Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion Death Ascendant The Gothic Conversion Requires the AD&D Ravenloft Adventure Death Ascendant, to play by Igor Comunale
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 1 Death Ascendant The Gothic Conversion Requires the AD&D Ravenloft Adventure Death Ascendant, to play by Igor Comunale DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2023 by Igor Comunale and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
Introduction his conversion updates to the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons the AD&D Second Edition TDeath Ascendant adventure set in Ravenloft. This adventure is suitable for characters from 6th to 8th level. This conversion assumes a four 7th level characters party, but can be easily adapted for lower or higher level characters. Adventure Summary The heroes are contacted by a young Vistana whose family has been killed by thieves (members of the Ebon Fold who were fleeing from the defeat of their secret society, a result of the events in the adventure, Death Unchained). The trail of the killers leads to the city of Nartok in the domain of Darkon. Along the way, the heroes encounter a new type of zombie, a wolfwere who is masquerading as a human child, and discover that one of the Ebon Fold members whom they have been following is dead. In Nartok, members of the Kargat (Darkon's secret police force) have taken over a temple sacred to the Eternal Order (Darkon's state religion). In the temple, their leader, Lowellyn Dachine, has constructed a device, known as the Infernal Machine, that can transform whomever is laid inside it into a powerful, lichlike creature. The life force needed to power this device has been stolen by the Kargat using magical daggers known as blood blades. It is stored in crystal skulls inside the temple, and from there will be channelled into a golden coffin at the heart of the religious complex. The heroes can learn, with relative ease, that the "thieves" they are pursuing have taken refuge inside the temple. Through careful observation, they can uncover the link between the thieves and the Kargat, and can learn about the rivalries that exist between the secret police (most of whom are lycanthropes) and the priesthood whose temple they have taken over. Ultimately, they can learn about the infernal machine and its components, and can throw a wrench into Lowellyn's plans. Despite this partial victory, Lowellyn (or another character) does undergo a transformation, not into a true lich, but into a powerful creature that is every bit as dangerous. To defeat this creature, known only as "Death," the heroes must discover its secret weakness (any of the symbols associated with birth) and use these to drive it away. Running the Adventure To manage the adventure using this conversion, you need Using the Tarokka reading Death Ascendant uses fortune telling to give the heroes clues and to foreshadow the events that are to unfold in the temple in Nartok. These prophecies are offered by Vito Romenza, a Vistani seer whom the heroes meet at the beginning of this adventure. Each time Vito consults the Tarokka, a single clue is given to the heroes; the Dungeon Master should read the verse associated with the fifth card. To ensure that this source of information is not abused, limitations have been placed on Vito's fortune telling abilities. After telling a fortune, Vito must finish a long rest before consulting the Tarokka again. Since the publication of Forbidden Lore, the first official product containing a Tarokka deck, an the deck's reprint in Ravenloft Campaign Setting, the Tarokka had a recent evolution for use in Curse of Strahd. Some cards have changed name, so the cards named in the original adventure need some adaptation. The Temptress, the Hangman and, the Esper cards present in the old version of the deck are now named respectively the Tempter, the Executioner, and the Seer. the main rules of Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual). Non-player characters and monsters that are not present in these sources are presented at the end of this conversion. Characters' Progression If the characters are at 7th level, they level up during the adventure with an event-based progression as follows: • Characters obtain 8th level at the end of the adventure. Contracting Lycanthropy Death Ascendant pits the heroes against mid-level operatives of the Kargat, four of whom are lycanthropes. It is possible that one or more characters will contract lycanthropy as explained in the Monstrous Manual. If a character is hit by an attack that carries the curse of lycanthropy then it must make a Constitution saving throw equal to DC 8 + the lycanthrope’s proficiency bonus + the lycanthrope’s Constitution modifier. On a failure, the character is afflicted but the same strain of lycanthropy of the creature who wounded it. Curing lycanthropy is possible if the creature is subject to a remove curse spell, but only if the character contracted this condition from injuries. A born lycanthrope can't heal in this way. If you want to make lycanthropy more difficult to get rid of, you can ask the character to succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, or the remove curse will not remove the lycanthropy. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 2
Conversion his section describes the necessary updates to play the adventure with the rules of Dungeons & Dragons 5 th Edition. The updates follow the same order and have the same title as the parts in the original adventure. If a reference to a part of the adventure is absent, then it means that it does not require any modification and can be used in its original form. T The text appearing in this way is intended to be read or paraphrased to the characters when they arrive at a certain place or certain events occur, as described in the text. The text that appears in these boxes contains additions to the adventure and game recommendations for the DM. Introduction The Continuing Adventure Death Ascendant is the second in a trilogy of adventures. It continues the story begun in Death Unchained, a 64-page module set in Falkovnia that pits the heroes against members of the Ebon Fold, a group of assassins who were unwittingly working to aid the plans of the Kargat. The saga will be concluded in Requiem, a boxed set that will expand upon the transformation undergone by Lowellyn Dachine in this adventure. Despite the fact that it is part of a trilogy, Death Ascendant can be played as a stand alone adventure. It has its own self-contained goals and villains. When they have completed Death Ascendant, the heroes should feel that they have accomplished their goal by banishing Death into the Mists. That this is merely a prologue to an upcoming battle with a darklord and his minions should come as a complete surprise. Horror Opportunity: Of Man and Beast Death Ascendant brings in the theme of lycanthropy in a preponderant way. This horror theme is an intriguing opportunity to add an element of body horror. You can let the player maintain its alignment and full control of its action in humanoid form, but in some circumstances, the character risks to loose control of its animal instincts and to transform into hybrid form. Whenever the character affected with lycanthropy is wounded, or its overwhelmed by rage or fear, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, or transforms into hybrid form for 1 hour and be controlled by the DM. While transformed, it has all the traits of a lycanthrope of its strain, including alignment. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 3
his adventure begins outside the city of Stangengrad, in the domain of Falkovnia. If the heroes have just experienced the events of Death Unchained, they should be headed for Stangengrad already. Any surviving members of the Ebon Fold (the secret society the heroes confronted in Death Unchained) fled in that direction at the end of the previous adventure, and the heroes are likely to be hot on their heels. Alternatively, the heroes may be travelling to Stangengrad to seek out a friend and ally, the wizard Mircea, who fled here with his students after the Talons raided his magic school in Lekar. T Unfortunately, the city is under martial law, due to the fact that a "spy" from a neighbouring domain has recently been captured within its walls. The gates to the city have been temporarily closed, preventing the heroes from entering. Magic Item: Blood Blade Weapon (dagger), very rare You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The hilts of these daggers are made of normal metal, but the blades are made of clear crystal. They are shaped much like stilettos, with a long, thin blade that is round in cross section. Although the blade appears to be made of a breakable material, it is impervious to normal damage. A blood blade deals necrotic damage as it drains life force from its victim. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. All skin, tissue, and internal organs turn to a substance that resembles gelatinous blood. As soon as the corpse is touched, this slides from the bones. Each time a blood blade drains life force, its crystal blade fills with half an ounce of bright red blood in which the stolen life force has been concentrated. This liquid remains inside the hollow blade until the dagger can be inserted into one of the five skull-shaped repositories currently inside the Temple of the Eternal Order in Nartok. If dispel magic is cast upon a death shard, the dagger becomes non-magical. Each blood blade can hold up to three ounces of blood. If a character whose life force was stolen drinks this blood, its hit point maximum is restored. If you are using the Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, drinking this blood may, at your discretion, bestow on a character a Dark Gift. The most appropriate dark gifts in this instance are echoing soul, living shadow, and touch of death. A Bloodstained Invitation This section is intended to provide a jumping in point for the Grim Harvest series. It is intended to draw player character heroes who have not been through the events of Death Unchained (the first adventure in this series) into Ravenloft, as well as into the campaign's storyline. The significance of this medallion is not immediately known by the heroes, but a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check or a brief consultation with a sage (costing 10 gp) will reveal the item as a holy symbol of an obscure god named Nerull (or of another evil death deity of you setting). The characters can easily find the cult's temple, which is known to be in an abandoned mansion outside of town. As they approach, it becomes clear that some manner of service is in progress; the sound of dirge-like chants can be heard faintly on the wind. The mansion is guarded by a single sentry (guard) who can easily be avoided or dispatched, depending on the mood of the heroes. They then move unopposed through the debris-scattered hallways and quickly reach the decaying grand ballroom that serves as the cult's main worshipping area. 8 cultists attack the characters. Each member of the party who is visible is attacked by two cultists. They are armed with blood blades. The avatar has AC 20, 100 hit points, is immune to nonmagical weapons and can't be affected by any spell. If attacked, it will not fight back anyway. In the Mists As the characters attempt to get their bearings, the heroes are confronted by someone who appears to be the skeletal adversary from the house. In fact, they have encountered a mist ferryman. The monster use its Call the Pack ability in its first round. The mist ferryman's howl summons six other mist ferrymen. They reach the scene of the conflict in the next round. As the heroes battle it, the DM should say that they can hear hollow voices moaning in the fog: "Trespassers... trespassers...". Spy Scare A character can try to ask the Talons squad leader some information on a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Failing this check by 10 or more means that the Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 4 A Trail of Blood
soldier gets suspicious and arrest the characters. A Talons squad is composed by 8 Talons guards, 1 Talons squad leader, and 1 war dog. Magic Item: Bracers of the Falcon Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) These iron bracers function as a pair of gloves of missile snaring. These bracers are magically sealed and can be opened only by a dispel magic spell (DC 20 check). Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 5
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 6
A Fellow Traveler In this section, the heroes meet Vito Romenza, a young Vistana who needs someone to help his family. He is also a source of information and guidance for the heroes. If the heroes ask for payment in exchange for their aid, Vito can either offer one or two things. If they are all prisoners on their way to being executed, he can pick the lock on the wagon and allow everyone in the back to escape and, whether the heroes are prisoners or not, he will offer them an herbal concoction that is useful in combatting the effects of poison. There are three doses of this "potion" back at his camp. This herbal remedy provides advantage in Constitution saving throws versus poison and poison damage resistance for 1 hour. A River of Tears Tickle the monkey is Vito's pride and joy (baboon), a runt that he bottle-fed after its mother died. The creature now is the Vistana's sole source of comfort, one he will defend with his life. It will accompany Vito everywhere he goes from this point on. Tickle is skilled in Sleight of Hand (+4 Dexterity check). Check against the characters' passive Perception. If the monkey's check is equal or lower, the characters discover Tickle's “habits”. Vito tries to give back stolen items using his Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against the characters' passive perception. There are several clues as to where the thieves went to discover. Any character succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check learn the following information: the camp fire ashes and haunch of horse meat are still warm, suggesting that the murderers departed that morning after eating breakfast. The wood chips, rope, and drag marks near the river suggest that they built and launched a raft. The heroes could build their own raft or could use some other means of crossing the river. It is about one mile wide, but has a slow current and can be crossed by swimming. If the characters try to cross the river swimming, they are attacked by a small school of 1d6 giant gars (reef sharks). Out of the Mud 8 mud zombies rise up out of the mud to attack the heroes. These monsters are one of Azalin's means of protecting his domain from invaders. With Vlad Drakov always planning a new invasion strategy, the mud zombies provide an effective, not to mention intimidating, first line of defence in out of the way places. The zombies continue the attack until they are destroyed. Due to their slow speed, the heroes can flee from the zombies, but these magical creatures are relentless in their pursuit, and stay on the heroes' trail no matter what. Eventually the heroes will have to rest or sleep, and then the mud zombies will catch up with them again. After three combat rounds, the skies overhead open up and it begins to rain. This will wash away the zombies' muddy covering in 1 round. Unfortunately for the heroes, it also makes the ground very slippery underfoot. If the characters move more than half their speed, they must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 7
Shelter from the Storm Mama and Papa Milhausen are 2 commoners. They are old and fragile, and are not armed. Erhard Milhausen is a chaotic neutral wolfwere. The heroes now face a moral dilemma: should they trust the love this family has to overcome the boy's animalistic nature, or should they do what they can to save the elderly couple from the possibility of Erhard turning on them (either kill him or chase him off permanently)? Following the Dagger The trail of the killers seems to have gone cold, but once the blood blade is in the heroes' hands, Vito will tell them that he can use it to pick up the trail again. He does this by using an ancient Vistani divination technique which allows him to locate an item's owner. To use this power, Vito suspends the blood blade from a string. He then moves tentatively in different directions; when he is moving in the general direction of the owner of the dagger, the blood blade begins to twirl in a slow circle and he will feel it softly pulling towards its owner. By using this technique, Vito can lead the heroes north to the city of Nartok. Once in that city, he can lead them to the very doors of the Temple of the Eternal Order (now the headquarters of Lowellyn Dachine, the "true owner" of all of the blood blades). The two surviving Ebon Fold members (the thieves who murdered the Romenza family) have fled to this temple. Horror Opportunity: Wolfwere? Wolf there! This intermission with the Milahusen family can be played as indicated in the original adventure, or it can become a horror story within another horror story. Perhaps the Milhausens are not good natured people, and are enslaving the young Erhard do to their selfish bidding. Or perhaps the Milhausens accept the dark nature of their son willingly, leading people to stop by their home to give Erhard living preys to feed upon. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 8
he blood blade may lead the heroes to the Temple of the Eternal Order in Nartok, but getting inside Tthis impressive structure is another matter. The temple is a massive building, its walls constructed of dull black stone. Here and there, pale gray stones set into the facade are carved to resemble human faces, ones with wide eyes and a mouths that gape open, as if screaming in mortal terror. Clinging to the walls are patches of ivy, stems dry and brittle and leaves brown and dead. A huge dome caps the roof at the midpoint of the structure and is flanked by smaller domes to either side and to the rear. All are surfaced with mottled, bone-white tile. The domes are squat and oddly shaped, and bear a disturbing resemblance to poisonous mushrooms. Around the central dome is a ring of statues that resemble deformed humanoids - hunched, winged creatures that glare down with cold, stone eyes. The building is fronted by wide stone stairs that have been worn smooth by the passage of many feet. These staircases lead to four sets of double doors. The stone frame around each set of doors has been carved to produce the effect of a hideous, gaping mouth. The doors themselves are made of smooth, black wood, so polished that it shines like metal. The handles are made of bone and are carved into the shape of grinning skulls. Smaller sets of stairs on either side of the building lead to single doors of similar appearance. The walls that support the domed side and rear chambers of the building are set with stained glass windows. From the outside, it is difficult to see what these panels portray. But the odd shapes and sober colours of the glass create an unsettling effect. A Brush With the Law 3 Nartok militia corporals notice Vito holding the blood blade. They approach the heroes and begin questioning them, trying to determine whether the unusual looking weapon is a magical item and whether the heroes are carrying any other magical items. At this point, an officer of the Kargat approaches (the Dungeon Master should use the wereboar Lars Snegrin, who is described later in this conversion. Thinking that the heroes might be members of the Ebon Fold, Lars uses that society's secret sign, a fist drawn across the throat. Ask the characters to make DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to note the sign. The DM should subtly act out this secret sign for the players while speaking in character as Lars. If any of the characters responds in kind, he takes them for Ebon Fold cult members. After the encounter with the characters, Lars continues on his way to a nearby pub, where he spends 1d4+1 hours drinking, and later returns to the temple. He serenades the pub patrons with his magical whistle of pain, causing them great pain, and then leaves in an angry huff when they fail to appreciate his music (no one dares to chastise him since he's a member of the Kargat. Magic Item: Whistle of Pain Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) This simple tin whistle seems a normal object of its kind at first inspection. A creature that attempts to blow the whistle without being attuned to it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 2d4 psychic damage. You can use an action to blow the whistle and cast one of its spells. Once the whistle has been used to cast a spell, it can't be used to cast that spell again until the next midnight. All the he spells have save DC 15. With the whistle of pain you can cast: invisibility, levitate, protection from evil and good, enthrall, friends, and hypnotic pattern. Enemy creatures affected by any spell cast with the pipes of pain, are stricken by intense pain at even the slightest noise for 1 hour after that spell's effect expires. Unless a creature is in a totally silent area, it takes 1d4 thunder damage per round on its turn, and it has thunder damage vulnerability until this time expires. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 9 A Doorway to Death
Death's Handmaiden When a magical item is to be confiscated in Nartok, Kwelkoth, the resident imp of the Temple of the Eternal Order is sent out to do the collecting. This imp is the personal "servant" of Jeremias Grimshaw, bishop of Nartok. The imp can assume the form of a giant rat (30 ft.) or of a monkey (30 ft., climb 30 ft.). Its statistics are the same in each form, except for the speed changes noted. Temple of the Eternal Order While the Eternal Order pretends to be a religion that is dedicated to keeping the Hour of Ascension at bay by propitiating the dead, its members are in fact in league with the undead. For this reason, the temple is a sinkhole of evil. Undead in the temple have advantage against turning attempts. The locks on the side doors may be picked on a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. The barred doors at the front forced open on a successful DC 20 Strength check. Any failed lock picking attempt (or any attempt to open a door by brute force) triggers a symbol of pain spell that has been placed upon the door. A glowing red skull appears on the door's surface; any character looking at it must make a successful DC 18 Constitution saving throw to avoid the spell. The glyph is nearly invisible, requiring a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find it. On the roof, there are 32 statues around the central dome. They look much like gargoyles and, indeed, radiate an aura of magic. They serve as the temple's "bells." On every fourth evening, at sunset, these statues open their mouths and sing in a ghastly chorus that can be heard throughout the city. Anyone hearing these voices (which sound like the moaning of tortured souls) must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw to avoid being affected by a suggestion spell that compels the character to go to the temple and participate in the evening service (see The Midnight Mass). Get Inside The door is answered by Pio Yolten, he opens the door a mere crack, and asks the heroes their business. If the heroes force their way inside and make a lot of noise in the process, 2d4 Eternal Order priests (see later in this conversion) show up within 1d4 rounds to help toss them out. If the confrontation is loud enough, the priest Dominique Nagy and the Kargat officer Boris Gjorkin Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 10
(see later in this conversion) will arrive to take charge in another 1d4 rounds. If Pio admits them, he escorts them to the room currently shared by the two surviving Ebon Fold members (Room B6). Only Vilna von Pessack (see later in this conversion) is in this room. Vilna knows every member of the Ebon Fold by sight and immediately realizes that the heroes are impostors. Vilna is armed with a blood blade, but the characters should be able to dispose of him swiftly. Another option for getting inside the temple is for the heroes to sneak in, or they might use more subtle means to slip into the temple, magic, for example. It is up to the DM to judge the success of the incursion. If they are loud and obvious, they are attacked by 2d4 Eternal Order priests and possibly by Dominique and Boris as well, who react as described above. Alternately, the heroes might choose to watch the temple. Eventually one of the Eternal Order priests, Pio, will venture out on an errand. The key that he carries can be used to open any of the temple's side doors. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 11
The Priests The priests of the Eternal Order worship the gods of death and dress in ill-fitting, ash coloured robes. Their holy symbol is a small sickle with a blade of pure gold. When conducting services, the priests smear their faces with white clay, giving them a deathly pallor. The temple's priesthood is composed by: Bishop Jeremias Grimshaw, Dominique Nagi, Burlin Netherwood (see later in this conversion), and 12 Eternal Order priests (shared among these priests are a wand of enemy detection, two +1 daggers, three potions of healing, and a necklace of prayer beads. The Kargat The members of the Kargat in the temple are: Boris Gjorkin, Lars Snegrin, Francine Pavlina, and Pasha Bella (see later in this conversion). Pasha has a ring of human influence, each of them is armed with a blood shard. The Ebon Fold Despite the defeat of their order in the adventure Death Unchained, a handful of the assassins who belonged to the Ebon Fold survived. Two of them made it as far as Nartok and now have taken up residence in the Temple of the Eternal Order: Vilna von Pessack, and Jurgen Yarlsboro (see later in this conversion). These Ebon Fold members were originally normal mortal thieves who died at the hands of the Talons of Falkovnia by being impaled on stakes. While they were brought back to life by the necromancer Ladislas Sintesti, their former master, the spell he used did not truly heal all their wounds. Their bodies work perfectly well, but the injuries they sustained at death merely stopped bleeding, they did not heal over. As a result, each member of the Ebon Fold has a fist-sized hole that pierces his torso. They still carry with them the magical daggers that originally were known as death shards. These crystalbladed daggers have undergone a transformation, and now function as blood blades. Magic Item: Ring of Human Influence Ring, rare This ring has 3 charges, and it regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing the ring, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast one of the following spells: • Charm Person (save DC 13) • Friends (save DC 13) • Hold Person (save DC 13) The Crystal Skulls The five magical crystal skulls that serve as the repositories for the life force stolen by the blood blades are hidden within the Temple of the Eternal Order in Nartok. Each has been placed atop a statue whose head has been removed. This handiwork was then concealed using a powerful spell, which gives the illusion that the statue was whole and still in its original form. This illusion is permanent. It cannot be dispelled and it does not disappear when the illusionary "head" of the statue is touched or struck. Physical interaction with the image does not reveal it to be an illusion. A creature that uses its action to examine a statue can determine that it is covered by an illusion on a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through it, and its other sensory qualities become faint to the creature. The skulls can also be seen by characters who use magical aids such as a gem of seeing or the true seeing spell. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 12
Each of the skulls is protected with another spell. Only creatures holding a blood blade may freely approach one of the skulls. Any other living creature attempting to touch one of the skulls must first succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to approach within one foot of it, or be thrown forcefully away by a magical force. Should the skull be touched, an alarm spell is triggered. The alarm can be heard throughout the nave and its adjoining rooms, but cannot be heard in the rest of the temple. It continues pealing for four turns - or until a blood blade is inserted in the eye of the skull, an act that immediately silences (and resets) the spell. Each skull is also protected by a third spell. These spells have a permanent duration, and are triggered when the skull is touched or moved in any way. Skull 1 (Alcove A2) is protected by the burning hands spell, which produces a 15-foot cone of flames that inflicts 11d6 fire damage to anyone standing in the alcove. A successful DC 20 Dexterity saving throw reduces this to half damage. Skull 2 (Alcove A3) is protected by the chill touch spell, which inflicts 4d8 cold damage (no attack roll needed). Skull 3 (Alcove A5) is protected by the shocking grasp spell, which inflicts 4d8 lightning damage (no attack roll needed). Skull 4 (Alcove A6) is protected by a more powerful blindness spell version. The victim must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, or be struck with a permanent blindness that can only be cured by a dispel magic spell. Skull 5 (Alcove A8) is protected by a variant of the feign death spell. Since the victim touched the skull, he is deemed to be a "willing victim" (the DM should make the subject character roll a Constitution saving throw anyway, to make the players believe the victim is really dead). The deathlike trance can be negated using a dispel magic spell. Finally, each of the skulls is immune to destructive spells and magical effects. This effect works the same way as a permanent globe of invulnerability except that it has the ability to prevent even high-level spells from penetrating. The skulls have also been made immune to physical damage by this same effect, even from magical weapons. To approach and tamper with a crystal skull, a series of four dispel magic spells are required to negate all its defences: the first three castings permanently dispel the first three protective spells; the fourth dispel magic, however, merely drops the skull's magical defences for 1d4 rounds. During this time, the skull becomes vulnerable to attack. It has AC 12 and 15 hp. If the heroes don't succeed in breaking the skull open in time, the magical protection Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 13
against spells and mundane attacks resumes. Another dispel magic casting will be required to negate this effect for another 1d4 rounds. When a crystal skull is broken open, it shatters apart explosively, inflicting 1d6 fire damage to anyone within a 10-foot radius. At the same time, any blood blades within range also shatter. Any character holding one of these weapons when it shatters suffers cuts to his hand from the broken shards, resulting in an additional 1d4 slashing damage. The Midnight Mass On evenings of worship, when the statues' dirge peals out, the residents of Nartok drop what they are doing and head for the temple. Many are able to resist the magical summons, but several hundred will heed the call. Each of the fonts in the temple holds unholy water. This foul substance, made from blood-saturated mud, will inflict 1d6 necrotic damage upon any good creature who touches it. Each font also holds hundreds of silver coins that can be removed by any character daring enough to stick an arm into the water but non-evil characters who touch the water (or who are splashed by it) must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, or that character's skin either turns an odd colour, puckers up as if scarred, or sprouts coarse black hairs wherever the water touched it. The curse in always painful and the affected character has disadvantage on any action that requires the use of hands. This effect can only be removed with a remove curse spell, and these stigmata will alert the priests to the attempted thievery of the temple's tithes. Half of the sepulchres are empty, but the others each hold a single skeleton (the DM should decide which sepulchre are empty and which are occupied). These undead creatures can be controlled by any priest of the Eternal Order. After Hours in the Temple The encounters that follow are designed to introduce the heroes to some of the inhabitants of the temple and to allow the heroes to discover magical items and other objects that will be useful during the climax of this Magic Item: Potion of Polymorph Potion, very rare When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the polymorph spell for 1 hour (no concentration required) or until you end the effect as a bonus action. This potion's container seems to hold an ever-changing colour fluid. adventure. They are assumed to occur at some time other than during one of the masses, either after the worshippers have left or on a day when there are no services. These encounters also provide clues that will help the heroes to discover the true purpose of the blood blades, the crystal skulls, and the infernal machine itself. The only "wandering monsters" in this section are the occupants of the temple. Each turn that the heroes spend exploring the temple, the heroes have a 20% chance (noncumulative) of encountering one of the following NPCs: Kartakass Encounters d20 Encounter 1 Bishop Jeremias Grimshaw 2 Lowellyn Dachine 3 Dominique Nagy 4 Burlin Netherwood 5 Lars Snegrin or Boris Gjorkin 6 Pasha Bella or Francine Pavlina 7-10 1d4 Eternal Order priests The 1st level priests (as they are named in the original adventures) are all Eternal Order priests. Statue Sabotage The woman is Dominique Nagy. The magical crystal she just used is a gem of seeing; it enabled her to see through the illusion that surrounds the statue and revealed the presence of the crystal skull. Unless the heroes interfere, Dominique goes to her bedroom (Room D4) and slips through the secret door in its wall into one of the temple's treasuries (Room E2). From its trove of magical items, she selects a wand of negation. She plans to use the wand to sabotage the crystal skull. Contents of Temple Treasury (Room E2): 1,200 gp, 17,900 sp, 200 cp, wand of negation, gem of seeing, elixir of health, potion of gaseous form, potion of polymorph, potion of mind reading, scroll of protection from undead, +2 spear, gloves of missile snaring, greater restoration scroll. Abattoir Experiments Any living creature who approach to within 30 feet of the windows (who enter more than 10 feet into the room) and Magic Item: Wand of Negation Wand, very rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster) This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast the dispel magic spell from it. The wand regains 1d6+1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 14
stand directly in front of an unbroken pane must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw to avoid becoming trapped within a window of life trapping. The victim appears as an image within the stained glass and can be released by breaking the window. While it is possible to break individual rats out and leave the rest of a window intact, breaking a window that holds a hero shatters the entire window. A dozen rats are released along with the hero. They are ravenously hungry and immediately attack anyone in the room as a swarm of rats. Contents of Temple Treasury (Room E1): 2,000 gp, 5,600 sp, 400 cp, potion of clairvoyance, elixir of health, potion of invisibility, potion of greater healing, ring of protection, dagger of venom, boots of striding and springing, robe of scintillating colors, remove curse scroll. Forbidden Knowledge One of the candles, which Lowellyn has just placed on one of the candelabras in the scriptorium, is magical. It can be distinguished from the others by the ground-up crystal it contains, which lends a glitter to its waxy surface. This candle was intended as an attack on Lowellyn. A few rounds after it has been lit, it emits an aromatic scent that affects anyone who smells it in the same manner as a feeblemind spell. Any heroes entering the scriptorium and approaching within 10 feet of this candle (located to the north-west of the table) while it is burning must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw to avoid its magical effect. The candle burns out after two hours. Among the books there is a single magical tome, a copy of the book of vile darkness. Fortunately, the text was improperly copied and thus is less potent than the original artifact. Good-aligned characters who look inside the book suffer 3d6 psychic damage and, if they read it, they must make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature's alignment changes to neutral evil. If the character is a priest of a good deity, it acquires also an indefinite madness. Otherwise, the tome has none of the other effects of the original book of vile darkness. Master and Servant If the heroes enter the vestry, Kwelkoth (imp) may either attack them (possibly with the assistance of the two Eternal Order priests) or may talk to them. Contents of Temple Treasury (Room E3): 12,000 gp, 1,000 sp, 800 cp, potion of climbing, potion of greater healing, scroll of protection from undead, +2 shield, horn of blasting, remove curse scroll. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 15
he climax of this adventure occurs when the infernal machine is at last activated. As soon as someone climbs (or is placed) inside the golden coffin at the machine's heart, the character begins an irreversible transformation into a powerful, lich-like creature known only as "Death." T In the most likely course of events, Lowellyn Dachine becomes "Death," but it is possible that another character, even one of the heroes, will wind up as the victim of this fiendish experiment! The Golden Coffin The coffin (including both the golden box and the glass tubes and "plates" attached to it) has had the same magical protections placed upon it as the crystal skulls have. The coffin is protected by a repelling spell. Only creatures holding a blood blade may freely approach it. Any other living creature attempting to touch the coffin must first succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to approach within one foot of it, or be thrown forcefully away by a magical force. Should the coffin be touched, an alarm spell is triggered. The alarm can be heard throughout the nave and its adjoining rooms, but cannot be heard in the rest of the temple. It continues pealing for four turns. Finally, the coffin is immune to destructive spells and magical effects. This effect works the same way as a permanent globe of invulnerability except that it has the ability to prevent even high-level spells from penetrating. The coffin has also been made immune to physical damage by this same effect, even from magical weapons. To approach and tamper with the coffin, two dispel magic spells are required to negate the repelling effect and the alarm. The last protective barrier can be cancelled only using a wish spell. Dachine's Ascension It is impossible to impede or reflect these rays of "light," since they are merely the visual component of the life force being transferred from the crystal skulls to the receiving dishes on the golden coffin. Should one of these rays touch a living creature, the effect is the same as being stabbed with a blood blade; a portion of that creature's life force is sucked out of his body and conveyed along the beam to the coffin. Any creature hit touched by a ray takes 5d6 necrotic damage as it drains life force from its victim. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. All skin, tissue, and internal organs turn to a substance that resembles gelatinous blood. As soon as the corpse is touched, this slides from the bones. The Hero's Ascension The Dungeon Master should have all the characters make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw when they first see the infernal machine. Heroic characters, and those who voted to leave the Milhausen family in peace, roll the save with advantage. Cowardly characters, and those who voted to chase off or kill Erhard, receive disadvantage. Any heroes who fail this roll have their minds clouded by the evil that permeates this area. These individuals feel an overwhelming desire to climb inside the coffin, lie down, and shut the lid. This triggers the alarm spell. The Transformation The characters must now confront Death. Death's initial hit points are based on the number of crystal skulls that were still functional at the time of its emergence from the coffin. For each skull that was destroyed, subtract 20 hit points do Death's hit points maximum. If all five crystal skulls are destroyed before Death emerges, it begins with just 19 hit points. The Secret Life of Nartok Unlike the cities of neighbouring Falkovnia, Nartok has no obvious fortifications. No wall or moat surrounds it, and only a handful of militia patrol its streets. Azalin has little need for fortifications when he can raise the dead from the city's graveyards and tombs whenever they are needed to come to the city's defence. Due to the mixed background of Darkon's people, the characters are certain to see many elements that remind them of their homeland. The people, however, identify themselves as "Darkonian." Only a handful, those newcomers who came to Darkon less than three months ago, can remember their original homelands. By order of Azalin himself, all magical items that are brought into Darkon become the property of the state. Powerful or unique items are conveyed directly to Azalin; lesser magical items wind up in the hands of the Kargat or the priesthood. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 16 The Ascension
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 17 Who's Doomed
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The Priests Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 19
The Kargat Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 20
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Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 22
The Ebon Fold Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Death Ascendant - The Gothic Conversion 23