Sample Undiscovered Cairn

The cairn described here can be con sidered representative, though as indi cated earlier. these crypts claim such a diversity of origins that no two will be identical. If the PCs seek to explore a cairn, however, and the DM decides to let them find one, use this one. It is not marked as a location on the area map for several reasons. First, this allows the DM to place it wherever he wants. Second, it prevents players who see the map from learning of its exist ence.

A good way to use the cairn is to incorporate it into the greater story of your campaign. The PCs might be fleeing bandits when they accidentally discover the entrance and use it as a hiding place. Or an ancient sage, to whom the PCs owe a favor, comes upon evidence of the cairn's location and sends a team of vigorous adventurers to find and explore it. They can keep much of the treasure as long as they bring back a percentage for the sage, and proof of the cairn's existence for the sage's colleagues.

If your PCs really like this kind of game setting (Adventurer types, in particular, enjoy exploring cairns) you can design and place many more among the peaks and valleys of the Cairn Hills. Perhaps the characters come upon some Roster of the Ancients, with several locations and histories specified. The only limit is the DM's imagination.

The Sarcophagus of the Red Mummy-Detailed Cairn Description

The entrance is well concealed by a large boulder. Several tough bushes have taken root around the boulder, and the whole setting looks quite undisturbed.

The only evidence of its existence is a small gully in the hillside above it, obviously washed by rain water running off the hill. However, the gully disappears at the boulder, where the water all trickles into the cairn.

The boulder can be moved with a combined Strength of 45, or by the use of spear shafts or staffs as levers (25% chance of breaking).

A. Entry : A long, gradually descend ing corridor finally reaches this room. The walls are carved in relief, displaying three different murals. Though the carv ings are not more than a few inches deep, they presen t a very three-dimensional ef fect. as if the images carved on the walls extend far into the room.

To the right, a massive anny of skeleton warriors seems arrayed within the wall, as if charging directly toward the viewer. A black doorway yawns in their midst, and a stairway can be seen descending beyond the door.

Straight ahead from the entrance, the wall is carved into a display of a massive pyramid. The sun rises just over the summit of the pyramid, sending rays shooting across the rest of the wall. Arrayed near the floor are fields of grain and fruit, each crisscrossed by a maze of canals and irrigation ditches. Human figures, recognizable though rendered stiff and unnatural by the sculptor, tend these fields.

There is a secret door in the base of the pyramid, its edges concealed by the carvings of an arching pair of fruit trees. It can be opened by pulling down on one of the carved round fruit.

On the left is carved a picture of a vast, seated figure-either a giant or a god, to judge from the ranks of humans bowing toward him on every side. A black doorway and descending stairway pass between the giant's legs.

B. Stairways Down: Each of these passages is a deadly trap. The trap cannot be triggered until at least one character has descended 30 feet down the stairs. For each character on the stairs when you check, there is a 10% chance of triggering the trap. For example, four characters stand a 40% chance. Make a check each round when one or more characters is more than 30 feet down the stairway.

When the trap is triggered, the stairs collapse into a smooth ramp , sliding characters to the pit at the bottom. Here they plummet 100 feet to the bare rocks, suffering 10d6 points of damage. A character on the stairs is allowed a Dexterity check (against 1/2 of his Dex) when the trap is triggered. Success means that he stays in place instead of sliding. If a character slides onto him from above, he must make a Dexterity check (against ¼ of his Dex) or fall. Success stops the other character's slide as well as retains the first character's hold.

Alternately, a kindly DM might allow the pit to be filled with water, connected to a vast underground cavern network. After jettisoning heavy items, the PCs might be able to swim to shore. Shiver ing, nearly empty-handed, and sur rounded by darkness and horrible challenges, the party can then have a real adventure.

Each stairway runs for 120 feet.

C. True Entrance: The stairway behind the secret door is not trapped, instead leading into this high-ceilinged chamber. The walls are carved with exaggerated images of food and temples, palm trees and bird-filled marshes, all evidence of land's bounty.

Standing opposite the entrance is a large stone golem. He is pressed so tightly against the wall that he resembles the carvings. The DM can roll Intelligence checks (against 1/2 their Int) for the first couple of PCs to determine if they detect the ruse.

The golem attacks two rounds after a character enters the room, or if it is attacked by an intruder, whichever happens first. In the latter case, it loses initiative but makes an attack the same round it is attacked.

Stone Golem: AC 5; MV 6; HD 14; hp 60; THAC0 7; #AT 1; Dmg3d8; SA casts slow spell (10' range) every other round; SD + 2 weapon or better to hit.

D. Hall of Dead Warriors: The walls of this room resemble the skeleton carv ing in room A. They display rank after rank of skeleton warriors, each wearing a proud feathered headdress.

In fact, 24 of these are actual skeletons. lf a character passes more than halfway through the length of this room, the skeletons emerge from the wall and attack. The y do not pursue beyond this room; survivors step back into the walls after combat is concluded.

24 Skeletons: AC 7; MV 12: HO 1; hp 6; THAC0 19: #AT 1; 0mg ld6; SD ½ damage from sharp or edged weapons

E. Pit Traps: These are areas where the floor is a frail mat of reeds suspended over a deep pit, probably connected to the same deep labyrinth below traps in B. Assume it's 100 feet down to bare rocks. (Water if you're having a nice day.)

Each pit has a six-foot-wide ledge running along each side. Though covered over with dust so that it looks like the rest of the floor, the mat will easily collapse if poked with a pole or other prod.

F. Pool of Fortune and Madness:

This is a shallow pool of crystal pure water, practically invisible in its clarity. A smattering of gold and platinum coins are visible if light is cast upon the pool, perhaps 120 gp worth. If any coin is ever removed from here, the pool loses all of its magical properties.

Until this occurs, the pool has unique and very potent powers, capable of affecting any character who makes an offering of at least 1 gp. The result takes effect immediately. To determine exactly what happens, roll 1d20 and check the roll against the following table.

Add 1 to the die roll for every pp of value in the character's offering, up to a maximum modifier of + 5. A character can make an offering as often as he wishes, until he suffers a Madness result. After this, the pool no longer works for him.

Pool of Fortune Results
D20 Roll	Magical Effect
1-10	Madness-see confusion spell for effects, which last ld8 months
11-13	Character and companions enjoy benefits of bless spell for 1 week
14-16	Enchantment of character's favorite weapon increased by +1
17-19	All wounds suffered by character and companions are healed
20	Enchantment of character's favorite weapon increased by vorite weapon increased by +2
21	Character gains ability to use ESP as in the spell, once per day
22-23	Character's possessions all turn to platinum pieces (except weapons, armor, magical items and other valuables)
24	Character is granted 1 limited wish now, or next time he says "I wish ... "
25	Character is granted a wish, with restrictions as in 24

G. The Sarcophagus: This is the actual crypt of the mummy, preserved many centuries before by his unknown descendants. Naturally, the mummy rises from his long bier in the center of the room, attacking any who dare to enter his resting place.

Mummy: AC 3; MV 6; HD 6 +3 ; hp 32; THAC0 15; NAT 1; Dmg ldl2; SA causes fear, SD magical weapons needed to hit, only cause ½ damage

If the mummy is defeated, the plunder of his tomb is just reward. Many of the goods here, including a canoe, massive amounts of food and drink, fine leather goods, tapestries, wooden utensils, and the like have rotted to the point where they have worth only as museum pieces.

However, there 1s a golden pitcher and set of goblets worth 400 gp, not to mention the 2,500 gp of gems they contain. A small chest, its lid standing open, contains 3,000 silver pieces.

Finally. hidden in a secret compartment in the base of the bier is a trove of 1,800 platinum pieces. The secret door to this compartment is trapped, and if the trap is not removed the entire complex collapses. Characters struggling to get out in this event must roll a Dexterity check each round to avoid injury. Failure means they suffer ld6 points of damage from falling debris. On a 5-6 result on the damage roll, the character is knocked down and must spend a round getting up, making no progress toward the entrance until he does so.