep it secure, and fiendish gladiators facing off against one another,
handle the betting. The yagnaloth Mag’thezoth is the
current arena master in charge of everything, and
he orders the teams of mezzoloths with absolute
authority.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The room is about 70 feet tall, with gray
stone walls, floor, and ceiling.
Coliseum. The coliseum itself is 50 feet tall and
over 100 feet long. It is built of stone, but the stone
was mixed with the powdered bones of armies,
which enhance the violent nature of the gladiators
competing in the arena.
Light. The sun-like globe in the ceiling above the
coliseum can be commanded by Mag’thezoth to shed
bright light, dim light, or to become dark, depending
upon the nature of the combat in the coliseum itself.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Doors A and B. These doors are located much
closer to the ceiling than the floor, with a bridge
extending from the area’s wall to the coliseum’s top
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
72
sometimes in a grand melee, while other times Roleplaying Mag’thezoth
they feature teams based on theme or style. A
common variant pits one or more combatants Boisterous, conniving, and surprisingly smooth
against monsters pulled from across the multiverse, talking, Mag’thezoth loves his role as master of
and these have proven to be very popular with the the coliseum. He uses a special wand in his small
spectators. It’s not uncommon for a monster to get hand to amplify his voice during a match, and
out of hand, however, in which case it becomes a usually narrates the action as it occurs – both as a
chaotic free-for-all in the coliseum. way to heighten the entertainment and control the
narrative. Mag’thezoth is a controlling fiend who
Coliseum Underground. Gladiators spend their leaves as little to chance as possible; even the riots
time in the underground sections of the coliseum, that have broken out over the results of a match
which is filled with narrow chambers and tunnels. have been carefully orchestrated and controlled by
Mezzoloths patrol the underground to keep the him and his yugoloth team.
gladiators in line, who are individually kept in their
own rooms; the more successful the gladiator, the Mag’thezoth loves his role but he secretly fears
larger and more spacious their accommodations returning to his old life on Gehenna. He served a
become. When no match is scheduled, gladiators are scheming ultroloth in the Crawling City, and things
let out onto the coliseum floor to exercise, spar with did not go well for him during a reversal of fortunes
one another, and generally prepare themselves for for his old leader. The ultroloth was deposed and
their next match. Most gladiators in the Coliseum the yugoloth team disbanded, and Mag’thezoth
of Ancient Sands are professional warriors who made sure he ended up with a bigger piece of the
enjoy the blood sport as much as the spectators; pie when the dust settled. He took his treasure and
Mag’thezoth doesn’t bother with rank amateurs at stumbled upon a Chicken Foot ogre in the Crawling
this level. City, and managed to talk his way into an audience
with Baba Yaga. The next thing he knew he was the
Prime Viewing Boxes. Two spacious chambers master of the coliseum, and he has no intention of
are constructed at opposite ends of the coliseum to going back to the Crawling City.
accommodate the needs for powerful and influential
guests. These rooms have lockable doors (DC 18 Quote. “Welcome to the main event at the Coliseum
Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to unlock) along of Ancient Sands! Prepare yourselves to be blown
with comfortable couches, chairs, and a dedicated away by the show of absolute ferocity we have in
ogre staff member who brings food and drink store for you today. You won’t forget it!”
at the request of the attendees. Access to these
prime viewing boxes is at the sole discretion of Mag’thezoth. The master of ceremonies in the
Mag’thezoth, though Baba Yaga and her daughters Coliseum of Ancient Sands is a grandstanding
always have preference. yagnoloth named Mag’thezoth. He keeps his
oddly disproportionate arms encircled around all
Stands. Encircling the coliseum are two tiers of of the goings on at the coliseum, from the betting
stands which can hold several hundred spectators to the arrangement of suites to the setting up of
at any given time cramped shoulder-to-shoulder. the matches, and he tries never to be surprised by
The stands do not have benches or seats as they’re anything. He masterfully controls the events and the
designed for standing, though it’s not uncommon for spectators and enjoys every moment. Mag’thezoth
guests to bring their own personal chairs (or slaves/ hates surprises, however, and he does his best to
beasts to function as seats). Several mezzoloths sell quash any variables before they occur. The last
refreshments during matches, which can last several thing he wants is to have some event spill out of
hours at a time, and riots have been known to break hand when Baba Yaga or one of her daughters was
out during particularly explosive matches. present.
Occupants Yugoloth Staff. In the coliseum, Mag’thezoth
commands a staff of yugoloths separate from the
The following creatures may be encountered here. main Dancing Hut ogre staff. Insectoid mezzoloths
Gladiators. Mag’thezoth is always on the lookout are charged with the basic tasks of selling
refreshments and keeping the peace throughout
for the best gladiators in the multiverse to compete the coliseum, and they spend most of their time
in the coliseum, and those he finds and recruits in the coliseum underground when a match is not
spend their time in the coliseum’s underground. occurring. A team of slimy, croaking hydroloths are
A wide assortment of gladiators are found here, in charge of taking bets before a match and settling
ranging from humanoids to fiends and even a debts after the match; disputes are usually dealt
celestial or two. Mag’thezoth does his best to keep with quickly, but sometimes Mag’thezoth has to get
the matches even, but sometimes he deliberately sets involved directly.
up an odd match to warm up the crowd.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
73
19. Crystal Grotto B
Twinkling blue and silver lights dance and CS
sparkle along the walls and ceiling of this rough-
hewn natural cavern. The lights originate from A
shards of crystal, some as small as coins and
others much larger, but they all shine with an Features of Interest
inner radiance in the darkness. Several boulders
lay on the ground, studded with the same The following features can be explored here.
crystals as the walls, and a handful of rocky Crystals. The crystals found throughout this cave
columns rise from the ground to the 20-foot-high
ceiling overhead. The only other feature is an glow with their own internal light. They form the
emerald green pool of unknown depth with a basis for the light sources throughout the hut, and if
wide stone column rising from its center up to removed from the wall will continue to glow with the
the ceiling. radiance of a light spell for 4d10 weeks. Of course,
this means that the lights need to be changed out
The crystals growing in this cavern are natural regularly which is done by the ogre staff.
conduits for magical power and are often harvested
by the ogre staff of the Dancing Hut. It is not an Removing a crystal from the wall is a simple
enjoyable duty, however, because of the strange process, but Grezzgosk often manifests a duplicate
creature dwelling in the pool – a powerful memory- to try and test whomever is removing one of the
stealing ooze being called an oblex. Grezzgosk is crystals. Often the duplicate takes the form of a
its name, and it has devoured hundreds of victims gladiator or other warrior-type, but lately the oblex
in the Crystal Grotto, and as a result it can form has been leaving the ogres alone. The ooze creature
physical representations of those devoured victims. longs for new playthings.
The ogres know about the tricks Grezzgosk can Emerald Pool. The pool of emerald-colored water
play, but for the most part the oblex has no interest around the central pillar of the grotto is a strange
in sucking the memories out of anymore ogres. distillation of Grezzgosk itself. The oblex can exist
Strangers coming into the Crystal Grotto are another outside the pool, but it can also sense anything
story, however. happening to or within the pool while the creature
remains in this area. Due to its strange linkage, it
General Features can quickly scan a creature who looks into the pool
and create a duplicate of them on the spot.
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this cavernous area is 20
feet high.
Light. The crystals embedded in the walls and
ceiling create an area of dim light throughout the
cave.
Access
These are the access points for this area.
Doors A and B. These two wide round steel doors
are heavy but unlocked. Door A leads to area 18-C
and Door B leads to area 20-A.
Door C. This hidden door is located against one
of the stony columns rising from floor to ceiling. It
can be found with a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception)
check, and opening it requires a DC 18 Strength
check. It leads to area 11-C.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
74
If a living creature who is not protected from a Roleplaying Grezzgosk
detect thoughts spell spends a round within 5 feet
of the pool, Grezzgosk can manifest a duplicate Grezzgosk hungers for fresh memories, but it’s
of that creature on the next round. The duplicate a hunger born of greed rather than necessity.
smells of sulfur like all of the oblex’s manifestations It is an immensely narcissistic creature who
but it otherwise has the same stats as the target; firmly believes it can do no wrong, and it sees no
any weapons, armor, or other equipment is harm in consuming the bodies and memories of
nonmagical but otherwise the same. Grezzgosk those around it. If they were stronger, Grezzgosk
uses the duplicate to communicate with the rationalizes, they wouldn’t be devoured so easily.
characters, taunting and teasing them to find the Grezzgosk is condescending, cruel, and loves to
hidden chamber. As long as Grezzgosk has no other tease and taunt creatures with promises of treasure
duplicates created of its own regular ability, any in the hidden chamber.
duplicate creature created from this method does not
share in the elder oblex’s hit points (the duplicate’s Grezzgosk has been in the Crystal Grotto for so
hp are independent of Grezzgosk). Grezzgosk can long that it doesn’t remember a time outside of it,
only create up to 10 duplicates per day through this and there’s a reason for it – the oblex was actually
method; once it has exhausted those it must rest or born in this chamber. Baba Yaga used techniques
create duplicates through its regular process. extracted from imprisoned mind flayers to create
the oblex herself in the grotto, which is also why
The ogres know not to come close to the edge of Grezzgosk has a strange relationship with the
the pool if possible for fear of the oblex’s duplicating emerald pool in the center of the room. The pool
ability. The water itself is slimy, thick, and green but was its birthplace, the progenitor slime from which
otherwise harmless. The pool is 10 feet deep at its it grew, all due to the ambient magical nature of the
deepest points adjacent to the central column. grotto itself.
Hidden Chamber. The central pillar of the Quote. “We remember you. Did we eat someone
grotto hides a treasure chamber where Grezzgosk who knew you? Or do you just have one of those
deposits the physical treasures of those it has faces?”
consumed. It has little use for them in anyway but
uses them as a lure to bring travelers close to the Grezzgosk is ultimately a predator who wants
edge of the pool. Accessing the hidden chamber to eat the memories of intelligent creatures, but it
requires wading into the slimy pool and finding the enjoys tormenting its victims before moving in for
secret door, discoverable with a DC 20 Intelligence the final kill. It waits in the emerald pool when new
(Investigation) check, after which it can be opened by travelers arrive in the grotto, hoping their curiosity
pressing cleverly disguised stone buttons along the brings them to within 5 feet of the edge. If this
pillar. occurs, it manifests a duplicate and speaks with the
travelers in cordial and over-friendly tones while
The door opens above the slimy pool and reveals trying to prevent them escaping. Grezzgosk can
a square chamber littered with gems, trinkets, access any of the memories of the creatures it has
and other equipment. Ultimately what’s found in devoured, but it rarely does so unless needed; if the
Grezzgosk’s treasure cache is up to you and may characters came looking for something specific from
include lost items being sought by the characters; the elder oblex they may be able to bargain with the
alternately, you can roll a number of times on the ooze, but Grezzgosk wants only to devour memories
magic item tables in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. of living creatures.
Occupants
The following creatures may be encountered here.
Grezzgosk. The only permanent occupant of
the Crystal Grotto is Grezzgosk, an elder oblex.
Oblexes are oozes who have been subjected to
experimentation by mind flayers and other psychic
creatures. They feed on the memories of living
creatures, and they can draw upon those memories
to create replicas of their victims; the older the
oblex, the more replicas it can maintain at any time.
Grezzgosk is hundreds of years old, and its memory
banks include a great variety of creatures.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
75
20. Black Orchard A
The grounds of this chamber are lush and fertile, C
covered with thick green grass. A 10-foot-wide
river of black water cuts through the greenery, B
however, dividing the room through the middle
into two general regions. The banks of the black over is difficult. A greater restoration is sufficient to
river are lined with fruit-bearing trees of apples, remove the penalties for one day but the disease is
pears, and others, with one side containing divinely produced and requires more than this to
vibrant-colored fruits and the other holding deal with. The gnomes of the Golden Hills of Bytopia
darker and more rotten-looking specimens. A are said to possess the knowledge of a cure.
sickly-sweet aroma fills the air, like decay in a
vast apple orchard. On the ceiling, a large yellow Light. The large yellow crystal embedded in the
crystal lays embedded in the stone, radiating ceiling is called a sun crystal, and it acts just like the
warmth and light like the sun. sun on the Material Plane, operating on a 24-hour
cycle of day and night. During the day, the light cast
Baba Yaga famously has a sweet tooth for fruits, by the sun crystal is the same as daylight, and it dims
especially apples, and she grows her own special in evening and finally goes dark at night. Attacking or
variety in this area. The black water in the river feeds damaging the sun crystal provokes the wrath of the
the roots of the trees along the banks, increasing the terror moles immediately.
potency of some while turning others into poisonous
variants. The change in types isn’t easily divided Access
along the banks despite the appearance – a shriveled
apple may be helpful while a vibrant red apple could These are the access points for this area.
be poisonous. Doors A and B. The visible doors in the Black
Tending the Black Orchard are a bloodthirsty Orchard are large and made of wood. They are
family of monstrous creatures called terror moles. unlocked and lead to the adjacent areas – Door A
They live beneath the surface, waiting to leap out and leads to area 19-B and Door B leads to area 16-C.
savagely attack any intruders. Recently, however, the
orchard has seen the arrival of a new occupant – a Door C. The trunk of this tree contains the outline
hedgehog name Ilya, who was once a daughter of of a portal, easily discoverable by a creature passing
Baba Yaga until she betrayed her mother’s trust. Ilya within 10 feet of it. The door can only be opened by
has managed to befriend the terror moles. bargaining with the tree itself. Casting speak with
plants is the easiest way to communicate, which then
General Features requires a DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If
the characters cannot actively converse with the tree,
The following features apply generally to this area. they must make the check at disadvantage. Ilya the
Ceiling. The ceiling is 40 feet high in this area. Hedgehog can help with the check if the characters
Hungry Grass. The grass in the orchard is fed by have befriended her. Once opened, the passage
beyond leads to area 13-C.
the black river running through the area, which has
created an insidious infestation known as hungry
grass. When a living creature first walks on the grass
they must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving
throw or become infected with the crawling hunger
disease. The disease takes 1d12 hours to gestate,
during which time it can be removed with a lesser
restoration spell.
If left to gestate, the crawling hunger takes over
and the victim is consumed with a ravenous desire
to eat worms and dirt. The desire is overpowering,
inflicting a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws,
and ability checks. Each day the hunger grows
worse, increasing the penalty by -1, until it reaches -5
by the end of the fifth day. After that, unless treated,
the victim’s organs erupt in violent protest of the
disease and the victim dies a horrible violent death.
Stopping the crawling hunger after it has taken
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
76
Features of Interest Roleplaying Ilya
The following features can be explored here. Ilya was only a small child when Baba Yaga
Black River. The river running through the snatched her away to live as one of her daughters in
the hut. She has no knowledge of her life before the
orchard is sluggish, black, and oily, a viscous liquid Dancing Hut, but she is the only daughter of a great
originating from somewhere in the depths of the king and queen on the Material Plane. Ilya displayed
Dancing Hut. It provides nourishment for the trees remarkable skill at magic, illusion magic specifically,
growing along the banks and the grass in the and she was always playing tricks on Kazakova
surrounding field, but none of these features are and the ogre staff. Her curiosity was legendary, but
normal. The black water is cold to the touch, and the she was expressly forbidden from doing only a few
river is 10 feet wide along its length and only 5 feet things. One of those things was smelling the black
deep. It flows slowly from one end of the room to roses growing in a hidden garden.
the other but there’s no clear source or destination –
the walls of the room extend beneath the waterline, After she turned eighteen, Ilya’s curiosity over the
so the black water simply appears and disappears flowers grew too intense to ignore, and she dared
without explanation. to smell the flowers. Baba Yaga’s wrath was swift
and furious but she couldn’t bring herself to destroy
Fruit Trees. The trees growing along the banks her adopted daughter, so she used her magic to
of the black river grow strangely potent fruit which transform Ilya into a hedgehog instead, and then
can be helpful or harmful. Unfortunately, there’s no jumbled up her memories so that she could not find
concrete method to determining the nature of each her way around the hut. Baba Yaga assumed Ilya
fruit without extensive experience; for example, would be eaten by one of the creatures in the rooms,
one ripe golden apple could be poisonous while the but she underestimated the girl’s love of the Black
next provides a healing bonus. The night hag Gabby Orchard.
Ratcackle from the Stable of Nightmares (area 16)
has learned to sniff out the brimstone apples from Ilya is sweet, shy, and terribly frightened of
the others, but it is such a subtle aroma that others everything, vulnerable as she is in her current form.
do not pick up on it. She would love to escape, though she has no idea
where she would go.
Consuming an apple requires an action, and a
creature can only gain the benefit of one apple per Quote. “Do you have any candy in your bag there? I
day. When an apple is consumed, roll on the below would love some candy, all I’ve had to eat are these
table to determine the effect. apples and pears.”
Black Orchard Apples Occupants
1d8 Black Orchard Apple Result The following creatures may be encountered here.
Ilya the Hedgehog. The Black Orchard has
1 Potion of heroism
become the home of an unlikely survivor – a small
2 Potion of fire giant strength hedgehog named Ilya. She was once a daughter of
Baba Yaga, until her curiosity got the best of her and
3 Potion of mind reading she disobeyed a seemingly innocent rule. For her
transgression, however, Baba Yaga cursed the girl to
4 Potion of diminution become a hedgehog and trapped her in the Dancing
Hut. Ilya frantically ran about the now disorientating
Venomous apple; creature consuming the apple layout until she stumbled into the Black Orchard, the
first place she came to that she recognized.
5 must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw,
suffering 35 (10d6) poison damage on a failure, or Ilya loved coming to the Black Orchard when she
was a human, and she befriended the terror moles
half as much on a success. who lived in the ground. As a hedgehog, she has
found refuge among the fruit trees and hungry grass,
Rotten apple; creature consuming the apple must none of which seems to affect her; she eats her fill of
the apples and pears and enjoys the protection of the
6 make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, suffering terror moles. She desperately wants to leave the hut
35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failure, or half as but she has no idea how.
much on a success. Terror Moles. There are a total of eight terror
moles* hiding in the ground within the Black
Brimstone apple; creature consuming the apple Orchard. They are unaffected by the hungry grass
and move to attack any intruders who are not bound
7 must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, to the Dancing Hut. They can be placated with fresh
suffering 35 (10d6) fire damage on a failure, or meat, however.
half as much on a success.
Crunchy apple; explodes in a 20-foot radius.
Creatures and objects in the area must make a
8 DC 18 Constitution saving throw, suffering 28
(8d6) thunder damage on a failure, or half as
much on a success.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
77
Dancing Hut Inner Layer
The Inner Layer of the Dancing Hut consists of a All of the corridors in the Inner Layer linking
smaller number of rooms than the Outer Layer, the rooms are featureless white expanses, but they
only eight compared to the twenty, but these rooms otherwise function the same as the corridors in the
are vitally important to Baba Yaga. They contain Outer Layer.
many of the fabulous locations that drive adventure
seekers and relic hunters, including the vast wealth Random Encounters
contained in the Treasure Vaults, the unremembered
masterpieces from across the multiverse in the The ogre staff do not patrol or maintain the rooms in
Undiscovered Art Gallery, and the immortality- the Inner Layer, and the visitors to the layer are few
granting waters in the Fountain of Life. and far between. There are no random encounters,
but provided here are some examples of creatures
These and more are found in the Inner Layer, but who may have found their way to the Inner Layer
as with so many aspects of the hut, nothing is quite with their own agenda. Consider these to be ways to
so simple as it seems here. Everything has a price, complicate the lives of the characters if they actively
and here more than the Outer Layer visitors must and successfully seek one of the rooms in this region
be willing to pay that price to get a taste of the prizes of the Dancing Hut.
they seek. Few blundering travelers actually manage
to unlock the series of knocks necessary to even It is not recommended to use more than one of
access the Inner Layer, and some who come to visit these at any given time. They are each tied to their
Baba Yaga don’t even know of the deeper mysteries own storylines, and may help or hinder the party
and wonders contained herein. as they see fit. Use them as wildcards to help add
variety to even the deeper recesses of the Dancing
Access Hut.
In order to access the Inner Layer, a traveler must Arakhnem the Eight. Empyreans are the direct
speak a command phrase within 5 feet of any door celestial children of gods on the Upper Planes,
on the Outer Layer and then perform a series of and as long as they remain on the Upper Planes
knocks. they often maintain close relations with their
divine parent. However, many leave their homes,
Command Phrase. The command phrase is the and those that wander into the Lower Planes can
following: “Little hut, little hut, show me to your easily become corrupted. Such was the case with
deeper rooms.” Baba Yaga does her best to confront Arakhnem, who went on a foolish crusade into the
any creature who actually manages to access the Abyss to fight Lolth the Spider Queen – and ended
Inner Layer before they leave the Dancing Hut. If up her immortal thrall. Now, Arakhnem the Eight is
she catches them, she uses a potent version of the a monstrous empyrean with deep purple skin, eight
modify memory spell to rip the knowledge out of their eyes, and the ability to manifest enormous hairy
memory, but enough have escaped that some people spider legs.
have knowledge of the command phrase out in the
wider multiverse. While Baba Yaga cannot change Lolth often sends Arakhnem the Eight out into
the phrase, she can change the knock sequence. the multiverse on secret errands, for the empyrean
can hide his features. In the Dancing Hut, Arakhnem
Knock Sequence. After the command phrase is seeking the Well of Madness (area 31 in the
is spoken, the knocks must be done swiftly and in Nucleus) on behalf of his spider goddess, with plans
the following order: five quick knocks, pause, three to extract the imprisoned unborn deity of knowledge
quick knocks, pause, and then two quick knocks. resting in its depths and escape without Baba Yaga
If done correctly, the door opens regardless of any interfering. Baba Yaga has no fear for this plan
lock or block placed upon it, and the corridor beyond actually coming to fruition, but she enjoys letting
is completely white in color (unlike the gray smoky creatures like Arakhnem the Eight believe they are
corridor linking the rooms of the Outer Layer). succeeding before letting reality close in around
them.
A creature who is not bound to the Dancing
Hut who passes through the corridor is tossed to Arakhnem the Eight moves about the Inner
a random area in the Inner Layer. Roll 1d8+20 to Layer disguised as a regular empyrean, though his
determine the area, and then roll 1d6 to determine skin remains dark purple. He may try to recruit the
the door (1-2 Door A, 3-4 Door B, 5-6 Door C). characters if they seem capable before ultimately
betraying them, or he could view them as threats to
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga be destroyed before they interfere.
78
Dalzurioz of the Silver Chalice. Dalzurioz Lilinirith appears as a shy tiefling sage interested
can often be heard long before he is seen – his only in studying the wonders of the Dancing Hut
loud, sonorous voice is usually lifted in a joyous or and learning how it operates. She may accompany
triumphant song proclaiming his past glories. He is a group of characters in their journey through the
a broad-shouldered, heavily muscled human paladin Inner Layer while she secretly looks for the path to
in resplendent silver armor, wielding a mighty sword the Prison of the Lost. Does the party help or hinder
and carrying a grand shield bearing the symbol of Lilinirith? Freeing such a potent avatar of death itself
a shining chalice, the symbol of his order. Beneath from Baba Yaga’s prison could bring about great
his outward appearance, however, Dalzurioz is change across the multiverse and certainly put the
much more, beyond even the fact that he is really an characters at odds with the great witch herself.
ancient silver dragon.
Sa’amre Ram’a’ran, Agent of the Lich-Queen.
Dalzurioz is not the beacon of hope, charity, and The wonders and secrets contained in the bowels
courage he proclaims. Long ago, as a silver dragon of the Dancing Hut attract attention from all across
he fought the hordes of the Nine Hells of Baator in the multiverse, and while their ultimate destinations
glorious battle, but he was captured by the forces may vary, they are often the movers and shakers on
of Dispater, devil prince of Dis, the second layer a planar scale. Vlaakith the Lich-Queen, sovereign
of Baator. He was tortured for years and years, of the githyanki, has long sought the magical power
during which his mind was corrupted. Now he is contained within the Treasure Vaults (area 27). Her
an unwitting servant of Dispater with the mission most successful venture into Baba Yaga’s domain has
of breaching the Divine Armory (area 30 in the been led by Sa’amre Ram’a’ran, a githyanki knight,
Nucleus) and retrieving an iron box belonging to the and her companion, an ancient red dragon named
devil prince. Maligarex.
Dalzurioz welcomes all who seem good and just, Together, Sa’amre and Maligarex have managed to
and he eagerly shares his goal of breaching the move about the Dancing Hut, and they believe their
Divine Armory of Baba Yaga and retrieving a holy mission to plunder the Treasure Vaults has gone
relic trapped there. He is gregarious, outgoing, and unnoticed by Baba Yaga. They are wrong, of course,
boastful, but he uses his keen magical abilities to but the Grandmother of Witches is curious to see
ascertain the nature of the characters. If they are how they fare against the dao and other guardians in
primarily good-aligned, with paladins and clerics of the vault. Baba Yaga’s standpoint has long been that
Upper Planes powers, Dalzurioz may not wait for if anyone can actually get into the Treasure Vaults
them to reach the Divine Armory before striking at and escape, they probably deserve the riches they
them. escape with. To date, of course, few have managed to
do so.
Lilinirith the Gray One. One of the few true
hidden threats moving through the Inner Layer is Sa’amre is a pragmatic githyanki warrior, and
a cloaked tiefling warlock named Lilinirth the Gray while she is supremely confident in her abilities and
One. Through simple but effective magical charms, those of her red dragon companion, she may try to
Lilinirth has infiltrated the Dancing Hut with a single ally with the characters if they also seek the Treasure
goal in mind – reaching the Prison of the Lost (area Vaults. Sa’amre’s goal is also more than just to collect
29 in the Nucleus) and freeing Grandfather Death, treasure for the Lich-Queen – she’s actually after a
the physical manifestation of the warlock’s powerful magical ruby that holds the soul of Maligarex’s mate
patron of death. lost long ago. Is the ruby in Baba Yaga’s vault? What
will the red dragon do to get back his mate?
Lilinirth has managed to avoid the exposure of
her true goal through a relic crafted specifically to
foil Baba Yaga – the Comb and Handkerchief of the
Ancient Forest (described in Magic of Baba Yaga).
These strange artifacts can be traced back to stories
of a young girl who escaped the wrath of Baba Yaga
and fled after receiving the items as a gift from a cat
in the hut. How Lilinirth obtained the items is a long
story, but she has been quietly working towards the
goal of freeing Grandfather Death from the clutches
of the Grandmother of Witches.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
79
21. Fountain of Life B
This large octagonal room is dominated by a A
circular marble fountain in the center. Sparkling
silver liquid flows gently from a central spout, C
creating a relaxing sound of lightly splashing
water. Four wide columns rise from the floor Access
to the 40-foot-ceiling, but otherwise the room
is unadorned. A humanoid figure encased These are the access points for this area. The
from head to toe in ancient plate armor walks three doors in the room are made of iron, and
slowly from the opposite end of the fountain, a each contains a small basin set into the door’s
greatsword strapped to his back. White vapor center. Runes in the Giant language carved into
rises from the slits in the figure’s helm where the iron represent different volumes of water
twin eyes shine like iridescent gemstones in the in abstract concepts using woodland and other
darkness. natural terminology. A DC 18 Intelligence (Nature)
by someone who speaks Giant identifies the
Immortality is a lofty goal sought by many creatures appropriate quantity of water; if the person making
throughout the multiverse since time immemorial. the check doesn’t speak Giant or otherwise can’t
Anyone with power has a tendency to try and hold understand the runes on the door, the check is made
on to it as long as possible, and finding means at disadvantage. You are encouraged to keep the DC
of extending one’s life beyond its natural span of the check a secret.
becomes a common goal. The lure of immortality is
strong, and few have been able to achieve it without In order for a door to be opened, the appropriate
giving up the basics of their morality – a wizard amount of liquid from the Silver Fountain must be
transforming themselves into a lich often strays into poured into the basin. If the wrong amount is poured
dark territory, a story repeated time and time again. in and someone tries to open the door, it triggers
a symbol (hopelessness) spell affecting all living
Baba Yaga has been trying to achieve immortality, creatures in the area (spell save DC 20).
and in the course of her pursuit she dabbled in
the process of tapping into the primal energy Door A. The runes describe an amount of water
forces of the multiverse. Undead creatures are totaling three cups. When opened, the door leads to
inherently fueled by their connection to the Negative area 23-A.
Energy Plane, a connection that creates a form
of immortality. Baba Yaga believes radiant energy Door B. The runes on this iron door describe an
from the Positive Energy Plane could be harnessed amount of water totaling one quart. When opened,
to create a similar effect, perhaps without the side the door leads to area 25-A.
effects. Thus the Fountain of Life was created, a
wellspring of power pulling silver energy directly Door C. The runes on this door describe an
from the Positive Energy Plane. amount of water equaling one cup. When opened,
the door leads to area 27-B.
Unfortunately, the radiant energy doesn’t extend
life in its normal form. Just like necrotic energy, it
creates undead creatures, but powered by radiance
rather than necrotic power. The result is a bright
undead, a rare type of monster fueled by radiant
energy but with no less chance to lose their morality.
Baba Yaga kept the Fountain of Life in the Inner
Layer to study, and stories of its capabilities have
spread across the planes. Few understand the
horrible implications of its use.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling is 40 feet in this area.
Light. The silver liquid in the fountain provides
bright light throughout the room at all times.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
80
Features of Interest Roleplaying Sir Beynard Rex
The following features can be explored here. Tired, forlorn, and heavyhearted, Sir Beynard Rex
Silver Fountain. The most prominent feature presents himself as a relentless protector of the
Fountain of Life. He welcomes the characters to
of the room is the fountain itself, filled with an the sacred place and warns them that the price
endless quantity of silver water. It is a distilled form for immortality is high, higher than most assume,
of radiant energy pulled directly from the Positive and relates that it is his duty to ensure those who
Energy Plane, capable of granting life to the point drink from the fountain understand there are
of sublime annihilation. Any living creature drinking consequences. He is oathbound to not explain the
the liquid in the fountain gains 1d10 temporary consequences in detail but he does say most who
hit points. However, the radiant energy continues drink from the fountain regret their decisions.
to build – one round later, the creature gains
1d10+10 temporary hit points. One round later, In life, Sir Beynard Rex was a knight in service
they gain 1d10+20 temporary hit points, with each to a powerful kingdom on the Material Plane. He
round increasing the temporary hit points by 10 as was honorable and just, and in recognition for his
luminous energy bursts from the creature’s skin. skill and dedication he was given charge over his
king’s personal guard. When the king descended
Once a creature has temporary hit points equal into madness and began to seek ways to achieve
to their maximum hit point total, they explode with immortality, Sir Beynard Rex was the one who was
radiant energy. The creature is destroyed but reborn ordered to find the Fountain of Life and bring its
a minute later as a bright wraith. The bright wraith wondrous waters back. He found Baba Yaga’s hut,
is the same as a normal wraith with the following braved the dangers inside, and made his way to the
changes: site. He tasted the waters to ensure they were not
poison and in doing so he was the first to fall victim
• The bright wraith is immune to radiant damage to complete transformation into a bright undead.
instead of necrotic damage. Baba Yaga arrived, chided the death knight on his
foolishness, and then bound him forever to the
• The bright wraith’s Life Drain attack inflicts Fountain of Life.
radiant damage.
Quote. “You have chosen … poorly.”
The transformation removes all memories from the
target and reduces them to a life-hungry monster. Sir Sir Beynard Rex has all the statistics of a death
Beynard Rex remarks on the situation but doesn’t knight with the following changes:
involve himself in any of the actions.
• Sir Beynard Rex is immune to radiant damage
Once a creature is gaining temporary hit points instead of necrotic damage.
from the silver fountain, the only way to stop the
transformation is for the target to suffer necrotic • Replace any necrotic damage dealt by Sir
damage enough to remove all of the temporary hit Beynard Rex with radiant damage.
points at any point in the process. At that point, the
imbalance in energy is corrected and the creature no Sir Beynard Rex is charged with watching over
longer gains temporary hit points. the Fountain of Life and ensuring any who come
understand the dire consequences of tasting the
The liquid can be bottled for later use, and the silver waters. However, the undead guardian is
radiance potion retains its potency with no loss in also charged with not specifically mentioning the
effect. Sir Beynard Rex moves to stop anyone from consequences of drinking, so his words of warning
taking the potion from the room, however. and extraction of promises tends to lead travelers
to believe the water grants immortality. It does, in a
Occupants form, and now Sir Beynard Rex has resigned himself
to watching others become consumed with bright
The following creatures may be encountered here. power from the Positive Energy Plane.
Sir Beynard Rex. The Fountain of Life is a source
of nearly limitless potential, though Baba Yaga long
ago gave up on its prospects for her path to true
immortality. However, it remains dangerous, so the
Grandmother of Witches brought in a guardian
to keep watch over it and judge the intent of all
travelers. Sir Beynard Rex is a lawful neutral death
knight now but he was once the first to breach
the Dancing Hut and make it to the Fountain of
Life. He was consumed by the radiant energy and
transformed into a bright undead guardian.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
81
22. Undiscovered Art Gallery C
A wide corridor extends around this hexagonal Paint
chamber, running the length between the Supplies
exterior wall and a smaller central room. The
exterior of the central room’s wall is painted with AB
an intricate mural depicting a forested landscape
divided into four sections, each showing the Access
same beautiful wilderness scene in a different
and distinct season. Four archways lead into the These are the access points for this area. Each is
central room which is dominated by a set of clay opened in a similar manner (painting a secondary
statues carved to resemble oversized yet faceless color into the rune), and if the wrong color is chosen
painters and artists. The interior walls hold a symbol (pain) spell is triggered (spell save DC
numerous framed paintings of a wide variety of 20). The spell only activates for a round before
styles and subjects. dissipating, but it triggers again each time someone
fails to paint the correct color in the runes.
A piece of art can change the course of history,
toppling empires and inspiring revolutions under Door A. A large rune is carved into this wooden
the right conditions. Baba Yaga learned this long ago door. In the Giant language the rune represents
and she decided to collect the most important pieces blood. It is the closest word in this Giant dialect for
of art she could find, but with a twist – these were the color red, one of the three primary colors. In
pieces that were not yet complete, or pieces whose order to open the door, the rune must be painted
moment for history-altering power had faded. with orange pigment, which absorbs the color and
opens, revealing a corridor to area 23-B.
This doesn’t diminish the power of the art for
those like Baba Yaga, and she has spent much of Door B. This wooden door contains a single
time and effort to collecting these unnoticed gems. rune carved on its surface. The rune is in the Giant
Some were from famous artists of their era, while language and represents sickness of the body. For
others are simply inspired pieces whose moment these purposes it stands in for the color yellow, a
for great change had come and gone or was still to primary color, and in order to open the door the rune
come. Baba Yaga believes each of these art pieces must be colored with green pigment. Once done so,
gathers motes of power as the flow of time itself it swings open, revealing a corridor to area 27-C.
shapes and molds around them. Most don’t see
it, but for one as steeped in arcane power as the Door C. The large rune on this wooden door is
Grandmother of Witches, it can be as plain as the the Giant word for sky, representing the primary
nose on her face. color of blue. In order to open the door, the rune
must be colored with purple pigment, which causes
The larger question is how to use it, and in this the door to open with the revealed passage leading
endeavor Baba Yaga has largely been unsuccessful. to area 28-A.
She’s placed the pieces in this area, which she
cheekily refers to as the Undiscovered Art Gallery,
for collecting or later study.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 30 feet tall.
Light. Small gemstones tastefully laid into the
walls provide illumination throughout the area,
which is set to dim light by default. The Faceless
Master can control the lights to highlight certain
pieces in a specific area, or it can flood the area with
bright light with an action.
Paint Supplies. In one corner of the outer wall
sits a small cabinet cleverly disguised as part of the
surrounding stone, detectable with a DC 18 Wisdom
(Perception) check. The cabinet is unlocked and
contains numerous paints and paint brushes, useful
for characters to access the doors leading out.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
82
Features of Interest Roleplaying the Faceless Master
The following features can be explored here. The Faceless Master is an arrogant creature who
Exterior Mural. The mural of the wilderness believes it knows everything about art – if the
Faceless Master doesn’t know it, it’s not worth
landscape in the four seasons (winter, spring, knowing. Its habit of rearranging its facial features
summer, and autumn) running along the exterior seemingly at random can be off-putting to strangers,
wall of the inner gallery appears expertly painted an effect the doppelganger relishes.
in painstaking detail. Anyone studying the mural
finds small differences between the four versions Inevitably, the Faceless Master’s attitude gets the
in the form of creatures – humanoids, animals, and better of the conversation, and it ends up throwing
everything in between may appear in one version but people into the prison mural to simply get rid
not another, and none of them appear in more than of them. The doppelganger does this under the
one. pretense of showing them “something truly unique,
a detail most overlook,” trying to play upon their ego.
The reason is simple. Each quadrant of the mural The best way to deal with the Faceless Master is to
is a self-contained demiplane frozen in both time play upon its own ego in a similar fashion.
and space within the folds of the Dancing Hut. It’s an
effective and beautiful way to keep troublemakers, Quote. “This piece just doesn’t speak to me like the
intruders, and thieves controlled and out of the way. others. I see it, yes, but does it see me? What is the
The mural is powered by the latent psionic energy of artist trying to tell me directly with their choice of
the paintings in the gallery. The Faceless Master or color and hue? I just don’t hear it, and that means it’s
Baba Yaga can force a creature within line of sight of not worth my time.”
the mural into the painting demiplane.
on teleportation magic. The Faceless Master or Baba
Creatures inside are caught in an idyllic Yaga can pull out any creature caught in the mural at
wilderness but do not age or grow hungry. Nor do any time, but to date this is the only known method
they regain hit points through rest, though class of escape.
and race features reset as normal. Magical items
that only regain charges at certain points in a day Interior Art Pieces. There are about two
do not regain charges, however. They are effectively dozen pieces of art hanging on the walls of the
immortal within the confines of the mural, and the interior gallery. Each one is framed in gold, silver,
confines of each of the four seasonal paintings is or platinum, and they each range in style and
about 100 square miles. If there’s a way out of a substance. They radiate psychic energy, and any
mural the prisoners of each have not found it, as it creature capable of speaking telepathically feels a
still exists within the hut with all of its restrictions hum of power from all of them. They are valuable
beyond measure, but removing any of them without
Stuck Inside the Prison Mural the permission of the Faceless Master or Baba Yaga
results in the mad mind curse (a dreadful curse
Getting pulled inside the mural within the detailed in Magic of Baba Yaga).
Undiscovered Art Gallery is not a death sentence
for the characters. They can encounter any number Occupants
of creatures, some prisoners like them and other
natural inhabitants, many of whom may be hostile The following creatures may be encountered here.
or at least suspicious of the characters. Artist Statues. Each of the four blank-faced
The prison mural can present a unique challenge statues in the center of the room is a clay golem
for characters, especially if they are unprepared under the complete control of the Faceless Master
for it. Monsters may threaten them, long ago or any other creature bound to the Dancing Hut.
forgotten about by Baba Yaga and the Faceless They remain perfectly motionless and lifeless unless
Master, but there is always a chance the object or commanded or if an unauthorized creature tries to
target sought by the party is also imprisoned in the take one of the paintings from the wall.
mural. Finding them becomes the first challenge;
escaping is the second. Some prisoners in the mural The Faceless Master. The curator of the
have discovered there’s a way to communicate Undiscovered Art Gallery is a high-minded
telepathically with the Faceless Master if they are doppelganger who refers to himself as the Faceless
standing within a certain clearing in the forest. Master. He is a consummate perfectionist and
relentless critic of everything and everyone around
There’s no saving throw to resist the imprisonment him. He dresses in fine silk clothing suited for a
for a simple reason – it’s no fun if only a few of noble in a royal court, and he normally takes on a
the characters are trapped while others saved. humanoid form. His face is a constantly morphing
Ultimately the goal is not to toss the characters into mass of near liquid flesh, shifting and rearranging to
a prison they can’t escape from, but to challenge suit his mood or desire.
them in new and exciting ways!
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
83
23. Hall of Gateways Access
The door opens into a broad square chamber Leaving the Hall of Gateways to adjacent areas of
with a high 40-foot arched ceiling. Each of the the Dancing Hut is different from any other room.
four walls hold three glass doors leading into There are no visible exits or entrances beyond the
smaller side rooms, each dominated by a tall nine glass doors leading to the mirror gates, and
mirror in a silver frame set against the stone none of these lead to other hut rooms. If anyone asks
wall. It becomes obvious the mirrors are not Knocker about it, the mimic shyly explains that it
normal as they don’t reflect the immediate was told to open only for those who can solve one
surroundings but instead offer hazy visions of its riddles, one for each adjacent area. However,
of distant, warped, and sometimes hostile Knocker also says that any wrong guess is going to
landscapes. One depicts a broken landscape result in punishment (something the mimic is quick
of endless pits with scraggly vulture demons to point out that it has no control over).
flying in the air, while another shows a mighty
azure river flowing through rolling pleasant Knocker’s riddles relate vaguely to the destination
hills. An ornate rug with a multitude of signs,
sigils, symbols, and other arcane marks sits room. The mimic changes them out regularly but
on the floor in the middle of the room with an
enormous chair fit for a giant set in the center. not quick enough to force the characters to answer
While the Dancing Hut can move between the planes a different riddle if they come back to the Hall of
at the will of Baba Yaga herself, sometimes she
doesn’t want to take the whole hut to a place, for one Gateways during their same journey into the hut.
reason or another. Sometimes, she may just want to
visit another plane of existence on her own, perhaps Anyone guessing incorrectly triggers a symbol
to meet with some powerful figure or to avoid the
scrutiny that comes with the arrival of a major (stunning) spell affecting all of the characters in the
artifact.
room (spell save DC 20).
In times like these, Baba Yaga visits the Hall of
Gateways. There are nine portals in this room which Knocker can also form a door to any of the rooms
can be calibrated to any plane in the multiverse
according to the whim of the room’s eternal in the Outer Layer without the need of a riddle
guardian, an advanced mimic known as Knocker.
Knocker has a playful attitude but it’s not afraid to answer.
pull in creatures from the various gates to do its
bidding in the case of altercation. Door A. “You can see me in water but I never get
Characters arriving in the Hall of Gateways arrive wet.” Answer: A reflection. The door leads to area
through one of the glass doors, which transforms
into a regular glass door leading to a mirror gate 21-A.
as soon as the door closes. There’s no obvious or
even hidden door leading to adjacent areas of the Door B. “What kind of coat can only be used
hut; the only way out is through one of the gates or
by convincing Knocker to transform into a door by wet?” Answer: A coat of paint. The door leads to area
solving the mimic’s riddle.
22-A.
General Features
Door C. “What has a spine but no bones?”
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling is 40 feet high. Answer: A book. The door leads to area 24-A.
Light. The runes and markings on the rug in the
center of the room coupled with the glowing mirrors
behind the glass doors creates an area of dim light
throughout the area.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
84
Features of Interest Roleplaying Knocker
The following features can be explored here. Knocker loves to joke and goof around, and its sense
Glass Doors. Each of the nine doors leading of humor is usually self-deprecating and filled with
terrible puns. It forms eyes and a mouth in whatever
into the mirror gate antechambers is closed and form it takes, speaks in wildly anachronistic and
unlocked, and they can be opened or closed under constantly shifting accents, and tries to get the
normal circumstances without issue. Knocker can characters to talk about what they’re doing in the
telepathically shut or open a door with a thought hut. Knocker is one of the most friendly inhabitants
from anywhere in the room. If Knocker commands of the hut and it loves to talk with newcomers about
it to be shut, opening the door becomes near their experiences. The mimic has nothing but love
impossible – the glass is impervious to damage of and respect for Baba Yaga who has never treated it
any kind, and only a dispel magic spell cast with a poorly in all its years; Knocker has no memory of its
9th-level spell slot, an antimagic field, or a wish spell life outside the hut and has no desire to leave under
can open it. any circumstance.
Mirror Gates. The primary feature of the Hall of Knocker considers itself to be an ambassador of the
Gateways are the nine mirror gates located in the Dancing Hut, and it tries to be as helpful as possible.
antechambers. Each mirror gate leads to a singular Its knowledge of the layout of the Outer Layer is
planar destination, duplicating the effects of a unmatched outside of Baba Yaga herself. If the
permanent gate spell. For the most part, the gates characters are friendly towards the strange mimic
are set to random locations on the destination plane, guardian and do not antagonize it, Knocker is happy
but a more specific destination could be requested, to create a door to any room in the Outer Layer to
such as the City of Brass on the Plane of Fire. You help out the party.
can determine the current gate locations randomly
or simply choose nine separate planes of existence. Quote. “Hey, want to see a trick? Watch me pull a
rabbit out of me!”
The gates are two-way, but effectively invisible
and hidden on the destination plane. Some powerful Occupants
beings, including demon lords, archdevils, and the
solars of the Upper Planes, can sense the presence The following creatures may be encountered here.
of a gate from the Dancing Hut, so Baba Yaga is Knocker. No one beyond Baba Yaga really knows
careful not to open one within close proximity of
such a figure. A creature passing through a mirror where Knocker came from or how it ended up
gate gains the ability to sense and see the gate on as the custodian of the Hall of Gateways. No one
the destination plane, at least until it closes when really knows its natural form either, as Knocker is a
Knocker changes it. greater mimic with an amazing ability to transform
into anything. However, due to its size, the objects
Knocker can change the destination of any mirror it transforms into are usually oversized and out of
gate by standing in front of a closed glass door and place. It favors transforming into a chair to begin
focusing on the new planar destination. The mirror with before striking up a conversation with visitors.
changes over the course of a minute to the new site.
Knocker is effectively immortal, and if combat
Gates are sometimes setup and advertised for breaks out use the statistics for a Large-sized
specific times and dates, usually to coincide with mimic with maximum hp. If reduced to 0 hp,
grand events, like a big show in the Coliseum of Knocker reforms at the end of its next turn with full
Ancient Sands (area 18). hp. It usually spends its action activating the Rug
of Dimensional Locking and then trying to push
Rug of Dimensional Locking. The rug on the paralyzed victims into the closest antechamber.
floor is magical. It is built to control and harness
creatures who come through one of the mirror gates
against Knocker or Baba Yaga’s desires. As a bonus
action, Knocker can force any number of creatures
not bound to the Dancing Hut who are standing on
the rug to make a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw; on a
failure, the creature is paralyzed. A paralyzed target
can make another saving throw at the end of their
turn, ending the effect on itself with a success.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
85
24. Skeleton Closets CB
A wide hallway extends beyond the entrance A
to this area, which branches out into multiple
different directions from a central hub room. Using the wrong key on a door triggers a symbol
Plain wooden doors stand side-by-side along (discord) spell (spell save DC 20) affecting all
the walls of each corridor, each with a uniquely creatures in the area except for Zephyr Black and the
styled doorknob, including metal orbs, bone skeletons.
knuckles, stone fists, and many more. The floor
of the central hub is littered with a pile of bones Door A. The lock on this door is blue, and
jumbled into a great heap in the center. opening it reveals a passage to area 23-C.
Baba Yaga is an immensely powerful being who has Door B. The lock on this door is red and it leads
lived for centuries, traveling the planes and dealing to area 25-B.
with creatures of all kinds. She has an excellent
memory, but that doesn’t mean she remembers Door C. The lock on this door is yellow and it
everything – there’s simply too much! So, in an leads to area 28-B.
effort to preserve her memories and document her
dealings, Baba Yaga developed the Skeleton Closets. Features of Interest
Each of the doors in this area contains a complete The following features can be explored here.
skeleton of some creature, which Baba Yaga has Bone Pile. The massive pile of bones collected
imbued with certain memories. Some of them are
the chained souls of people who have crossed the in the central hub of the area come from a wide
Grandmother of Witches, condemned for an eternity variety of creatures, humanoid and others, though
as a skeleton in a closet, while others are simply there are no skulls among them. Most of the bones
vessels for memories and events. are discolored from age though none are brittle or
especially breakable. Scattered amongst the pile are
The caretaker of the closets is Zephyr Black, who keys carved from bones colored to match the three
was long ago one of the most gifted diviners in the locks leading out of the area (see Access above for
multiverse. He served in the great divine court of details).
Mount Olympus on the plane of Arborea before the
departure of the gods from that lofty perch, and it Baba Yaga and the ogre staff often deliver crates
is believed he was instrumental in the creation of of bones to the pile from creatures who have died
the Ivory Oracles still found around the Olympian elsewhere in the hut. The disembodied force of
Glades. Now, however, he is a sentient pile of bones Zephyr Black consumes the bones slowly, so the
bound forever to the Skeleton Closets. replenishment is always welcome. Sometimes, if the
pile gets too small, Zephyr Black actively reaches out
General Features to Baba Yaga to request additional “donations” as
soon as possible.
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The hallways and central hub of the area Closet Doors. Each corridor running from the
central hub of the area contains six doors, three
have 20-foot-high ceilings. on each side. These doors are simple and made of
Light. Small illumination crystals embedded in wood, though each has a unique doorknob, either in
construction or form.
the ceiling provide dim light throughout the area.
Access
These are the access points for this area. Each of
the three doors leading out of the Skeleton Closets
requires a different key constructed of bone, which is
found amongst the jumbled assortment in the central
hub. They are color-coded by primary color (blue,
red, yellow) but there are multiple versions of each
key in the pile. Finding the right one requires a DC
20 Intelligence (Investigation) check by comparing
the keys to the lock; you are encouraged to keep
the DC a secret so the players are unsure of how
successful they are with each attempt.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
86
Each door is unlocked, and opening one reveals a Roleplaying Zephyr Black
small extradimensional closet, about 5 feet wide, 5
feet deep, and 10 feet tall. Inside stands a skeleton, Zephyr Black is unhinged, but as a disembodied
usually dressed in some outfit, who animates when divination force who can inhabit inanimate piles
the door is open. The skeleton cannot leave the of bones, perhaps this sort of mental detachment
closet or take any direct actions against anyone, is to be expected. He speaks languidly to anyone
but it can move around and speak. Each skeleton is coming into the Skeleton Closets, never judging
imbued with either a memory of Baba Yaga’s or the and always accepting of whatever people say.
entire intelligence of a dead creature, usually one Ultimately, he feels it’s not his place to judgethe
who crossed the Grandmother of Witches and paid decisions or actions others make; what will be will
for it with their lives and souls. be. He’s surprisingly relaxed and nonchalant about
divination, prophecy, and fate, and doles out drops of
You can roll 3d10 on the Skeleton Closet Skeleton wisdom without thought about whether they make
table below to determine the type of skeleton, what sense or not.
type of clothing they are wearing, and what general
personality trait they personify. Each skeleton knows He serves now as a living embodiment of memory
they are trapped in the closets and have long ago and prophecy bound forever to the hut, and forever
given up the chance of leaving. grateful to Baba Yaga. He doesn’t seek escape
though he is curious about what happened to the
Skeleton Closet Skeletons gods of Mount Olympus, but ultimately it doesn’t
bother him much.
1d10 Type Garments Personality
Arrogant Quote. “True freedom comes from letting go, not
1 Human Tattered noble just of materials but of morals as well. Just, let it go
clothing Cheerful and see what happens. Live every day as if it was
Mysterious your last with no regrets, because I know the end
2 Dwarf Court jester outfit comes for us all. And I just don’t want to see you
Aggressive waste your today for tomorrow.”
3 Halfling Formal suit and Playful
top hat Cruel Occupants
Simplistic
4 Ogre Traveling clothes Lonely The following creatures may be encountered here.
Preachy Skeletons. The skeletons in each closet are
5 Gnoll Chef apron and hat Confused
noncombatants and can take no actions.
6 Lizardfolk Gladiator armor Zephyr Black. Long ago, Zephyr Black was a
7 Troll Sailor’s outfit living human, born in a small town in the Olympian
Glades of Arborea. A great pantheon of gods ruled
8 Dragonborn Wizard robes from Mount Olympus, a majestic mountain towering
over the landscape, and they watched the mortals of
9 Tiefling Clerical vestments the surrounding land with keen eyes. Zephyr Black
was born with a special gift of foresight, a gift that
10 Goblin No clothing exceeded those of the gods, so he was snatched from
his parents and brought to live in the divine splendor
Without Baba Yaga present, the skeletons do not of Mount Olympus.
willingly give up information about their memories.
However, they can be persuaded to offer something. Zephyr Black became the Oracle of Oracles, and
If the party tries to extract information from a he foresaw the doom of the Olympian gods. They did
skeleton, have them make a group DC 18 Charisma not believe the prophecy, which ultimately proved
(Persuasion) check. to be their downfall, but Baba Yaga came in with
her Dancing Hut to carry the mighty diviner away.
If the group check succeeds, they learn a tidbit of He accepted but was cursed by the gods as he fled
information about something. If they were seeking Mount Olympus – his flesh was scattered across
a particular piece of information from a skeleton, the multiverse, leaving only his decaying bones.
the characters may gain a clue on where to proceed Baba Yaga helped Zephyr Black take on new form
next. If they don’t have anything specific they are as a skeleton, but the curse persisted, leaving him
looking for, they can gain a point of Inspiration. If all constantly jumping from bone form to bone form.
the characters succeed on the check, they also gain
a glimpse into the future. Roll 1d20 and record the Zephyr Black usually takes the form of a pile of
results. In the next 24 hours, the recorded result bones, shifting and collapsing upon itself, while
can be used by any character to replace an attack speaking telepathically to creatures around him. He
roll, saving throw, or ability check made by them or can collapse and reform into any conceivable shape
anyone within sight of them. This can only be used from the bone pile, and he is effectively immortal for
once, and its use should be agreed upon by the party as long as the Dancing Hut continues to exist.
using whatever methods they work out.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
87
25. Iron Testing Labs B
AC
The door opens into a rectangular chamber,
with massive iron doors set in three of the stone Room Room
walls. Several cabinets filled with drawers and Alpha Beta
shelves marked with various notes stand against
the walls between the doors. The fourth wall is Empty Well
mostly made of thick glass showing two different
long rooms on the other side. One of them Well between the glass walls functions very similar
contains several large piles of ash on the floor to the other three doors leading out of the Iron
though otherwise seems bare, while the other Testing Labs, with the same consequences and
holds a pair of long tables set against the wall. triggers. The spell glyph on the door is stoneskin.
Another iron door stands between the two glass
walls, suggesting a hallway running between the Light. The entire area is bathed in bright light, but
two enclosed rooms. there’s no obvious source for the illumination.
Baba Yaga has always been curious about the nature Access
of arcane magic, and she has built the Iron Testing
Labs to contain the often explosive results of her These are the access points for this area. The three
experimentations into the power of magic. She iron doors in the main area of the Iron Testing Labs
also has used these rooms to test out new magical are the entrance and exit points for the adjoining
items and artifacts she has concocted along with areas of the Dancing Hut. They are each incredibly
the harnessing of magical force in a controlled heavy and sealed with magical power. A detect magic
environment. spell cast upon them reveals a spell glyph, which
can be identified with a DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana)
The Iron Testing Labs share many characteristics check. You are encouraged to keep the DC a secret
with the Alchemy Laboratory in the Outer Layer so the characters are not sure on their success, and
(area 14), but the key difference is the application if they fail you can provide a different identified spell.
of the experimentation. Tests done in the Alchemy
Laboratory are primarily concerned with creating In order to open the iron doors, the specific
potions, elixirs, tonics, and other consumable items, spell must be cast upon the door, at which point
while the Iron Testing Labs is specifically for new it swings open. If someone tries to open the door
spell research as well as greater magical item without casting the appropriate spell, or casts the
creation. wrong spell upon the door, it triggers a symbol (pain)
affecting all of the characters in the area (spell save
The caretaker of the Iron Testing Labs is an DC 20).
ancient goblin wizard named Doctor Skezzo. He has
been with Baba Yaga for many years, long past the
life expectancy of a goblin.
The Iron Testing Labs also contains the ultimate
disposal tool – a sphere of annihilation. It is
contained within the Empty Well, located behind
the iron door between the two glass experiment
chambers. Baba Yaga and Doctor Skezzo use this to
dispose of unwanted items, failed experiments, and
anything else they want to disappear.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the Iron Testing Labs is 30
feet high.
Glass Walls. The glass walls separating Room
Alpha and Room Beta from the main entrance of
the Iron Testing Labs are a permanent wall of force.
It can be brought down in the same manner as the
spell, but a smaller doorway in the magical force wall
can also be opened using a simple arcane lock spell.
Iron Door. The iron door leading to the Empty
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
88
Door A. The spell glyph on this door is a dispel Roleplaying Doctor Skezzo
magic spell. Opening it reveals the passage to area
21-B. Doctor Skezzo should initially come across as
hostile, but he has long ago lost his touch at
Door B. The spell glyph on this door is remove practical magical application in any combat sense.
curse. Opening the door reveals a passage to area Though he knows every spell, it would take him an
24-B. immense amount of time to recall the details of any
single one enough to actually cast it – his focus on
Door C. The spell glyph on this door is identified theory is what makes him an excellent caretaker
as protection from energy. Opening the door reveals a for the Iron Testing Labs as he long ago forgot the
passage to area 26-A. actual methods of most spellcasting. He is cruel,
vicious, and absent-minded, and often loses his train
Features of Interest of thought in the middle of any conversation.
The following features can be explored here. Quote. “This is fascinating. Tell me, before you lose
Component Cabinets. The cabinets between the ability to speak, do you feel anything unusual in
your lower body now that it has turned into a fish?
the iron doors in the main area of the Iron Testing Quick, in the name of magic!”
Labs contain a dizzying array of components and
ingredients. The material components for all of the understand why. A dozen wands, rods, rings lay
spells in the Player’s Handbook can be found here scattered on the table as well, either depleted of their
along with stranger and more rare things used in magic or awaiting a first enchantment.
lesser-known spells. If anyone tries to take anything
from the component cabinets without speaking Room Beta. This room is dedicated to crafting
the command word (known by Doctor Skezzo, and testing new spells. Doctor Skezzo has a
Baba Yaga, and her adopted daughters), two living fascination with the flashy magic of fireball and
cloudkill creatures materialize around them and lightning bolt, so he has been working on creating
attack to destroy. The living spells can be dismissed a more tactically useful version of these common
with a separate command word (known by the same spells. The results have not been to the goblin’s
people as the first). liking, and the piles of ash on the floor are the results
of some ogre “volunteers” who died in horrible
Empty Well. Once the iron door between the ways. Fascinating ways, according to Doctor Skezzo,
glass walls is opened (see General Features for though not in the way he expected or desired.
details), a long hallway is revealed, at the end of
which sits an octagonal chamber with a circular well Occupants
in the center. In the center of the well is a permanent
sphere of annihilation, which utterly destroys The following creatures may be encountered here.
anything touching it. It is also enchanted with a Doctor Skezzo. The primary occupant of the
powerful magnetic force that draws magical things
towards it. Iron Testing Labs is Doctor Skezzo, a goblin who
by all appearances should be dead. His green skin
Anyone starting their turn within 60 feet of the is wrinkled, he wears a pair of magical goggles to
well with at least one magical item must make a enhance his failing vision, and his enormous ears
DC 16 Strength saving throw or be drawn 10 feet hold more hair than his head or grizzled chin. He
towards the well. Anyone starting their turn within is hard of hearing and skeptical of visitors, but
40 feet of the well with at least one magical item also gets distracted at the prospect of hands-on
must make a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be experimentation. He is happy to talk at lengths to any
drawn 10 feet towards the well. Anyone starting arcane character about the nature of their spells and
their turn within 20 feet of the well with at least why they are doing everything wrong; he has a habit
one magical item must make a DC 22 Strength of pointing out flaws in common magical theory,
saving throw or be drawn 10 feet towards the well. though he is usually the only one to understand the
Getting rid of any and all magical items, including nature of those flaws.
consumable items like potions and scrolls, stops
the pull, and the items are drawn into the well and Living Spells. One of the more successful
obliterated. byproducts of Doctor Skezzo’s experimentations
has been the creation of living spells – spells that
Room Alpha. This long experimentation chamber have mutated to become permanent creatures,
is devoted to tinkering with magical items, both functioning just like a combination between oozes
creating and recharging them. Right now, a faulty and construct. Several living cloudkill spells protect
staff of power sits on the table, a pet project of Doctor the component cabinets, and living lightning bolts
Skezzo. The wild magical item has a 50% chance of commonly bounce around Room Beta. Doctor
directing any of its activated offensive powers against Skezzo has a knack for dealing with them but they
the attuned user of the staff rather than the intended still tend to be wild and unpredictable.
target; the wizened goblin artificer is working to
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
89
26. Star of Death BC
Darkness fills this room, obscuring the walls and A
corners in deep wells of shadow. This darkness
is bone-chillingly cold, and seems to writhe must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw
slowly in the air like it’s made of blackened, or gain a level of exhaustion. Living creatures who
curling mists. The only things clearly lit are three spend a short rest in the area automatically gain a
doors set in the walls, each radiating a dim red level of exhaustion, and any living creature that takes
glow that’s more menacing than illuminating, a long rest in the Star of Death suffers three levels of
and a pale-yellow pentagram sigil carved into exhaustion.
the floor at what must be the center of the room.
The curling of the shadowy mists choking the Access
room seem to move in rhythm with a guttural
breathing sound emanating from somewhere in These are the access points for this area. The three
the darkness. doors each glow with a malevolent crimson light, and
upon closer examination each contains imagery of
The idea of death hangs over Baba Yaga like an people getting stabbed in specific locations. On the
old necklace, and it’s a burden and mystery she floor in front of each door is a carved pentagram in
has carried for a very long time. She seeks to stave the stone.
off death, perhaps even conquer it somehow, and
many of her efforts over the last few centuries have In order for a door to be opened, a quantity
revolved around this goal. She turned her attention of blood must be spilled on the pentagram from
towards the Negative Energy Plane long ago, and in the depicted location based on the severity of
places like the Graveyard of Kings (area 17) she had the displayed wound. A DC 18 Intelligence
some success in harnessing the necrotic energy of (Investigation) or Wisdom (Medicine) check identifies
that death-filled realm. the general severity of the wound depicted, which
can be administered with a piercing or slashing
Baba Yaga’s greatest success in plumbing the weapon and a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Medicine)
Negative Energy Plane remains in this room, the check. If the wrong amount of blood is spilled (or
aptly named Star of Death. Here, the Grandmother no blood) before the door opens, it triggers a symbol
of Witches formed a creature of death itself, a (death) spell for all living creatures in a 30 foot radius
nightwalker – not just pulling one in from the (spell save DC 20).
Negative Energy Plane, but actually forming it
of magic and her own willpower. Ghorgheth was Door A. The imagery on this door shows a figure
the result, a destructively powerful yet seemingly being stabbed in the leg for 9 points of damage.
innocent creature made of living necrotic energy. Spilling the right amount of blood from the leg onto
the pentagram in front of the door allows it to be
Unfortunately, Ghorgeth proved to be a dead end opened, revealing a passage to area 25-C.
for Baba Yaga’s goal, but the creature had already
grown too powerful to simply let free. The Star of Door B. The imagery on this door shows a figure
Death was reinforced to hold the nightwalker, and being stabbed in the right arm for 11 points of
how it lives in gloomy loneliness. Few creatures visit damage. If the right amount of blood is spilled on the
the chamber, and those that do often make their way pentagram and the door opened, it reveals a passage
towards the exits quickly. to area 27-A.
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the area is 40 feet high.
Light. Darkness permeates the Star of Death,
with only the pentagram sigil and the exit doors
illuminated naturally; everywhere else sits in
darkness. Any creature with darkvision can only see
half as far as normal in the area, and any light source
only provides half the normal amount of illumination.
Negative Energy. The cold of the Star of Death
is born of the Negative Energy Plane, which is
created naturally by Ghorgeth’s mere presence.
Living creatures who spend a minute in the area
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
90
Door C. The imagery on this door shows a Roleplaying Ghorgeth
figure being stabbed in the left arm for 13 points of
damage. When the right amount of blood is spilled Ghorgeth is a monstrous nightwalker with the
on the pentagram and the door is opened, it leads to maturity of a human toddler. He has an innate sense
area 28-C. over his abilities, but he has only the barest concept
of broad topics such as life, death, and responsibility.
Features of Interest He doesn’t know any life outside of the Star of Death
and the only person he’s really interacted with is
The following features can be explored here. Baba Yaga, whom he refers to as “mother” (the only
Pentagram Sigil. The sigil on the ground is a creature outside of Baba Yaga’s adopted daughters
who use this personal moniker).
powerful binding focus which contains the near-
unlimited power of Ghorgeth. Baba Yaga created Ghorgeth likes to play games but he has no concept
the nightwalker and was surprised at its strong of how terrifying or unnerving he can be when his
connection to the Negative Energy Plane, a bond throaty voice whispers out of the pools of darkness,
that simply grew stronger as time progressed. She “do you want to play with me?” He giggles and
was forced to create the pentagram engraving on laughs like a child and does not like it when people
the floor in order to stem the tide of necrotic energy raise their voices, which elicits soft sobbing for a
constantly flowing from Ghorgeth’s mere presence; few minutes until something else occurs to draw his
there was a time when it threatened to upend life attention. Ghorgeth likes to play with his “fingers”
itself in the Dancing Hut. (the shadows he manifests outside the Wall of
Shadow) and he doesn’t intentionally use them to
Ghorgeth’s child-like mind has no concept of harm anyone, though they may accidentally scrape a
what the pentagram does, though he does think it living creature causing Strength drain. Ghorgeth is
hurts him from time to time. He spends his days idly quick to apologize for just mistakes, however.
tracing his shadowy fingers along the edges of the
pentagram. Removing the pentagram would involve Quote. “Are you here to play with me? I get so
very powerful magic, though an anti-magic field could lonely.”
suppress it temporarily if it could be brought within
the bounds of the Wall of Shadow. If the binding frame that looks emaciated and frail. He is much
magic of the pentagram were disrupted, waves more than his appearance suggests, however, since
of necrotic power would wash out over the entire Ghorgeth was created wholly from necrotic energy
room, destroying the Wall of Shadow and releasing pulled from the Negative Energy Plane rather than a
Ghorgeth. How this affects the rest of the hut is up to natural denizen of that dangerous realm.
you.
Consequently, Ghorgeth has the mind of a child
Wall of Shadow. In the darkness of the room, the who has been taught how to speak by his “mother”
floor-to-ceiling barrier known as the Wall of Shadow Baba Yaga. He speaks Common using simple terms
is invisible. It forms a star-shaped prison around the and phrases, but his developmental progress has
pentagram in the center and functions as the first been slow due to the nature of his confinement. And
line of defense keeping Ghorgeth from escaping. The truthfully, Baba Yaga doesn’t know what to do with
barrier acts as a permanent forcecage molded into its the nightwalker, which exudes pure necrotic power
star shape. capable of tearing apart much of the Dancing Hut if
left unchecked. However, she can’t bring herself to
Dropping the Wall of Shadow requires weakening destroy the simple-minded creature, a trait of Baba
it first with a daylight or similar spell, which makes Yaga the Mother strong enough to keep the other two
the walls appear iridescent like a soap bubble. If an personalities at bay.
enervation spell is then cast at the wall, the entire
barrier drops. Ghorgeth is then free to roam about Ghorgeth has no concept of life outside the Star of
the room, though the pentagram sigil on the floor Death, and in his current state of mind he’s content
would need to be disrupted to allow the nightwalker with playing with the pentagram and making his
to leave the room (and consequently floor the area “fingers” dance (see Shadows below).
with powerful necrotic energy).
Shadows. Ghorgeth has learned to create
Occupants shadows anywhere within the Star of Death,
including outside the Wall of Shadow. The
The following creatures may be encountered here. nightwalker can control up to 10 shadows at any
Ghorgeth. The Star of Death is built to house given time, and they act as extensions of Ghorgeth’s
will; they have their own separate hit points, but
a singular powerful creature – Ghorgeth the whatever they see or experience is received by the
nightwalker. Ghorgeth appears as a towering nightwalker. Ghorgeth calls them his “fingers” and
creature comprised of writhing, living shadows, with likes to put on little plays and performances with
elongated arms ending in wicked claws and a gaunt them.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
91
27. Treasure Vaults Vault 1 Vault 2
This area consists of a square central chamber AB
with three doors, each covered in runes and C
constructed of a different metal commonly used
in coin currency – platinum, gold, and silver. At Vault 4 Vault 3
each of the corners of the square room, a short
passage extends into an adjoining area, and each the wall of force (which functions as the spell). The
of these contains a number of grand, ornate wall of force blocks spells and effects normally
chests. Several of the chests are open, revealing from both sides, and non-living creatures (such as
different valuable contents in each vault. One golems and undead) are blocked as normal from
of the rooms contains chests of gemstones, both sides. A wall of force that is dispelled releases
sparkling with their own inner beauty; another bacteria into the main area (see Vaults under
holds an abundance of coins in a dizzying array Features of Interest for details); the wall reappears
of shapes and precious metal compositions. The automatically after 1 minute.
third hides chests overflowing with wearable
jewelry of all kinds, including rings, bracelets, Access
crowns, and bracers, while the last is filled with
cups, bowls, goblets, and other objects of artistic These are the access points for this area. Each of the
value. A shimmering, nearly invisible barrier sits three metal doors contains a narrow slit in its center
between the main central chamber and each covered by a movable metal flap. The slit is big
treasure vault. enough for a coin to fit through. In addition, runes
on each door written in the Giant language spell out
Many adventurers and greedy opportunists seek out a riddle, the solution to which identifies the amount
the Dancing Hut in hopes of finding this very room of coins of the appropriate type that must be pushed
– the fabled Treasure Vaults of Baba Yaga. Here, into the slot in order for the door to open.
the Grandmother of Witches has placed the vast
amounts of material wealth she has accumulated Attempting to open a door without first depositing
over her centuries of life. She adds regularly to the correct amount of coins triggers a symbol (sleep)
the piles as well as the hut dances around the spell, affecting all of the characters in the area (spell
multiverse, but for the most part Baba Yaga doesn’t save DC 20).
concern herself with the vast majority of the contents
of the Treasure Vaults. Door A. This door is made of platinum and
contains the following passage: Seven people meet
This doesn’t mean that the wealth is unguarded, and each shakes hands only once with each of the
however. Baba Yaga bound a powerful dao genie others. How many handshakes have there been? The
from the Plane of Earth to watch over the treasure answer is 21, and once opened the door leads to
in a particularly cruel curse – the dao is forbidden to area 26-B.
touch any of the treasure unless someone steals it
from one of the rooms. Unfortunately, this is a rare Door B. This door is made of gold and contains
circumstance owing to a few factors, including the the following passage: I am not an odd number, I
one-way wall of force blocking each vault and the am higher than 90, I am not higher than 100. If you
ferocious animated chests themselves. subtract me from 100, you get nothing. The answer is
General Features
The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the Treasure Vaults is 30
feet high.
Light. Small crystals embedded in the ceiling of
the rooms sheds bright light throughout the area.
Shimmering Barriers. Each of the four vaults
connected to the main area is blocked by a nearly
invisible shimmering barrier. This barrier is a special
wall of force that functions exactly like the spell
except that living creatures can move freely from
the main room to the vault, but then cannot leave
from the vault to the main room except by defeating
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
92
100, and once 100 gold coins are placed in the slit Roleplaying Jamulga Kus Bulad
the door can be opened to area 21-C.
The dao are the most selfish and greedy of the
Door C. This door is made of silver and contains genies inhabiting the Inner Planes, and they are
the following passage: I am a three digit number. My renown for their enormous appetites and fondness
second digit is 4 times bigger than the third digit. My for gemstones and jewelry. Jamulga Kus Bulad was
first digit is 3 less than my second digit. The answer no different, and she rose to prominence in the
is 141, and once the appropriate number of silver Sevenfold Mazework on the Plane of Earth in the
coins are entered the door can be opened to reveal a court of the Great Khan. Her family had served for
passage to area 22-B. hundreds of years in the hidden palace of the Great
Khan, and Jamulga was the latest to enjoy a life of
Features of Interest indulgence surrounded by slaves and treasure.
The following features can be explored here. Until she ran afoul of Baba Yaga. Jamulga had her
Vaults. Each of the four vaults contains seven eyes set on a fabulous gemstone moving through the
marketplace, which the Grandmother of Witches
treasure chests, but two of them are actually also desired. The two met to discuss terms of the
powerful animated creatures (see Occupants below) sale, and the arrogant dao belittled the common-
who leap to attack anyone but Baba Yaga entering looking Baba Yaga for her disheveled appearance.
their vault. The other chests are unlocked and filled Baba Yaga was insulted but patient, so she invited
with valuable objects; the total value of each vault Jamulga to claim the gem if she promised to watch
is more than a million gp. Baba Yaga weeds out over it for 1,001 years. The dao agreed and fell
the artifacts from the piles but there are plenty of into the witch’s trap. The gem already belonged to
magical items tossed into the chests as well, though Baba Yaga, and Jamulga was now bound to it in the
finding them requires a more exhaustive search Dancing Hut.
– a minute of searching and a successful DC 18
Intelligence (Investigation) check turns up a magical Baba Yaga added an additional stipulation to the
item (roll randomly based on the treasure vault dao’s imprisonment. Jamulga was to guard the
contents). wealth in the Treasure Vaults for the same amount
of time, but she could claim anything that was
Each vault contains microscopic bacteria that eat stolen from a vault after she killed the thief. There
away at the flesh of living creatures. A living creature have been multiple attempts, but so far the dao
who starts their turn within a vault must succeed on has not claimed much treasure of her own – most
a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or gain a level thieves fall victim to the flesh-eating bacteria or
of exhaustion. If the wall of force is dropped, the the monstrous animated chests. Still, Jamulga has
bacteria rush out to fill the central chamber, forcing learned patience.
all living creatures in the central room to make a
DC 18 Constitution saving throw or gain a level of Quote. “Please, be my guest, enter the Treasure
exhaustion. After that, the bacteria die away outside Vault of Baba Yaga! Take whatever you like, you are
the sealed air of their vault. They replenish when the absolutely free to do so. Take that tasty looking ruby
wall of force reseals itself. over there if you don’t mind too. Mmm, rubies are
my favorite.”
Vault 1 contains gemstones, vault 2 contains
coins, vault 3 contains jewelry, and vault 4 contains take whatever they want. She insists that she is here
art objects. to help facilitate the acquisition of treasure, but she
warns them that they must be prepared to deal with
Occupants the barriers once they pass through. Jamulga does
not mention the flesh-eating bacteria – she’s still a
The following creatures may be encountered here. cruel genie, after all.
Animated Treasure Chests. Each of the four
Jamulga does not engage in combat until one or
treasure chambers contains seven chests, but two of more characters enter the central chamber with
them are not normal. Two in each area are actually treasure from one of the vaults. If the wall of force
animated treasure chests (which use the same is dropped, Jamulga hangs back until the animated
statistics as the greater animated cage*), and these treasure chests have been defeated; she moves in
ferocious constructs leap to attack anyone entering on the weakest target with her maul, determined to
the area that is not Baba Yaga. claim any treasure stolen by the thieves for herself.
She summons up to two earth elementals to help
Jamulga Kus Bulad. When the characters enter deal with the party as well. If reduced to 0 hp,
the Treasure Vaults for the first time, the noble Jamulga dissolves with a sigh, though Baba Yaga’s
dao* Jamulga Kus Bulad appears in the central curse ensures she reforms in 1 minute with full hp
chamber from out of her natural invisibility power. and all abilities recharged.
She welcomes the party to the fabled Treasure
Vaults of Baba Yaga and encourages the party to
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
93
28. Chamber of Hallucinations
On the map, this chamber is simply a square room Most travelers that arrive in the Chamber of
with no defining features or even doors. This is Hallucinations do so by accident, and then they
because the contents inside are deliberate dream either die from the psychic assaults or starvation.
hallucinations created and maintained by the room’s Shezin watches from the “reality” of the room while
sole occupant, a hyper-intelligent grell named each creature plays in their own unique hallucinatory
Shezin the Spectacular (see Occupants for details). terrain, which is a separate plane for all intents
and purposes (though still bound by the rules and
When the characters enter this room, each restrictions of the Dancing Hut).
character experiences something different, and
in the process they are each separated into their General Features
own hallucination realms by Shezin’s otherworldly
magic. In order to link up with one another and The following features apply generally to this area.
escape, the players must agree upon certain Ceiling. The ceiling in the room is 50 feet high.
attributes of the room around them. For example, Light. Without the hallucination effect, the room
if one player says they see a door that looks like it’s
made of iron, the other players won’t see the same has no illumination, leaving everything in darkness.
door unless they also describe it in the same way.
Access
The Chamber of Hallucinations is meant to be
a fun, otherworldly experience, playing with the Leaving the Chamber of Hallucinations is as strange
expectations and actions of the players as much as everything else in the room. In order to even see
as the characters. Shezin is a foil, offering cryptic an exit, a player must actively look for a door. When
clues, information, and conflicting data to add to the they look, they find one, and then ask the player to
weirdness of the room. describe the door. The door appears, often in the
middle of the terrain attached to nothing, but it won’t
The below table offers ten hallucinatory terrains. until all of the characters see the same door. Make
Each character should end up in their own realm, so sure to ask each player to describe their door.
you are encouraged to roll again for any duplicates.
If a player looks, they can find up to three doors in
Chamber of Hallucinations Realm their specific realms. When another player describes
their door in the same way as someone else, the
1d10 Hallucinatory Realm stone wall around the door becomes a bit more
visible. When all of the players describe a door in the
An endless plain of bubbling mud pits and same way, the door opens automatically. You can roll
1 scalding geysers beneath a crimson-cloud filled randomly to determine the final destination from this
area.
sky.
2 Large multi-colored clouds form islands in a
brilliant azure sky where there is no ground.
3 A shadowy swamp filled with the malevolent eyes
of hundreds of creatures lurking in the darkness.
A blood-soaked battlefield littered with the bodies
4 of dead soldiers, with carrion birds circling
overhead. The bodies are the same race as the
character.
5 A broken landscape filled with shards of obsidian,
while sickly yellow clouds drift overhead.
6 A massive cavern filled with demonic bats
sleeping upside down on the ceiling overhead.
7 Two delicate rope bridges meet in the center
suspended over an active volcanic caldera.
Floating debris forming a dense island from the
8 demise of several sailing ships on a boundless
ocean of heaving green waves.
9 The bottom of a slime-encrusted pit, with hungry
titanic rats hanging over the ledge overhead.
A wind-scarred plain of desolate ice and snow in
10 the eye of a churning white hurricane of frozen
power.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
94
Random Door Destination Roleplaying Shezin
1d6 Destination Without a doubt, Shezin the Spectacular is one
of the strangest residents of the Dancing Hut.
1-2 Area 22-C As a grell, it possesses an alien intelligence, and
its prowess with wielding magic as an arcane
3-4 Area 24-C spellcaster rivals the most accomplished adventurer
across the multiverse. However, Shezin is also
5-6 Area 26-C hopelessly mad, and only a few of its actions could
be considered logical or predictable.
If a character tries to open a door before all of the
players have described the same door, it triggers Part of Shezin’s madness manifests in the way
a psychic screech in the area. All characters must it speaks. It communicates telepathically with
succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, suffering intelligent creatures around it, but it only speaks
45 (10d8) psychic damage on a failure, or half as in short three-word sentences. Shezin speech
much on a success. patterns highlight its aberrant nature, and it often
speaks of the futility of existence and how nothing
Features of Interest is real, not even nothing. It tends to speak in circles
with imprisoned creatures. However, Shezin is not
The following features can be explored here. malicious. It is curious, and likes to watch travelers
Hallucinatory Terrain. The grell archmage play around in the hallucinations. It studies and
stores the information it learns for some unknown
Shezin creates fantastically realistic hallucinatory purpose.
terrain for each traveler when they enter the
Chamber of Hallucinations. This terrain is like an Quote. “Nothing is real. Nothing at all. You’re not
illusion but cannot simply be “disbelieved,” but real. You’re not here. Here isn’t real. Neither is there.
neither does it harm or hurt the occupant in any All is nothing. Nothing is all.”
physical way. Each character exists in their own
hallucination, and they cannot hear or see the Depths of Pandemonium. The grell was on the run
other characters while Shezin maintains the effect. from a band of cultists looking to harvest its brain in
However, any telepathy or other mind-linking effects some sort of ritual, and the Grandmother of Witches
still function. stepped in to help. Shezin was grateful, and Baba
Yaga recognized a tortured soul in need of a safe
Shezin’s eerie, clipped voice welcomes the place.
characters to the Chamber of Hallucinations when
they arrive. He asks them questions about what She offered it, but quickly found Shezin to be a
they are doing here and what they hope to gain, and poor guest. The mad grell archmage had a knack
the mad grell archmage enjoys watching mortal for creating powerful illusions, manipulating the
creatures play around in the hallucinations. If a senses of the creatures around it; the ogres of the
character does anything to harm themselves, they Chicken Foot Tribe especially suffered under the
suffer a small amount of psychic damage rather than grell’s magical entrapments. Baba Yaga decided to
physical damage. In some cases, this may include place Shezin in its own room and monitor it, and
bites or scratches from hallucinatory creatures, she found the results fascinating. The Chamber of
though these never engage fully in combat, instead Hallucinations was born as a result, a place Baba
relying upon hit and run tactics. Yaga still visits from time to time – she is one of the
few creatures capable of piercing the hallucinatory
Occupants veil created by the grell archmage.
The following creatures may be encountered here.
Shezin the Spectacular. Baba Yaga has
encountered many oddities in her travels in the
Dancing Hut, but few rival the strangeness of Shezin
the Spectacular. Shezin is a grell, a underground-
dwelling aberration which appears as a beaked
brain floating on a mass of ropy tentacles. They are
intelligent, though they tend to be loners, and they
are largely driven by their need to feed.
Shezin is different, and the strange grell doesn’t
articulate or explain why. Somehow, however, Shezin
learned to cast spells on a scale to rival powerful
wizards, but the grell is also quite insane. Baba Yaga
found Shezin while she was traveling through the
isolated community of Madhouse on the Windswept
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
95
Dancing Hut Nucleus
The beating heart of the Dancing Hut resides in Traveling the Nucleus
its inner-most layer – the Nucleus. The rooms on
this layer are the most hidden in the entire magical There are only four areas comprising the Nucleus,
complex and represent the most important to Baba and each room contains three doors leading out.
Yaga personally. She does not let just anyone into This means that any room can be accessed from any
the Nucleus, and numerous wards and protective other room. However, each room has its own unique
barriers are placed surrounding it to prevent form of access that must be adhered to. Trying to
intruders. open a door while failing to perform these specific
actions results in a Dreadful Curse befalling the
However, even the powerful Baba Yaga is not characters.
all-knowing, and sometimes persistent and lucky
adventurers manage to penetrate to this deepest The Access section of each area in the Nucleus
layer. It’s rare for anyone to stumble upon the area by contains the special actions that must be performed
accident so usually travelers have specific purposes. in order to access that specific area. It also includes
Most of the NPCs described in the introduction to details on what the door to that area looks like, and
the Inner Layer ultimately have their eyes set on all the doors leading to each individual area are the
penetrating the Nucleus for their own purposes, same regardless of origin. The three doors in each
whether that’s to free someone or something in the area are still marked with letters (A, B, or C).
Prison of the Lost, plumb the mind of an unborn god
in the Well of Madness, or even claim some fantastic When the characters arrive in a Nucleus location,
treasure hiding away in the Divine Armory. you can roll on the below table to randomly
determine which door they emerge from. The only
Access room without multiple entrances is the Control
Center (area 32).
To reach the Nucleus, a traveler must be in an area
on the Inner Layer (areas 21-28). They must then Nulceus Destination Door
speak the command phrase and perform the special
knock sequence on any of the doors. 1d6 Door
Command Phrase. The command phrase for the 1-2 Door A
Nucleus is the following: “Little hut, little hut, show
me to your deepest rooms.” The Nucleus contains 3-4 Door B
the most important rooms, both to the function of the
Dancing Hut and to Baba Yaga personally, so getting 5-6 Door C
in without attracting the attention of the great witch
is difficult at best. If she is out, she usually places a
Baba Yaga simulacrum* in the Control Center (area
32).
Knock Sequence. After the command phrase
is spoken, the knocks must be done swiftly and in
the following order: one quick knock, pause, three
quick knocks, pause, and then two quick knocks.
If done correctly, the door opens regardless of any
lock or block placed upon it, and the corridor beyond
is completely black in color (unlike the gray smoky
corridor linking the rooms of the Outer Layer or the
white corridors in the Inner Layer).
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
96
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
97
29. Prison of the Lost AC
The doorway opens into a wide hallway running B
from left to right, where it turns at a corner and
continues to form a rectangular shape. Dim General Features
lights in the 20-foot-high ceiling overhead cast
deep shadows throughout the hall, and the grim The following features apply generally to this area.
view is enhanced by free-standing cages set Ceiling. The ceiling is 20 feet high in this area.
against the walls. A large crow cage suspended Light. Gems studded in the ceiling cast dim light
on heavy chains hangs in each of the four
corners. The inner wall of the rectangle is lined throughout the main hallway. Each of the cells is
with heavy metal doors, three to a side, each dark, however, with only the hall light when the door
marked with a single letter on the otherwise or slot is opened to access them.
unmarred steel surface.
Access
Baba Yaga can create spontaneous prisons
throughout the Dancing Hut at her whim, trapping The only way to access the Prison of the Lost from
creatures at least temporarily in the Between Layer. other areas in the Nucleus is to speak the command
These prisons are never meant to be permanent, and phrase. The command phrase is the following:
powerful creatures usually have their own means of “Prison of the Lost, Security Clearance Alpha.” If
escaping. In those situations where Baba Yaga needs the command phrase is not spoken before the door
to keep someone or something locked away, she is tried, the character must succeed on a DC 22
places them in the Prison of the Lost in the Nucleus. Charisma saving throw or suffer from a random
dreadful curse (see Magic of Baba Yaga in the
Powerful magical seals exist on each of the twelve Appendix).
cells along the walls to keep the prisoners locked up
until Baba Yaga decides what to do with them. Often, Features of Interest
she keeps captives here for ransom, offering their
safe return in exchange for treasure or information The following features can be explored here.
from their influential handlers. In this way, the Cages. These are actually animated constructs
Grandmother of Witches has extorted beings as
powerful as the Lich-Queen of the Githyanki, the who guard the prison (see Occupants below).
demilich Acererak, and even gods such as Tiamat Cells. The twelve cells accessible from the main
and Bahamut.
hallway of the Prison of the Lost are where the
The cages in the hall encircling the main cells majority of prisoners are kept. Baba Yaga has never
are there as a defense mechanism; they animate to run out of space, though theoretically it is possible.
attack and imprison if anyone tries to break into one Each door is constructed of heavy steel and marked
of the true prisons. Even the magical wards placed with a letter on its surface; the letters form the word
on the twelve visible cells pale in comparison to the GRANDMOTHERS when read together.
utter solitude of the inner cages. These two sealed
cells in the stone itself are only accessed by Baba Each door is sealed with an arcane ward and
Yaga, but that doesn’t mean their occupants haven’t can only be opened by speaking the command word
learned to reach out to the rare visitor. unique to each door while standing outside the cell.
The command word is chosen and spoken by Baba
Currently, the key occupant of the Prison of the Yaga when she seals the door with a prisoner inside,
Lost is an enigmatic creature known as Grandfather which means the prisoner knows the word. However,
Death. Baba Yaga spent many of her years chasing part of the arcane ward places a trap on the room – if
down this skeletal agent of death itself, and she the person inside speaks the command word, they
managed to lure him into a trap recently and ensnare are shot through with magical power and the word
him in her prison. She hopes to torture Grandfather
Death for information on attaining true immortality,
a goal that has consumed Baba Yaga. To date,
however, the ever-patient figure has given up nothing
– though he still yearns to be free of the Dancing Hut.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
98
automatically changes to something else. Roleplaying Grandfather Death
Baba Yaga points this all out of the prisoners
Who or what is Grandfather Death? The answer
when she places them in their cells, and truthfully is not straightforward, and ultimately it can be
she’s never worried very much about any of them whatever you want it to be. He could be a powerful
getting out of their own accord. Visitors to the servant of death as a universal force, placing him
Nucleus are rare enough as it is, and the animated on the same level as the Avatar of Death summoned
cages are competent enough guards to prevent the by the Skull card of the deck of many things.
most dangerous from escaping. Alternately, Grandfather Death could be a divine
servant of the Triumvirate of the Grave, the trinity of
If a cell does not contain a prisoner, the cell door death gods on Hades (Hel, Arawn, and Hades).
opens easily. Each cell is shaped the same - a stone
triangular room, 20 feet wide and 20 feet across Whatever his true origin, Grandfather Death
with a 20-foot-high ceiling. For the sealed doors, does not want to remain a prisoner of Baba
the letter on the door slides away to reveal a slot to Yaga. Whether he possesses the ability to grant
communicate with the occupant. If the letter blocks the powerful witch what she wants is up to you,
the seal, no verbal or magical communication is but regardless he wants to escape. He has been
possible with those on the outside. patient in his isolation and has learned to expand
some of his powers, allowing him to telepathically
Almost any creature imaginable could be locked communicate. He knows some of the steps needed
away in the cells in this area. While prisoners are to gain his freedom. The scope of this quest takes
locked away, they are effectively in suspended the characters beyond this adventure, however,
animation though they can move and talk; they don’t and likely involves a trip across the planes before
age and they don’t need food or water (or anything returning to the Dancing Hut. And of course, Baba
else) to survive. They cannot cast spells or use their Yaga won’t look kindly to those seeking to release
abilities, and this also affects any creature entering her favorite prize.
the prison (such as by turning gaseous and slipping
through the communication slot). However innocent Quote. “Your time comes. I see it, and like the
they may seem or present themselves, however, all plodding of a mindless ox you steadily march
have been locked here for specific reasons. Some towards your end. Always. Inexorably. Let me out
prisoners may know their reason while others are and I can show you a different path.”
simple pawns in a larger game.
the completion of a long-series of actions and tasks
Examples of inmates locked in the Prison of the representing a full adventure in and of itself.
Lost include the following:
Occupants
• A mighty pit fiend general who served in the
Blood War. The following creatures may be encountered here.
Animated Cages. There are a total of ten square
• A dwarf prince of a forgotten kingdom claiming a
birthright to a lost throne. cages around the hallway and four crow cages.
These are empty and appear normal, until someone
• A celestial majordomo to a solar archangel of the tries to tamper with one of the cells too much. At
Seven Heavens. that point, the creatures animate and move to attack
and imprison the characters. The ten square cages
• A night hag larvae harvester from the Gray become animated cages* and the four crow cages
Waste of Hades who betrayed Baba Yaga. become greater animated cages*. They don’t stop
unless directed by Baba Yaga herself.
• A talking, intelligent giant rat agent of a
conniving Animal Lord on the Beastlands. Grandfather Death. The crown jewel of Baba
Yaga’s prison is the enigmatic creature called
Consider adding additional occupants, perhaps Grandfather Death. He appears as a black-robed
someone tied to the background of the characters. skeleton with a long steel-gray beard, hollow eye
Good possibilities include representatives of a sockets, and a deep resonating voice. Currently he
warlock’s patrons, divine agents of a worshipped resides in one of the isolated inner cells, but his
deity, or even forgotten mentors or tutors who power allows him to communicate telepathically
disappeared long ago. with intelligent creatures in the hallways.
Inner Cells. There are two secret inner cells Grandfather Death explains his predicament if the
behind the twelve core cells. These are accessible characters seem willing to help. He was captured by
only through processes known to Baba Yaga, Baba Yaga many years ago and it has been clear to
and they are reserved to both punish and isolate the skeletal avatar that the Grandmother of Witches
creatures. Currently, only one being occupies the seeks to cheat life and death itself. She seeks to
pair of cells – Grandfather Death (see Occupants live forever on her own terms, and she believes
below). Escape requires the will of Baba Yaga or Grandfather Death has the power to grant it.
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
99
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