Many confound them with the mighty dragons, for they were just as powerful; these gods were wingless guardians of the cosmos. But their era ended when the time of men came. Humanoids populated the world and took over history and religion. Yet not all lore and information about these titans is lost. And perhaps, a spark of their power can still be found.
Titans of the World
They once roamed the earth as the masters of the universe. They were part of other planes of existence when men, elves, dwarves, and other humanoids did not even exist. These elder guardians are so ancient that they exist only in far-fetched words, drawings, and tomes. But perhaps it is just a question of looking in the right place.
Hook. The characters have never heard of these creatures, or all they know are myths and crazy tales. However, they meet Malcolm, an eccentric scientist who claims to be a paleontologist. He does not explain what that means but he assures the heroes that his team just made an incredible discovery. However, the place seems to be too dangerous for miners, explorers, and historians. This man hires the characters to make sure the place can be explored safely; he offers a reward of 6,000 GP.
Level-7 Adventure
Getting There
The heroes accompany Malcolm to a rocky side of the territories. The dungeon of the Elder Lizard God, as Malcolm decided to call it, is located 2 miles beneath the surface.
An established camp of about thirty people waits for the heroes to delve into the dungeon and make sure it is safe. Malcolm, with a crooked smile, says this before the heroes start the 2-mile descent: “Life finds a way.”
The Long Walk
No shortcuts. The characters must walk for about 30 minutes through the dark, slanted tunnels to reach the double doors. This is an easy task as they can see the miners’ several sets of tracks on the muddy ground.
This adventuring supplement is designed for D&D5e. On out Patreon page you can get it in PDF format (see image). Notice that some of the layout elements can only be presented as intended in the PDF layout (side-margin boxes and statblocks). The downloads include hi-res images for the maps.
1. Dungeon’s Entrance
The characters must push the double doors open. Once they all enter the dungeon, the doors close behind them. They are not trapped, however.
2. Chamber of Knowledge
A Detect Magic spell reveals that this area is protected from the passage of time. The heroes may spend a few minutes reading to learn about the titans that once roamed their world. In these texts, these titans have names.
Campsite. Malcolm’s people seem good, kindhearted, and hardworking. They show the heroes respect. Their eyes spark with hope. They are eager to continue their work.
Flora. The ground becomes muddy because of the otherworldly warm, tropical weather below. This allows for sturdy plants and all kinds of mushrooms to grow.
3. Three-Horned Guardian
It does not move. A four-legged, scaled beast with a crested head and multiple horns stands still, frozen.
This is an arcane recreation of an elder titan created to protect this place. Still, it is made of flesh and bone. The three-horned guardian (triceratops) attacks the first creature that crosses the threshold into its chamber.
4. Rex Guardian
Like the triceratops, the characters cannot detect any movement or sound coming from this huge creature.
The tyrannosaurus rex comes to life when all other guardians are dealt with (areas 3, 5, and 7). When this occurs, its upward movement to roar partially destroys the corridors above. And the four allosaurus skeletons jump down to attack the intruders as well.
5. Mimus Guardians
The three gallimimus specimens (giant lizard) come to life when the heroes come within 5 feet of any of them.
Weapons. Two +1 Greataxes lie on the stone table.
Passage. If the heroes do not get too distracted by the battle or the treasure, they may find the secret button to access the ladder to area 9 (DC 17 Perception check).
6. Altar
The characters reach this area after defeating the triceratops in area 3.
State. Unlike area 2, all the things in this altar were not protected from the passage of time. However, some ancient power still lingers. If the characters decide to stay for a few minutes, pray, and leave a small offering, they gain Heroic Inspiration.
7. Ceratus Guardian
Use the stats of an allosaurus with full HP and AC 15 for this specimen. The ceratus attacks the moment the characters enter this room.
Development. If this is the last guardian to be defeated, the tyrannosaurus rex comes to life in this moment. With a massive roar, it wrecks the dungeon (see area 4). The heroes fall 40 feet to area 4 if they lose their footing. Each character rolls a DC 18 Dexterity save. Failure: The target takes 21 (6d6) Bludgeoning damage.
Titans. The dinosaurs described in the area are not alive per se. When defeated, they vanish in thin air. They magically reform every 48 hours. They retaliate if attacked before the trigger for their awakening occurs.
Offering. The characters must choose something meaningful or with a minimum sentimental worth to them as the token for the Heroic Inspiration to be granted.
8. Elder God
The heroes prove their strength and prowess after defeating the tyrannosaurs rex. This is when they hear a low, raspy voice in their heads. Indorex, one of the elder gods, speaks:
“You still stand. The creatures you defeated, even though they only possess a fraction of our true strength, were still powerful contenders. I shall bestow upon you the blessing of the elder titans.”
Blessing. The characters are free to accept this blessing or not. Willing subjects feel an ancient, arcane energy infuse their bodies. Their skin grows tiny, fine scales, barely invisible unless closely inspected. They grant a permanent +1 bonus to AC.
Indorex. The heroes learn the name of this god in area 2 if they stay to read the documents. Indorex, despite its size and power, is not the most powerful elder god described or mentioned.
Blessing. The elder gods transcended into the cosmos. From there, their energy can reshape the world. The entire dungeon is a reflection of their astral power.
9. Treasure
The heroes can only benefit from this treasure if they find the button that reveals this place (see area 5).
Treasure. The chests contain a pair of bastard swords with griffon pommels (65 GP each), a mahogany chessboard with silver pieces (85 GP), a pendant with three pearls (200 GP), a flawless diamond (300 GP), a small box with three Potions of Healing (greater), and a high-quality scabbard with a +1 Silver Longsword.
Development
The characters successfully clear out the place for Malcolm and his expedition team waiting outside.
The Job. The characters are paid for a job well done. Malcolm is eager to go inside with his team and discover all the secrets stored within the dark, damp walls.
Research. Malcolm gets to work, investigates all he can, and prepares some digging sites within the dungeon to retrieve more fossils, ancient remains, or artifacts. Malcolm needs about 2 weeks of work (see below).
Time. If the heroes read the documents in area 2, they are aware of the arcane composition of the dinosaurs inside. This means Malcolm has only 48 hours before the guardians reform. The expedition team may end up in a catastrophe if they are not warned about this. On the other hand, warning Malcolm allows him to understand how the guardians work and avoid awakening them. What other secrets will the paleontologist reveal?
Random Events (1d6)
| 1 | The characters disturb two prehistoric swarms of centipedes. A little sturdier and larger than their regular counterparts. They flee when reduced to half their HP. |
| 2 | A group of one tough boss, three toughs, and three bandits enters the dungeon. They ignored Malcolm when he told them a group of heroes had already been hired for the job. These men think they can do it better and faster. They attack the characters to get rid of the competition. |
| 3 | A random character steps on a pressure plate and triggers a poison dart trap. Two random heroes are hit and become Poisoned for 1 hour (DC 16 Constitution save). |
| 4 | While the characters finish exploring a chamber, a strong current of air traverses the dungeon. Its cold touch extinguishes all sources of light, including magical ones. |
| 5 | The heroes are on their way to another area when a black pudding drops from the ceiling on a random hero. One item in their backpack is destroyed. |
| 6 | Despite not being sneaky, four allosaurus skeletons attempt to ambush the heroes. They are Surprised unless they notice the approach (DC 12 Perception). These are not the four allosaurus standing in area 4 (see map). |
Allosaurus Skeleton
Large Undead, Unaligned
Armor Class 14 Initiative +2 (12)
HP 85 (10d10 + 30)
Speed 60 ft.
| MOD | SAVE | MOD | SAVE | MOD | SAVE | ||||||
| Str | 20 | +5 | +5 | Dex | 14 | +2 | +2 | Con | 16 | +3 | +3 |
| Int | 3 | -4 | -4 | Wis | 13 | +1 | +1 | Cha | 4 | -3 | -3 |
Skills Perception +3
Senses Passive Perception 13
CR 4 (XP 1,100; PB +2)
Traits
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the allosaurus to 0 Hit Points, it makes a Constitution saving throw (DC 5 plus the damage taken) unless the damage is Radiant or from a Critical Hit. On a success, the allosaurus drops to 1 Hit Point instead.
Actions
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) Piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) Slashing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature and the allosaurus moved 30+ feet straight toward it immediately before the hit, the target has the Prone condition, and the allosaurus can make one Bite attack against it.
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