Dungeon of the Mad Mage
An Adventure for 5th Level Characters
Adventure Hooks
Adventurers who hang around the Yawning Portal often find work delving into Undermountain on the errands of others. The characters might have their own reasons for venturing into the Mad Mage’s dungeon, but the adventure hooks described in this section can be used as further motivation. These hooks are divided into two categories: starting quests and future quests. Adventurers are under no obligation to accept or complete any of these quests, though the promised rewards are often substantial enough to be tempting.Starting Quests
Starting quests are available to characters from the outset of their experience with Undermountain. Any of the quest givers described below might approach the characters shortly after their arrival at the Yawning Portal. The characters can accept as many or as few starting quests as they want.Hunt for Magic Items and Spellbooks
Jalester Silvermane is an agent of the Lords' Alliance who reports directly to Laeral Silverhand. The Open Lord of Waterdeep has asked him to procure magic items from Undermountain that might otherwise fall into the wrong hands. Jalester approaches the adventurers and offers to pay for any unwanted magic items they find in Undermountain. Jalester can pay handsomely within a matter of hours for any magic items the characters bring to him. The amount he’s willing to pay is based on the item’s rarity, as shown in the table below, and is nonnegotiable. Characters would be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to spend as much for these items as Jalester is, and he always pays in platinum pieces for ease of transport.| Item Rarity | Jalester's Reward |
|---|---|
| Common | 10 pp |
| Uncommon | 50 pp |
| Rare | 500 pp |
| Very Rare | 5,000 pp |
Pay a Harper Debt
A bard named Mattrim "Threestrings" Mereg (LG male Illuskan human bard), plays a three-stringed lute at the Yawning Portal and is a much more talented musician than he pretends to be. In truth, Mattrim is a Harper spy who uses this busking gig to establish relationships with the Yawning Portal’s unique clientele. Mattrim needs a pouch delivered to a female drow named Cal’al Claddani, who runs a tavern called the Flagon and the Dragon in Skullport. Cal’al provided shelter and healing to a wounded Harper spy in Skullport and is owed payment for her support. Mattrim’s pouch contains three moonstones. Once they deliver the pouch, characters can take refuge in a Harper hideout called Dalagor’s Fortress, located on the uppermost level of Skullport. Mattrim tells the characters that a dragonborn mage named Felrax guards the place.Throne of the Coronal
Volothamp Geddarm, famous explorer and raconteur, offers to buy the adventurers a round of drinks to celebrate their upcoming expedition into the Undermountain. Injected into the conversation is the following tale:| "This story dates to the fall of Illefarn, an elven kingdom of the North. An alabaster throne belonging to Syglaeth Audark, the last coronal of Illefarn, disappeared from the capital city of Aelinthaldaar, where the Mad Mage built his tower and today stands Waterdeep. It’s said that a group of dwarves feared the destruction of such a miraculous work of stonecraft and stole the throne right out from under the elves’ slender noses. Where the dwarves hid it for so long, who knows? But should you find it in Undermountain, it would please the elves of the North to know it survives." |
Future Quests
Future quests are available to adventurers only after they satisfy the prerequisites. The characters might need to enter and leave Undermountain several times before they’re eligible to receive these quests.Retrieve Azrok's Robe
Adventurers who enter western Stromkuhldur (area 21) in Level 3 are brought before Azrok and Lurkana (in area 21n) as a manner of protocol. After Azrok guarantees their safety in his settlement, Lurkana takes them aside and offers a reward for the safe return of her husband’s magic robe. She emphasizes that without the robe, the invading drow and the Xanathar Guild might conquer Stromkuhldur and become immensely more powerful. She reminds the adventurers that the Legion of Azrok has never once threatened Waterdeep - but the drow or the guild might leap at the chance to do just that. Lurkana knows that the thieves who stole the robe are duergar of Clan Ironeye, and she thinks they might be hiding in Skullport. Characters who make discreet inquiries in Skullport can learn that a large contingent of duergar from Clan Ironeye resupplied in Skullport and drank ale at a local tavern called the Black Tankard before heading deeper into Undermountain. The tavern’s tight-lipped duergar proprietor, Droon Stonedark, denies everything. The characters can catch up to the duergar of Clan Ironeye on Level 6. If the characters accept her quest, Lurkana suggests they search Skullport first and points them in the right direction (beyond area 23). She also suggests that they speak with Skullport’s ambassador to Stromkuhldur (the mind flayer in area 21g) to see if it knows anything. She cautions them not to harm the ambassador in any way, so as not to fray relations any further. In exchange for the robe, Lurkana is prepared to pay 1,000 gp delivered in a locked chest along with the key. If the characters demand more, she is willing to increase the payment to 1,500 gp and throw in two bugbears and five goblins as bodyguards and scouts. Unknown to Lurkana, two of the goblins have intellect devourers in their skulls and act as secret spies for Xanathar. The bugbears and other goblins serve the adventurers well, but being evil and greedy, they become increasingly difficult to control over time.
Related Characters
Related Locations
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