The Lost Crypt

By Bill Silvey

SWORDS &
WIZARDRY
COMPATIBLE
The Lost Crypt
Author: Bill Silvey
Project Manager: Casey Christofferson
Editor: Jeff Harkness
Swords & Wizardry Conversion: Edwin Nagy
Art Director: Casey Christofferson
Cover Design: Casey Christofferson, Charles Wright
Front Cover Art: Héctor Rodríguez
Layout: Suzy Moseby
Interior Art: Casey Christofferson, Héctor Rodríguez,
Sid Quade, and Tracy Lesch
Cartography: Ian McGarty

Necromancer Games is:

Necromancer GamesTM
Bill Webb, Matthew J. Finch, Zach Glazar, Charles A. Wright, ©2020
Edwin Nagy, Mike Badolato and John Barnhouse ISBN: 978-1-62283-809-7
SW PDF
 Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................. 3
Getting Started ........................................................................................................... 5
Crypt Entrance............................................................................................................. 6
1. The Stone Guardian.......................................................................................... 6
2. Unsafe Hallway................................................................................................ 6
3. False Entrance to the Crypts. ................................................................................................6
4. Servants’ Tombs............................................................................................... 6
5. Prayer Chamber. .............................................................................................. 7
6. The Shrine. ..................................................................................................... 7
7. Funerary Preparation Chamber............................................................................ 7
8. Priests’ Mausoleum........................................................................................... 7
9. Mold Farm...................................................................................................... 8
10. Giant Ant Lair. .............................................................................................. 8
11. Charnel Chamber............................................................................................ 8
12. Gloomy Chamber. ........................................................................................... 8
13. Crypt of the Wights. .................................................................................... 13
14. False Treasure Room. ................................................................................... 13
15. Chamber of Spectres..................................................................................... 13
16. Storage Room.............................................................................................. 13
17. Burial Alcove.............................................................................................. 14
18. Unsafe Floor............................................................................................... 14
19. Chamber of Falling Blocks............................................................................. 14
20. Trash Room................................................................................................. 15
21. Alchemist’s Chamber..................................................................................... 15
22. Rats’ Nest................................................................................................... 15
23. Stairwell. ................................................................................................... 15
Bugbears’ Lair............................................................................................................ 16
1. Upper Guard Room. ........................................................................................ 16
2. Barracks. ..................................................................................................... 16
3. Common Room................................................................................................ 16
4. Armory......................................................................................................... 17
5. Evil Temple.................................................................................................... 17
6. The Treasure Vault. ....................................................................................... 17
7. Chieftains’ Lair.............................................................................................. 17
8. The Dungeon. ................................................................................................ 18
9. The Abandoned Cave....................................................................................... 18
10. Western Watchpost...................................................................................... 18
11. Wild Horses................................................................................................ 18

2| T he L ost C rypt
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I ntroduction
“Wow, is this really Gary Gygax?” few years, I started my own AD&D fan-site and started writing my own
adventures. I was, as far as I can tell, the first person to produce modules
This was the first time I had ever communicated with Gary. Up
that had that classic TSR trade dress to them (I will leave it to others
until this point, the total sum of my knowledge of him was one or two
to determine whether or not my writing efforts fit the mold, however).
grainy black-and-white photos from Dragon Magazine and a handful
I’d put them together painstakingly in Microsoft Word using clip-art,
of tales, and his name on the cover of my favorite D&D books. This
doctored photographs of miniatures, and so on, to create something like
last detail, however, felt like enough. If anyone has ever read any of
artwork (although later I did get some fantastic donations from some
Gary’s work in the body of Dungeons & Dragons’ material, be it rules,
really great artists for module covers). The simple thanks I got from my
modules, supplementary material in the From The Sorcerer’s Scroll
fellow diehard AD&D gamers was enough at the time to suit me.
articles in the aforementioned magazine, then they have parsed “high
Gygaxian.” Gary’s writing style has a convivial — and to gamemasters Gary was, as I found out, active on the web in discussion forums, so
— conspiratorial tone. Gary’s writing style invites the likeminded gamer beyond a simple “Hey is this you?” I was able to interact with him or at
into the world of role-playing games and shows them around, making the very least read the musings and comments he would have on different
them comfortable with his verbose and engaging style. Some people questions. He answered questions about D&D’s history with aplomb,
accused him of being baroque with his speech and putting on airs, but never hesitating to direct rules questions to individual Dungeon Masters,
to me in the 1980s, it felt as if I was joining an honored organization and when questions of what was good and new would come up, he’d
of likeminded folks who enjoyed a higher form of entertainment. That pitch his ongoing efforts with Lejendary Adventure.
engaging writing style came across as a sort of “Let’s you and me get
Realizing how accessible Gary was and wanting to promote my
those players, shall we? Here’s a list of underhanded tricks you can play
website, I asked if he’d be interested in an interview Q&A, to which he
during the game …”I loved every minute of it.
agreed. We talked for about 90 minutes; he held court and graciously
In later years, while table-top gaming was still a hobby about which answered my questions, and that was that. I recorded the session with his
I was very enthusiastic, my love for Dungeons & Dragons, introduced permission and posted a transcript on my website.
through Basic and Advanced D&D during the 1980s, had cooled quite
I kept up with Gary; as I said, he was always happy to interact with his
a bit. My gaming circles revolved around different tastes: superheroes,
fans online. In the early 2000s, a couple of events happened that would
horror “investigators,” giant-robot piloting, spies, and so on, but most
bring our paths together again.
fantasy took a backseat to other games. Indeed, by 1998, I had all
but given up D&D. My sole remaining item from my childhood for At that time, there was no real hope of an actual reprint or continuation
that game was my copy of Keep on the Borderlands (and even that of AD&D (or any older D&D) from Wizards of the Coast. The closest, it
one wasn’t the original copy, meant to be played with the Dungeons seemed, was the required-parody of Hackmaster as part of a settlement
& Dragons set edited by J. Eric Holmes, designed to dovetail into with Kenzer & Co. due to rights to the Knights of the Dinner Table comic
Advanced D&D; rather; it was the slightly altered copy for the edition strip that had been reprinted in the aforementioned Dragon Magazine
later edited by Tom Moldvay). Archive set, but that was it. However, another group of gamers,
particularly those of Troll Lord Games, began work on Castles &
When I heard that a new edition of D&D was to be released, and
Crusades, their “light” d20-based game. The observant reader will note
that the creators of Magic: The Gathering had purchased TSR, I was
that this is the same name held by the Lake Geneva wargames society.
intrigued. I looked at the books in stores, and read them eagerly. It
I signed up to playtest the game, and while it wasn’t exactly AD&D,
seemed like they were returning to formula, yet there was a certain je
the feel was there. I felt it had a great potential, so I stuck with it. In
ne sais quoi that was missing. I had the itch to play D&D again, but it
2004, Gary announced he was going to be at the Milwaukee Gamefest
seemed as though this D&D wasn’t going to scratch it.
Convention. Not wanting to miss out on a chance to meet the man, the
Despite the old saw, I found (fortunately) that you could go home legend, I traveled up and met him and the excellent guys from Troll Lord
again and step in the same river for the first time twice. Through Games. Briefly, yes, we played Castles & Crusades, and between himself
perseverance, I found my dogeared copies of the Advanced D&D and Rob Kuntz, they wiped out the lot of us in the upper works of Castle
rulebooks, the classic modules, and so on again. TSR’s last gasp was Zagyg.
a four CD-ROM compilation of Dragon Magazine (as well as The
At that time, Gary had years of work on the World of Greyhawk, now
Strategic Review that preceded it) in PDF format. So armed, by 1999 I
owned fully by Wizards of the Coast. But Greyhawk was Gary’s creation,
was ready to restart my gaming right where I’d left off in the mid-1980s.
regardless of who owned the name, and as any old-school gamer can
That’s when curiosity got the better of me, and searching the internet tell you, the idea of seeing the famous dungeons of Castle Greyhawk
(courtesy of AltaVista; this was a simpler time, dear reader!), I found an released in a playable form was an exciting prospect! But it wasn’t just
e-mail address: ggygax@genevaonline.com. Could it be … ? I fired off the castle and dungeon: Gary wanted to create a living, breathing world
my first e-mail to Gary Gygax and received a near immediate reply. around it. The effort required to create such a world would be more than
a single person could be expected to write in a reasonable amount of
I was over the moon: I’d never sent a “fan letter” to anyone, so this
time.
was quite a treat. And at the time, all I could think to ask was, “Is this
really Gary Gygax?” To which he replied: That was when the call for volunteers went out: Gary asked in online
forums he frequented who would like to take a crack, under his direction,
Yep! It’s me.
at helping to fully realize Yggsburgh, the modern-day vision of the World
I copied the email and sent it to friends. There I was, talking to the guy of Greyhawk.
whose name graced the books I had (re)acquired! I took that as a positive
omen and pressed on with my rejuvenated D&D hobby. Over the ensuing

T he L ost C rypt |3
 Well, I don’t have to tell you that I jumped in with both feet. The There was a lot of work being written by the folks working on Castles
story of the bulk of my writing for Gary would take up the rest of this & Crusades in the pipeline to be released. I knew The Quest for the Teeth
manuscript, but as the years went on, from 2005 forward (and, sadly, of the Barkash Nour wasn’t going to be published immediately, but of
none of us knew how very few we’d have left to work with him), and we course (like all of us working for Gary at the time), I was sure it would
completed manuscript after manuscript, he asked again for volunteers for see the light of day. I fired it off in March of 2007, and later that spring,
another project. when my wife and I attended the fifth Lake Geneva Gaming Convention,
I handed him a CD-ROM copy of it as well.
By now I was working on three city districts and had my sights set
on two separate modules for Lejendary Adventures, tentatively titled I went back to my work on the rest of the Yggsburgh material once I
The Maladict and The Key of Sand. But this project Gary had in mind got home.
was something a little closer to my heart. It was titled The Teeth of the
Gary passed away almost exactly one year after the final manuscript
Barkash-Nour.
for The Quest for the Teeth of the Barkash Nour was sent to the editors.
If you have a Dungeon Master’s Guide for 1st Edition Advanced Shortly thereafter, Gary’s widow elected to terminate the publishing
D&D, in the section covering treasure (artifacts & relics) on Page agreement with Troll Lord Games, and with that, the ride came to an end.
161, second column, you’ll find the teeth of the Dahlver-Nar, a set of
I was left with “my” manuscript, a large adventure built on Gary’s
magical teeth (actual teeth, not dentures). Even if one is found and set in
framework, and none of my material published. I thought many times
a character’s jaw in place of one of their own teeth, it bestows a minor
about bundling it up and self-publishing it, but for several reasons (not
miraculous ability. The more that are so inserted only increases the
the least of which was the rather sticky legal issues that could arise, as
power. If all are found and (presumably) replace all of that character’s
well as honoring Gary’s widow’s wishes and intellectual property), I
teeth, truly otherworldly powers are bestowed.
elected to just sit on it. I dribbled out such hints and scraps as I could
The teeth of the Barkash-Nour is the genesis of that item. The Quest over the years. I would occasionally get a question about its publication.
for the Teeth of the Barkash-Nour concerned an adventure into a strange Indeed, archived on the back of the Troll Lord Games’ website is a
demiplane accessible only through a sealed portal (a “Gate of Horn” as “coming soon!” indication and placeholder artwork. But it all seemed to
Gary described it) in the uttermost depths of Castle Greyhawk. Therein, have come to nothing.
a party had a chance to locate all the teeth, but they had a limited time
So where does that leave us? A sad tale of something you, dear reader,
(24 hours), and had a host of puzzles and foes to solve and overcome to
can never have? Not exactly. I wouldn’t offer for sale Gary’s works — I
finally realize the extraordinary goal.
couldn’t at any rate — but there’s enough of me in that module, of things
Gary wanted someone to take his notes and flesh out a full, complete that Gary blessed and wanted in the context of the module, that I have
adventure. I volunteered (among others, I suppose) and was chosen. decided to share, and this is the adventure you hold in your hands.
The highlight of the vetting process was when I showed Gary the other
This area consists of an Egyptian tomb-like area located at the border
adventures I had written and talked to him about my DMing style, to
of a grasslands/savannah area. Its place in the original module was to
which he said, “That’s nearly exactly how I run my games.”
serve as a location of one or more of the teeth; in the larger module it
I received scans of the notes. They were brief, in “Gary Shorthand” would have been a mere side-adventure, but as I have run the module
that required back-and-forth e-mails about what “24dx 1r 3ogrs x10 (rather, parts of it) at convention settings, the tomb seems to draw the
norm trs, wll nt lv rm” might mean. The fascinating thing about the notes most attention from adventurers who seem to want to plumb its entire
was that they were created for Original Dungeons & Dragons yet were depths.
introducing certain concepts such as multi-classed characters (although
The module — as I ran it, inspired by but containing none of Gary’s
one could argue that this was done already in Supplement I: Greyhawk)
signature works — drew lots of players, and they all seemed to gravitate
and classes (a ranger exists in the pre-generated classes).
to the tomb area. Maybe I’d done too good a job by half of creating an
I threw myself into the project again, as I said, working with Gary via inviting dungeon to explore! The whole of the module is written, as
e-mail and the occasional rare phone call to complete the project. There noted, for Original D&D, which means it should convert quite nicely to
were encounters and areas Gary would absolutely forbid me to change. a myriad of systems now available which, sadly, were not when it was
For example, the “Great Goblin Hall” (Hi, Paul!) consisting of a huge originally written for inclusion with the whole teeth of the Barkash Nour
room with 400 goblins and a goblin king within. I wanted to scatter them quest.
out through a dungeon complex I’d come up with; Gary said, no, don’t
That then is now what you hold in your hands, dear reader. A fragment
change that, leave it exactly as it is.
of what might have been (and what could be someday, perhaps), the
But other areas I was allowed to create from whole cloth as long as tomb and its environs. So, if you would like, please come and explore for
they didn’t detract from the overall feel of the module. Sending these to a spell.
Gary and getting his stamp of approval on them was a thrill. You see,
I’ll tell you a little secret: This wasn’t the first time (nor even the fifth
or sixth) that I’d written something “for Gary Gygax.” When I had first
started playing D&D at the tender age of 11, I took the advice to “create
your own adventures” very seriously. I created a mazy mess of a dungeon
that I mailed to TSR. Not only did I never hear back from Gary, I didn’t
hear back from TSR. I imagine that my first magnum opus lies moldering
in the bottom of a landfill near Lake Geneva. So to get Gary’s okay on
my additions and changes was a great time for me. Some kids want to
grow up to be baseball players, race-car drivers, or rock stars and so on.
Me? I wanted to write Dungeons & Dragons’ modules for Gary Gygax,
and there I was, doing the job. Of course, it was for Castles & Crusades,
but I let my love for Advanced D&D inform me during the writing
process with all projects for Gary that I worked on.

4| T he L ost C rypt
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 T he L ost C rypt
By Bill Silvey
A Swords & Wizardry adventure for 7th or 8th level characters

A realm not terribly unlike our own exists in a strange and mostly certainly an option, but nearby beings won’t simply allow characters
hospitable nearby plane. While planar travel might overlook this to set up residence and rest for a while, particularly if they are looting
small pocket of reality, an entrance into it exists at the deepest depths the place and usurping the guardians.
of the most storied dungeon complex in the known realms. To enter
into it is to step into a world at once familiar and yet more bizarre
than our own. Herein is rumored to lie artifacts of great power and Background
treasure beyond imagination. Having explored the uttermost depths
and found the entrance, a group of adventurers can thus traverse this
place in search of fame and fortune! Two suns hang in the sky over the grassy, scrub
savannah that rolls out before you. One sun is swollen
The Lost Crypt as a Swords & Wizardry adventure suited for a and violet, while the other is small and golden. The heat
group of 7th- or 8th-level characters, and should include a good mix is oppressive, making you gasp. Fortunately, succor seems
of thieves, fighting-men, and magic-users. Clerics could prove useful near at hand. A cool, shaded opening is cut into a nearby
to cope with the number of undead. hill!

Getting Started Characters who approach the opening see massive, worked
and weather-worn stone blocks covered in equally impressively
You should arrange for the characters to find the portal that leads to large glyphs — or rather, the remains of them. Time erased what
the realm where the crypt lies. You can easily place the crypt close by information they might have conveyed even if the strange language
the exit of this portal if you do not wish the party to explore the realm could be deciphered. Huge bronze doors set deep within the opening
outside the dungeon itself. The harsh environs of this alien plane are are slightly ajar, and through them can be spied a large gallery
left to your imagination, but you will have to make up such details beyond …
to flesh out the world yourself if you choose to allow characters to
wander. The denizens of this place are guardians of old, and do not Feel free to play up the flares from the suns and the increasing
retreat from intruders. Rather, they fight to the death (or undeath) heat if you don’t want characters to wander away from the crypt’s
against those who violate the crypt. However, many are not mere entrance. Steadily increasing damage could lead them to enter the
automata; if the party is unwise or incautious, the guardians take tomb to get away from the deadly heat.
advantage of their foolishness! Setting up camp within the crypt is

T he L ost C rypt |5
Crypt Entrance
Tapping on the floor on the right (south) side of the corridor causes
chunks to fall away, and the wood creaks ominously. The left (north)
side appears totally sound. This is an illusion; a fully equipped party
could jump up and down on the south side of the hallway and do little
more than cause the floor to groan somewhat. However, the north
The broken stones in the entry are scattered. The roof side of the hall has a 10-foot-by-10-foot trapdoor covering a 30-foot-
sags somewhat, and steps curve sharply to the right as deep pit trap (3d6 points of damage). Iron spikes line the bottom of
they descend. A few shards of bone are scattered on the the pit. Anyone falling into the pit lands on 1d4 spikes and takes an
landing. additional 1d6 points of damage each.

The entryway to the crypt is very dangerous. Loud noises or hard 3. False Entrance to the Crypts
probing at the wall or ceiling (such as incautiously searching for
secret or concealed doors) causes the walls and ceiling to collapse
inward, inflicting 1d4x10 points of damage to all within (save for
half damage). There is a 25% chance that the falling blocks destroy An elaborate bronze door in this hallway is less corroded
any potions or other fragile magic items (a successful saving throw than those found in the foyer. Light sources play across
avoids this outcome). If the walls collapse, dust and rubble choke this the heavy relief sculpted in the bronze plates and reflect a
entrance, but not so much that the party cannot easily dig their way golden glow throughout the chamber.
out. Daylight still filters through the fallen blocks and heaps of earth.

A false door at the northern end of this elaborately-decorated

1. The Stone Guardian hallway opens into a room filled with poison gas. Characters opening
the door must make a saving throw vs. poison to leap out of the way
of the gout of noxious vapors or else be blinded and nauseated for
one full turn. The real door is carefully hidden behind a thin block of
Three tall stone statues on each side line this dusty, stone on the right-hand wall.
20-foot-wide entry hall. Each statue bears the proud
visage of some forgotten king or sage. Corroded bronze
doors stand to the east.
4. Servants’ Tombs

The third statue on the northern wall bellows a challenge when Whatever agency built this place, they believed in taking
interlopers approach: “Speak the name of the great and mighty sage their slaves with them into the afterlife. Four tombs, three
or face your destruction!” The stone golem speaks in a strange of which have open doors, are filled with the bones of many
tongue, although comprehend languages can be cast to understand its beings. Tattered ropes are still tied around the arms and
words. The correct answer to its question is “Bourekshnar,” although legs of most of them.
it is unlikely the characters will chance upon this solution. If the
party does not answer within five rounds, the golem steps off its
pedestal and attacks.
The servants entombed here faced gruesome deaths, eventually
If the correct answer is given during battle, the statue halts its starving or suffocating. However, not all died so quickly: The fourth
attacks and returns to the pedestal. It becomes inanimate once again. chamber contains 10 ghouls. They fell on the corpses of their fellows
It does not challenge those leaving through this area. and consumed them long ago, but they hunger for more. If the fourth
chamber is opened carelessly, the ghouls gain a round of surprise
Hidden in a secret compartment with the pedestal are three
attacks on the unfortunate character who opened the door.
diamonds worth 1,000 gp each. They can be discovered with a
careful search only if the statue is off the pedestal. At the back of the ghouls’ lair are 800 gp, seven pieces of carved
jade worth 12 gp each, and a devotional book containing a cleric’s
Stone Golem: HD 12; HP 60; AC 5[14]; Atk fist (3d8);
scroll of cure light wounds. This last item is befouled with mold
Move 6; Save 3; CL/XP 16/3200; Special: +2 or better and mildew and may easily be dismissed as trash unless it is read
magic weapons to hit, immune to most magic (slowed by thoroughly.
fire, damaged by rock-to-mud spells, healed by mud-to-
rock). (Monstrosities 222) Ghouls (10): HD 2; HP 14, 12x3, 11, 10, 9x2, 8, 5; AC
6[13]; Atk 2 claws (1d3 + paralysis), bite (1d4); Move 9;
Save 16; AL C; CL/XP 3/60; Special: immune to sleep
2. Unsafe Hallway and charm spells, paralyzing touch (3d6 turns, save
avoids). (Monstrosities 191)

Beyond the bronze door, the floors are done in a parquet

tile. To the right, the carved and fitted wooden inserts
sag and look thoroughly rotted. To the left, however, they
appear completely safe and firm.

6| T he L ost C rypt
6|T
5. Prayer Chamber of the strange realm) and a heap of yellowed cloth covered with a
fine saffron dust. This is actually a small colony of yellow mold that,
if disturbed, puffs out its deadly spores in a 10-foot radius around
the cabinet. Those within the area must make a saving throw or die
choking.
Dust smelling faintly of sandalwood and other fragrances
fills this room. Bits of wood and trash lie in the corners and The book can be taken without touching the spores.
around several pillars. Yellow Mold: HD n/a; AC n/a; Atk 1d6 damage (if
touched) + spore cloud (save or die); Move 0 (immobile);
Save n/a; AL N; CL/XP 3/60; Special: poisonous spore
Those visiting their ancestors once meditated and prayed for cloud (save or die), killed by fire. (Monstrosities 336)
the departed in this chamber. The chamber is filled with piles of
potsherds, broken boxes, and so forth. A single black rock is a
luckstone that may be found by carefully searching the detritus.
However, the room is also the home of 12 giant scorpions that attack
8. Priests’ Mausoleum
if disturbed. The scorpions are not fully grown yet, measuring about
a foot long each.
Giant Scorpions (12): HD 2; HP 15, 14x2, 13x3, 11, 10, The door to this room is covered in more obscure glyphs.
9x3, 7; AC 6[13]; Atk 2 pincers (1d6), sting (1d4 + poison); There are no apparent hinges, but the glyphs are in high
Move 12; Save 16; AL N; CL/XP 3/60; Special: lethal relief.
poison sting (save or die). (Monstrosities 411)

A nearby bird-like sculpture acts as a lever to move the door to the

side. Inside the room, six sarcophagi stand upright against opposite
6. The Shrine walls. All are carved with the same intricate detail as seen in the
previous chambers. One sarcophagus in the middle of the room is
open, its lid broken and cast aside.
High priests of the tombs were laid here upon their death. The
The rotting remains of once-opulent tapestries hang on richest of them was clearly in the middle. The spirits of the deceased,
the walls. More detritus litters the floor. A raised platform lesser priests are still enraged at the desecration of their brothers’
along the northeastern wall is carved with strange tomb and wait to attack the next intruders who disturb this chamber.
symbols. Rusty red spots discolor the outer circumference The 6 mummies open their standing sarcophagi and try to kill any
of the dais. A few items — cups and a tarnished dagger — interlopers who enter.
lie on the altar.
A great deal of treasure is divided among the six upright
sarcophagi. Coins, gems, and jewelry totaling 14,430 gp in value in
the coffins. In addition, six scrolls and a vial containing a potion of
Priests and ritual-masters once paid homage to whatever gods they
ethereality can be found. The scrolls have one spell each: commune,
worshipped at this inner temple. Although the rusty stains on the altar
cure serious wounds, dispel magic, raise dead, remove curse, and
are blood (easily identifiable, if examined), it is sheep’s blood. Still,
sticks to snakes.
the altar retains a tinge of evil (detect evil shows a faint halo around
the altar). The cups are of fine silver traced with gold, as is the dagger
(although all are bloodstained and tarnished). Any character who Mummies (6): HD 5+1;
takes the cups or the dagger is affected by a mild curse. They fight
HP 38, 36, 35, 33, 30,
and make all saving throws with a –1 penalty until such time as they
29; AC 3[16]; Atk
replace the items and receive a bless spell cast on them and them
alone. The items are worth a total of 650 gp. fist (1d12); Move
6; Save 12; AL C;
CL/XP 7/600;
7. Funerary Preparation Chamber Special: +1
or better
magic
weapons
Jars, worktables, and tools are all scattered haphazardly to hit, resist magic
around this room. Tatters of cloth and leather lie on tables weapons (50%), rot
and benches. A cabinet stands in the southwest corner. (wounds heal at
one-tenth normal).
(Monstrosities 340)
The bodies of the deceased were prepared for burial in this
chamber. The jars are sacred vessels for vital organs such as the liver,
heart, and brain of the deceased. None of the jars has any real value.
The cabinet is locked and trapped with a scything blade trap that
strikes for 1d4+2 points of damage unless it is disarmed. The cabinet
contains a book written in a weird pictographic language that details
the process of preparing the dead (worth 2,500 gp to a sage outside

T he L ost C rypt |7
 10. Giant Ant Lair

Giant ants fill this chamber. Some scuttle in and out

with fungus or rotting debris, while others are apparently
patching tunnels.

Some 60 giant ants toil away in the soft sandy floors and walls of
this area. Most are drones, but 6 warrior ants roam among them.
The queen remains in her lair 12 feet under the sand surrounded by
the treasures brought here by the warriors and workers. Characters
can find four gemstones worth a total of 175 gp.
Giant Worker Ants (60): HD 2; AC 3[16]; Atk bite (1d6);
Move 18; Save 16; AL N; CL/XP 2/30; Special: none.
(Monstrosities 15)
Giant Warrior Ants (6): HD 3; AC 3[16]; Atk bite (1d6
9. Mold Farm + poison); Move 18; Save 14; AL N; CL/XP 4/120;
Special: poison (2d6 damage, save for 1d4 damage).
(Monstrosities 15)
Giant Queen Ant: HD 10; AC 3[16]; Atk bite (1d6);
The walls, floor, and ceiling of this rough chamber are Move 3; Save 3; AL N; CL/XP 10/1,400; Special: none.
covered in mold; caps and sprouts of all shapes and sizes (Monstrosities 15)
spring up everywhere. Giant ants scurry around the room
tending to the mold. The room is unusually cool. Jars,
chests, cabinets, and perhaps a skeleton can be seen
beneath the layers of saffron-colored mold.
11. Charnel Chamber

Giant worker ants overseen by a few warrior ants (Area 10) tend Crypts line the walls of this room. All are open, and each
this huge patch of yellow mold. The ants generally ignore the party contains a body. The smell here is terrible.
if they aren’t disturbed. The ants cultivate the yellow mold without
harm, moving among the caps and stalks effortlessly. However, a
brown mold has also begun to grow in one corner. The brown mold These are the bodies of well-to-do commoner types who had an
can be seen in the upper northeastern corner by entering the room, allegiance to whichever lord or king was buried here. A malevolent
being careful to step on bare patches on the floor without disturbing force animated all of the dead as 35 zombies that climb out of their
the mold. chambers to attack. While slow, the sheer press of numbers should
If the yellow mold is disturbed, spores fill the air. All characters more than make up for such a disadvantage!
within the room and 30 feet out in the narrow confines of the tunnel Zombies (35): HD 2; HP 10x35; AC 8[11] or with shield
must make a saving throw or die from inhaling the deadly spores. 7[12]; Atk weapon or strike (1d8); Move 6; Save 16; AL
If fire is used to destroy the yellow mold, the brown mold N; CL/XP 2/30; Special: immune to sleep and charm.
immediately grows as it absorbs heat. Anyone who remains within (Monstrosities 529)
10 feet of the room takes 2d8 points of damage every round from the
freezing cold. The ants move at one-quarter normal speed due to the
cold, in addition to the damage they take each round. 12. Gloomy Chamber
Nothing of interest remains beneath the yellow mold. The ants
carried any items of value to Area 10.
The walls of this shrine are bare. Massive stone pillars
Brown Mold: HD n/a; AC n/a; Atk none; Move 0 stretch up into the high, vaulted ceiling.
(immobile); Save n/a; AL N; CL/XP 4/120; Special:
drains heat (2d8 damage per round, no save).
(Monstrosities 335)
Lurking in their webs near the ceiling are 6 giant spiders. They
Yellow Mold: HD n/a; AC n/a; Atk 1d6 damage (if
wait for parties to walk in and then leap onto them. They have fed
touched) + spore cloud (save or die); Move 0 (immobile); only on rats and are hungry! While not generally intelligent, they
Save n/a; AL N; CL/XP 3/60; Special: poisonous spore share an evil cunning. No treasure is caught in the spiders’ webs,
cloud (save or die), killed by fire. (Monstrosities 336) which are high in the vaulted ceiling. A secret door leads to the
northwest.

8| T he L ost C rypt
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Giant Spiders (4ft diameter) (6): HD 2+2; HP 15,
13x2, 12, 10, 8; AC 6[13]; Atk bite (1d6 + poison); 15. Chamber of Spectres
Move 18; Save 16; AL N; CL/XP 5/240; Special:
lethal poison (save or die), surprise prey (5-in-6 chance).
(Monstrosities 451)
This is a strange room indeed, for unlike the gloomy
crypts and tombs elsewhere, this one is brightly lit
13. Crypt of the Wights (apparently by continual light spells), well-appointed, and
richly furnished. A few comfortable chairs are arranged
around a low, sturdy-looking table in the center of the
room. A shelf lined with books stands along one wall. It is
Four unadorned stone sarcophagi sit on the floor here. almost as if this chamber was prepared recently for guests.
The lid of one is slightly ajar; the rest are sealed tightly.

Closer examination of the finery in the room reveals that all of

Hidden in Area 12, behind a sliding panel secret door. The it is old and suffering from dry rot, and faded by layers of dust.
open sarcophagus is a ruse, seemingly filled with gems and Nonetheless, it is — or at least was — once expensive.
treasure. In reality, the items are worthless quartz and fool’s gold. The room is the resting place of 2 specters that wait here for
If the characters stop to pick over the items, the other sarcophagi those who would violate their tomb. While not the spirits of those
soundlessly open as 3 wights creep out to attack. Each wears an originally buried in the tomb, they were drawn here by the presence
unholy amulet that lets the undead creature resist one attempt to turn of death and decay. They gathered the best treasures for themselves
it; the amulets glow violet and then fade and are useless thereafter. and keep the items in a chest in the middle of the room. The chest
The most powerful wight wields a +1 longsword. The sounds of is securely locked and trapped with a poison gas trap. Failure to
fighting in Area 12 alerts the wights to approaching intruders. detect and disarm the trap releases a cloud of green poisonous gas
A concealed door is to the south. that fills the entire chamber in two rounds. Anyone within five feet of
the chest must make a saving throw to avoid choking to death in the
Wights (3): HD 3; HP 21, 19, 15; AC 5[14]; Atk claw (1hp cloud. Anyone who remains in the cloud when it fills the room must
+ level drain); Move 9; Save 14; AL C; CL/XP 6/400; also make the save. The gas cloud dissipates in 10 rounds.
Special: +1 or better magic or silver weapons to hit, level
drain (1 level with hit). (Monstrosities 510) The treasure chest contains a total of 14,214 gp. Buried under the
coins is a jug of alchemy, a potion of heroism, a huge jacinth worth
5,000 gp, a slab of jade worth 140 gp, a fine spinel worth 500 gp, and
14. False Treasure Room a carnelian valued at 600 gp.
Spectres (2): HD 6; HP 41, 39; AC 2[17]; Atk spectral
weapon (1d8) or touch (1d8 + level drain); Move 15 (fly
30); Save 11; AL C; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: +1 or better
A great wealth of treasure lies before you in this magic weapons to hit, level drain (2 levels with hit).
chamber. Piles of gold coins, stacks of fine weapons and (Monstrosities 445)
armor, jewel-adorned goods, scrolls, clothes, and decanters
and jars line the walls and floor.
16. Storage Room
Like the treasure in the wights’ crypt (Area 13), these items are
all fake, although the falsehood is much more difficult to detect. The
gold coins, for instance, are really gold — but just a wash of gold Bare tables are pushed against the walls in this room.
over a lead slug. Some 12,000 gold pieces are loose, in sacks and Rolls of cloth, empty and broken jars, and other common
chests, or on similarly appointed plates and bowls. The real value is items can be found here.
less than 50 gp, however. The gems are of the type that they appear
to be, but wholly inferior and flawed. Some 500 or more gems are
in costume jewelry settings, although their total value is 100 gp. This room was used for storing various items necessary in
Likewise, the scrolls and books are valueless. The first few pages preparing bodies for burial. Nothing of interest remains here.
of each volume is beautifully illuminated in seemingly cryptic and
magical glyphs, but it is all gibberish. Five scrolls are actually cursed
and perusing a single line inscribed there damns the bearer! (You can
choose whatever curse is appropriate, or simply impose a –2 penalty
to hit, damage, and saving throws until remove curse is cast.)
A well-hidden secret door leads due north out of this chamber. The
secret door is trapped; only careful inspection reveals that the whole
panel is perforated with hundreds of tiny holes. Opening the door
without first disarming the trap causes a hail of poisoned thorns to be
fired in a 45-degree arc to strike anyone standing in front of the door
for 1d8+2 points of damage. The barrage of thorns strikes as a 5HD
creature; anyone hit must make a saving throw or die.

T he L ost C rypt |13

17. Burial Alcove takes 6d6 points of damage. Note that this is not a trap per se but a
natural occurrence that mimics a trap. Thieves can still detect it as a
trap, but dwarves and anyone who can detect issues with stonework
also have a 50% chance of detecting the danger.
More niches line the walls. Some are empty; all are
despoiled in one way or another.
19. Chamber of Falling
This is another room for burying those of lower status. The
Blocks
chamber has been (almost) thoroughly looted. Clutched in the bony
hand of one of the corpses is a clerical scroll of remove curse and a
platinum holy symbol worth 275 gp. The mosaic floor here is a wonder to behold. Each thin
tile seems ideally fit to its neighbor, and the whole is

18. Unsafe Floor visually sumptuous. The tiles form pictograms and glyphs
that seem to spiral outward from the center of the room.

The floor in the hallway shows several fine cracks, none Unlike Area 18, this chamber is deliberately trapped. The
wide enough to admit even a sheet of parchment. The pictograms and glyphs tell a heroic epic that can be read with a read
stones here are otherwise as smooth and polished as those
languages spell (alternately, read magic works in a pinch). While
interesting reading, the story has little bearing on the real history of
throughout the tomb.
the place. One tantalizing passage mentions the “great cleric-saint”
but there are no more details.
The real secret of the room is that the stone blocks in the ceiling
The fine cracks belie a serious flaw in the construction: a hollow are rigged to pressure plates in the tiles below; the unwary who enter
has formed beneath the stones due to shifting soil and water erosion. this room might find themselves trapped beneath tons of crushing
A 60-foot-deep shaft now lies beneath the floor. Every character stone! Each of the four falling stone blocks (marked on the map with
stepping across the 20-foot section of hallway has a 20% chance of a “T”) does 1d6x10 points of damage to anyone who fails a saving
the floor giving way beneath them. They must then make a saving throw to jump out of the way.
throw or fall into the pit. Anyone who falls plunges into darkness and

14| T he L ost C rypt

14|T
20. Trash Room The diary ends there. The skeleton under the table holds an empty
bottle in its hand. Lying near it is a leather pouch containing three
potions. Two are potions of extra healing, but the third is a thick
black sludge that smells faintly of grave dust (if it’s opened). This
last potion, like the healing elixirs, detects as magical. However,
Piled up broken crates, potsherds, and other garbage
it is a horrible failure, the first (and last) vial of Ylap’s “potion of
fill this room nearly to the door. Was that a glint of gold protection from undead.” Drinking the potion results in a horrible,
among the detritus? agonizing death over the course of 10 seconds for the imbiber. No
saving throw is permitted.

A nest of 9 giant ticks is in the chamber. They are voracious

and hungry as little prey is to be found in the tomb save rats. They
immediately attack if the trash is disturbed or if warm-blooded
22. Rats’ Nest
creatures stand in the room for more than one round. No treasure can
be found here.
Giant Ticks (9): HD 3; HP 20, 18, 17x2, 16, 14, 12x2, 10; An ominous squeaking and chittering sound can be
AC 4[15]; Atk bite (1d4 + drain blood + disease); Move heard from this chamber. The noises grow louder as you
3; Save 14; AL N; CL/XP 4/120; Special: disease (kills approach the door.
victim in 2d4 days, cure disease to avoid), drain blood
(automatic 4 points of damage after hit). (Monstrosities
471) A large colony of giant rats lives here. If the door is touched, it
bursts asunder as a tidal wave of wriggling black bodies struggle out
to strip the flesh off of any creature they encounter. Treat the dozens
21. Alchemist’s Chamber of rats as 2 giant rat swarms. A coffer in the room holds 1,156 sp.
Giant Rat Swarms (2): HD 6; HP 42, 37; AC 6[13]; Atk
bite (2d6 + disease); Move 12; Save 11; AL N; CL/XP
6/400; Special: disease (5% chance of disease).
Old corroded alchemical tools sit on benches in the
middle of this room. Opaque, cloudy jars dot the shelves
along the wall. A book of some kind lies on the workbench
alongside the tools. A skeleton in tattered robes lies just
23. Stairwell
under the edge of the table.

This stairwell leads down to a roughhewn passage that

A half-mad alchemist/sage with the improbable name of Crony stretches away to the northeast.
Ylap created this chamber long after the larger crypt area was
forgotten. The book on the bench is his diary, which is filled with the
musings of a fellow obsessed with the discovery of new and more All is as it appears here; the passage is a nearly two-mile journey
powerful potions. The volume is written in an unfamiliar language to the northeast and leads to an underground bugbear’s complex.
spoken only in this realm and requires a read languages spell to
understand. Most of the entries speak of his various attempts to create
new potions. The last passage may be of some interest to adventurers:

“Solstice 21–22. My decision to move my lab here was

fortuitous. Not only am I afforded the privacy I so desire,
but the presence of several deceased persons provides me
with many essential saltes that I would find difficult to
acquire in quantity elsewhere. The thieves who helped me
come thus far have left, paid handsomely for their efforts.
Soon I will explore some hidden chambers here further,
but before I do, I will imbibe my latest creation, an elixir
that will render me immune to the deadly touch of spectre,
lich, wight, and ghoul! Soon I shall unlock the secrets of
this tomb and then I am sure I will find clues about the
whereabouts of the fabled artifact …”

T he L ost C rypt |15

 Bugbears’ Lair 2. Barracks
This underground complex consists of natural
caves and a few constructed rooms. Once the
basement of a watchtower or small keep, it This room is strewn with straw mats, and a dung
now serves as the lair of a band of fire gutters in a copper brazier in the middle of the
bugbears that hunt here floor. The place is filthy, and potsherds, discarded
in the southern weapons, and other equipment and food scraps litter
regions of this the floor.
strange realm.
They have some
treasure, but are Ten bugbears are in this room eating, sleeping, gambling,
always looking to and so forth. If the alarm in Area 1 is raised, they grab their
add to their loot. weapons and move cautiously to that area and attack any
They also keep intruders.
a few prisoners Three bugbears have heavy crossbows, three have flails, and
as slaves and three have pikes. They are intelligent, wily creatures. The leader
to serve as a and three bugbears armed with flails immediately attack the
steady supply party while the pike-wielding bugbears strike from behind the
of food when skirmish line. The bugbears armed with crossbows shoot bolts at
hunting game any obvious spellcasters.
avails them not.
Bugbear Leader: HD 3+1; HP 24; AC 5[14]; Atk bite
(2d4) or flail (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 14; AL C; CL/XP
4/120; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-6 chance).
(Monstrosities 53)
Equipment: flail, jeweled armband (60 gp), 10 pp.
Bugbears (9): HD 3+1; HP 20, 19, 18x3, 17x2, 16, 13;
AC 5[14]; Atk bite (2d4) or flail (1d8+1) or polearm
(pike) (1d8+1) or heavy crossbow x1/2 (1d6+1); Move
9; Save 14; AL C; CL/XP 4/120; Special: surprise
opponents (3-in-6 chance). (Monstrosities 53)
Equipment: flail or polearm (pike) or heavy
crossbow and 10 bolts, 1d6 gp.
Note: 3 bugbears are armed with flails, 3 have
polearms, and 3 have heavy crossbows.

1. Upper Guard Room 3. Common Room

A number of large, hairy humanoids are lounging here. A large group of the hairy humanoids are in this
They jabber among themselves as they pick at bits of food. chamber. Most are eating or relaxing at long tables.

The 8 bugbears are set to guard against any intruders and to keep
an eye on the plain below for possible travelers to attack and loot. A The bulk of the bugbear tribe dwells in this 20-foot-by-40-
shield hangs from a rack nearby; if the party attacks and it appears the foot room, with nearly 30 of the creatures being found here at
guards are to be overcome, one leaps to the shield and bangs it with any given time. If the alarm is raised in Area 1, the bugbears
a mace hanging from a cord to alert his fellows in Areas 2, 3 and 4. flip the tables to provide cover before the characters arrive.
Help arrives in the form of 10 bugbears from Area 2 in one round. Otherwise, the bugbears flip the tables as soon as the characters
are spotted. The bugbears receive a +1 bonus to their armor
Bugbears (8): HD 3+1; HP 22, 20, 19x3, 17, 15, 12; AC class (AC 4[15]) while hiding behind the overturned tables.
5[14]; Atk bite (2d4) or longsword (1d8+1); Move 9; Save
The bugbears hurl darts, throwing knives, and spears for a
14; AL C; CL/XP 4/120; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-
single round. After that, 10 bugbears rush the party with clubs
6 chance). (Monstrosities 53) and short swords. As the bugbears attack, 17 noncombatant
Equipment: longsword, 1d6 gp. bugbears flee and try to escape. Another three leave to alert the
bugbear chief (Area 7).

16| T he L ost C rypt

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Bugbears (10): HD 3+1; HP 21, 20x2, 18, 17x2, the flanks. They strike at magic-users and clerics first and look for
15x4; AC 5[14]; Atk bite (2d4) or club (1d6+1) or holy symbols or magic items to identify those characters.
longsword (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 14; AL C; CL/XP
Bugbear Shaman (Clr5): HD 5; HP 34; AC 4[15]; Atk
4/120; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-6 chance).
bite (2d4) or mace (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 11 (+1, ring);
(Monstrosities 53)
AL C; CL/XP 6/400; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-
Equipment: club or longsword, 1d6 gp.
6 chance), spells (2/2). (Monstrosities 53)
Note: The bugbears attack with darts x3 (1d3),
Spells: 1st—cause light wounds, detect magic; 2nd—
throwing knives (1d4), and spears (1d6) in their
hold person, silence 15ft radius.
opening attack.
Equipment: mace, ring of protection +1, 1d6 gp.

4. Armory Bugbear Acolytes (Clr2): HD 3; HP 21, 18; AC 5[14];

Atk bite (2d4) or mace (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 14; AL
C; CL/XP 4/120; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-6
chance), spells (1). (Monstrosities 53)
Weapon racks hang on the walls, and a small forge — Spells: 1st—cause light wounds.
recently used, as you can feel the heat from across the Equipment: mace, 1d6 gp.
room — sits in the corner. The weapons are all crude
iron and low steel but still very effective. An enormous
creature sits near the furnace. It smiles evilly when you
come in.
6. The Treasure Vault

The bugbear is the weaponsmith for the entire tribe. He is an This small cave reeks of filth and dung. Puddles of
incredibly tough, old creature, as hardy as the chief. the disgusting stuff are everywhere.

The bugbear hides his treasure beneath a loose flagstone in the

corner of the room opposite the forge. It consists of two diamonds The bugbears use this cave as a latrine … and more. Hidden
worth 1,000 gp each and a bag of 81 gp. beneath one of the foul pools is a locked strongbox containing
the bugbears’ collected treasure: 3,522 cp and 3,927 ep. The box
Beneath the coals in the forge is a ring of fire resistance
is trapped with a poison needle (save or die). The bugbear chief
dropped there and forgotten by his predecessor years ago.
at Area 7 has the key. Fishing in the mess for any reason is 25%
Digging it out requires magic or some kind of implement to avoid
likely to infect a character with a disease (1d6 damage per day
being burned. The flames deal 1d6 points of damage per round to
until healed with cure disease).
anyone attempting to reach into the forge (even if wearing thick
gloves or gauntlets).
Iron rungs are hammered into the north wall of this cave,
leading to a broad opening in the ceiling above (this leads to a
7. Chieftains’ Lair
wide junction in the upper hallway that connects the Treasure
Vault, Evil Temple, Forgotten Cave, Dungeon and the Chieftain’s
Lair; characters climbing this ladder will find themselves in a The room before you is opulent — if a scattering
poorly lit hallway, the occasional guttering torch in a sconce of looted fine goods (now tattered and stained) can
along the walls. be called “opulent.” A large wooden table, obviously
hacked apart so it could fit through the door when it
Bugbear Weaponsmith: HD 5; HP 36; AC 4[15];
was brought here, sits in the middle of the room. A
Atk bite (2d4) or fiery hammer (1d8+1 + 1d6 fire);
once-fine bed, now broken and sprung, is in one corner.
Move 9; Save 12; AL C; CL/XP 6/400; Special:
surprise opponents (3-in-6 chance). (Monstrosities
53) The bugbear chief and his assistants are here discussing plans
Equipment: leather apron, hammer, 1d6 gp. to raid other nearby encampments. If an alarm has been raised,
survivors may (or may not) have come here, but the chief and his
guards are definitely ready. The bugbears fight savagely, hooting
5. Evil Temple and yelling for help all the while. Any assistance that can come
arrives in 1d4 rounds.
Bugbear Chief: HD 7; HP 49; AC 2[17]; Atk bite (2d4)
This foul place is covered in rude symbols and icons or longsword (1d8+2); Move 9; Save 9; AL C; CL/XP
to some unholy god. A bloodstained altar sits at the end 8/800; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-6 chance).
of the room. A robed figure keels at the altar. (Monstrosities 53)
Equipment: bracers of defense AC 2[17], longsword,
potion of extra healing, 2d6 gp, emerald (180 gp), key
The robed figure is the bugbear’s shaman. He is likely aware to bugbear strongbox (Area 6).
of the party’s entry into the chamber by this point. Two acolyte
bugbears behind the altar watch through a mesh curtain. As the
party approaches, the acolytes rush out and attack the party from

T he L ost C rypt |17

Bugbear Guards (2): HD 5; HP 36, 34; AC 5[14]; Atk 10. Western Watchpost
bite (2d4) or flail (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 14; AL C; CL/
XP 6/400; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-6 chance).
(Monstrosities 53)
This is a round room, some 30 feet in diameter.
Equipment: flail, 50 gp.
Note: One of the bugbear guards has a +1 dagger that
it throws before it wades into combat. The dagger does
1d4+1 points of damage. Pacing around the room are 8 nervous bugbears. They appear
puzzled if intruders enter, but then move to attack. The bugbears
watch the western tunnel that leads to the distant crypts to the
8. The Dungeon southwest. They fear whatever lives in those crypts, however. A
group of bugbears tried to invade and loot the crypts, but none
returned.
If forced to surrender, the bugbears try to fool the characters by
Barred cells line the perimeter of this chamber. A few
directing them to the “main treasure cave” in Area 9. They hope to
forlorn humans and humanoids sit in the cages.
let the behir deal with the powerful characters.
Bugbears (8): HD 3+1; HP 20, 18, 17, 16x2, 13, 11, 10; AC
The dungeon is overseen by 4 bugbears put on watch for 5[14]; Atk bite (2d4) or longsword (1d6+1); Move 9; Save
brawling. They take their resentment out on their charges, brutalizing 14; AL C; CL/XP 4/120; Special: surprise opponents (3-
the folk they keep trapped here. If the bugbears move near the in-6 chance). (Monstrosities 53)
cells, the occupants within grab them and try to hold them for the Equipment: longsword, 1d6 gp.
characters.
Bugbears (4): HD 3+1; HP 20, 19x2, 15; AC 5[14]; Atk
bite (2d4) or club (1d6+1); Move 9; Save 14; AL C; CL/ 11. Wild Horses
XP 4/120; Special: surprise opponents (3-in-6 chance).
(Monstrosities 53)
Equipment: club, 1d6 gp.
Six stout draft horses stand in a meadow atop a flat hill
The humans and humanoids are the latest victims of the bugbear near the exit from the cave system. They are docile and
raids. Two elves, two humans, and a halfling are here. All currently seem to accept the presence of humans and demi-humans
have 3 hit points remaining. They are grateful to any who rescue well.
them. They know little of this area, but they describe it as enchanted
and very dangerous. Their lands are located far to the west. If the
party helps them get “started on their journey,” they express their The bugbears stole these horses for use as food. They were kept
gratitude by telling the characters that they are welcome in their fed and healthy, and the animals mill around near the bugbear lair
homes. If the party provides them with horses (Area 11), they return waiting for grain or hay. They accept riders and/or baggage, as they
home in a few days without any trouble. A horse can carry two were owned by merchants until the bugbears took them.
prisoners.
Riding Horses (6): HD 2; HP 14, 13x3, 11, 10; AC
7[12]; Atk bite (1d2); Move 18; Save 16; AL N; CL/XP
9. The Abandoned Cave 2/30; Special: none. (Monstrosities 252).

The air here is dry and stale. A slithering sound can be

heard in one corner behind a rock formation.

This cave is the lair of a dreaded behir, a wormlike creature that

has the ability to spit lightning. It is of low intellect and speaks only a
smattering of bugbear. It is voracious and attacks the party if they try
to pass through the southern tunnel.
Behir: HD 12; HP 83; AC 4[15]; Atk bite (1d8 + swallow
whole); Move 15; Save 3; AL C; CL/XP 13/2300;
Special: constrict and claw (if attack is successful, behir
holds creature and attacks with 6 claws for automatic
6d6 damage), lightning breath (once per 10 rounds, 24
damage, save for half), swallow whole (natural 20 to hit).
(Monstrosities 44).

18| T he L ost C rypt

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The Lost Crypt
1 square = 10 Feet
Bugbears’ Lair (1)
1 square = 10 Feet
Bugbears’ Lair (2)
1 square = 5 Feet
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OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version
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storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photo- System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathon
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or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Swords & Wizardry Complete Rules, © 2010, Matthew J. Finch
The Lost Crypt, © 2020 Necromancer Games; author Bill Silvey

Necromancer
Games
20| T he L ost C rypt
20|T
The Lost Crypt
Written by veteran RPG scholar and scribe Bill Silvey, The Lost
Crypt is an old-school style romp through an ancient tomb and hid-
den lairs filled with clever monsters. This is the Bill-created portion
of a joint project with Gary Gygax, designed to be a challenge for
veteran characters of 7-8th level.

A realm not terribly unlike our own exists in a strange and most-
ly-hospitable nearby plane of existence. While planar travel might
overlook this small pocket of reality, an entrance into it exists at
the deepest depths of the most storied dungeon complex in the
known world.

To enter this planar region is to step into a world at once familiar

and yet more bizarre than our own. Herein there are rumored to
lie artifacts of great power, and treasure beyond imagination. Hav-
ing explored the uttermost depths of the dungeon and found the
entrance, a group of adventurers can make their way beyond the
boundaries of reality itself in search of fame and fortune!

NECROMANCER
Games TM