the Lich-Staff

Set Up

* Traveling through the wilderness, or while relaxing m their lodgings in the Free City, a lammasu materializes among the PCs. The lammasu informs the PCs that the powers he serves (preferably the deity of a good-aligned PC priest) have discovered the whereabouts of a piece of Fraz-Urb ' luu 's staff. The protections that have contained the fragment for the past 200 years are fading fast and will soon be breached by the many powers of the lower planes who desire it. The lammasu requests that the PCs find and retrieve the staff-fragment from beneath the City Hall and retain it until such time as the powers of good can organize a force to escort it to a new hiding place.

* The PCs discover a fragment of old text that describes the imprisonment of Fraz-Urb'luu by Zagig and gives the only known locations of fragments of the demon prince's staff on the Prime Material plane. Even small shards of the staff are intensely magical, and one piece is hidden directly beneath the City Hall.

The Lair

When the chaotic evil Fraz-Urb'luu was imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk by Zagig the Archmage, his beloved staff, both a potent magical item and symbol of his power, was wrested from him. Zagig, for his own unfathomable reasons, split the staff asunder (though rumor among his contemporaries suggested he accidentally broke it while researching its properties) and hid the shards all over the many planes of existence. One of the shards was hidden in chambers that now lie directly beneath the City Hall. The location of Zagig's chambers beneath the hall is common knowledge to the membership of the sewermen and streetcleaners in the Halls. The entrance to these chambers was sealed up many years ago because of the disturbing magical effects in the area and the bizarre creations that would from time to time spring into existence and run screaming through the tunnels. For a reasonable fee, a member of the union can be convinced to lead the PCs to the bricked-up entrance.

Unfortunately for the PCs. the dwindling protection is known to some of the powers on the lower planes, who covet the shards of the staff for themselves both for the power they contain and to keep them from the hands of their rightful owner, Fraz-Urb'luu.

The Chambers of Zagig

The bricked-up entrance to Zagig's chambers can easily be broken through in one turn with suitable smashing tools or weapons, or alternatively the PCs may have some magical means to grant them to access the chamber beyond without resorting to brute force. If the PCs are accompanied by members of the Union of Sewermen and Streetcleaners, these worthies are not going to stick around to see what happens.

The chamber beyond is already occupied by two undead annis, dispatched by their lawful evil masters to await the collapse of the field of protection that contains the shard. lf the PCs resort to brute force in penetrating the bricked-up wall. the annis become invisible and attack the PCs as ther enter the chamber. If the PCs adopt some quieter form of entry, they may surprise the monsters.

Undead Annis (2): AC 0: MV 15: 110 7 + 7; hp 38, 35; THAC0 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1d8+8/1d8+8/2d4+1; SA grapple; SD 20% resistant to charm, sleep, hold, and cold-based spells; Int Very: AL CE: SZ L: XP 6.000 each.

Spell-like powers change self(1/round). fog cloud (2/day).

They are turned as "special" undead.

The chamber m which the shard is sealed is protected by a special form of prismatic sphere developed by Zagyg himself. The sphere is opaque, shimmering with blue and green light. Effecuvely a super-strength wall of force, it has so far defied all allempts by concerned indi viduals or groups to pass beyond it. Each round an object or creature is in contact with the sphere it inflicts 10d6 points of damage, and if in one round it inflicts in excess of 40 points of damage to one ob ject or creature, it transports the obJect or creature to another (random) plane of existence. The sphere itself hums and crackles; in its proximity the static electrical field causes hair to stand on end and sparks to fly from metallic objects.

The magic that holds this sphere together is obviously failing, as the shimmering wall alternates between being fully opaque and partially transparent. Beyond the sphere's boundary the far wall of the chamber and the archway can be seen.

All of a sudden the sphere's force fades completely and the way ahead is clear. This is only a false alarm, though, as one round later the field reappears. PCs on the boundary of the field must roll successful saving throws vs. spell or suffer the effects above. PCs who have crossed the boundary are trapped within the field, and those still outside are unable to join them until the field vanishes again.

If the PCs are having a partticularly hard time dealing with the annis, then one of the annis will break off combat as the sphere fades and get caught in the field as it reappears, casting the creature off the Prime Material plane.

Finally the sphere collapses for good (or bad, actually), 1d10 turns after the PCs arrive, allowing unhindered progress. But the PCs troubles are really only just beginning. The neutral evil lords also have an interest in gaining the shard and have dispatched Haas'Baalbar, a Lich, to retrieve it from its resting place. It arrives as the field collapses for good.

Haas'Baalbar, Lich: AC 0; MV 6; HD 13: hp 52: THAC0 8: #AT 1: Dmr 1d10 + paralysis: SA cause terror (less than 5 HD save vs. spell or flee for 5d4 rounds SD + 1 or better weapon to hit, immune to charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity, or death spells; AL NE: SZ M; XP 9,000.

Spells: As for a 13th level Wizard (DM's choice. plus see below).

Haas'Baalbar casts an invisibility spell on itself before entering the chamber and shadowing the PCs. It then casts detect invisibility, detect magic, and ESP on the party. If the PCs have any protective magic active, Haas' Baalbar casts dispel magic on them. Finally, it attacks. The lich fears its lords' retribution should it fail and it fights to the "death."

In the chamber at the foot of the stairs there is a small plinth upon which rests a small, beJewelcd casket. The casket was created by Zagig to hold the items he re moved from Fraz-Urb'luu. Together with numerous small gemstones of all varieties, there are four large rubies, four large emeralds, and four diamonds arranged in triangles that contain one of each type of gemstone, laid out on each of the casket's sides. The casket can only be opened if all four rubies are pressed simultaneously. If any other combination is attempted, the casket discharges 1d10 points of electrical damage.

The casket functions as a bag of holding and also has the properties of an amulet of proof against detection and location; thus no information about its contents (or whereabouts) can be discovered by magical means The casket has a sale value of 50,000 gp

Inside the casket, a piece of parchment has been wedged into the lid. The parch ment reads "The contents of this casket were the property of Fraz-Urb'luu, Prince of Deception. Help yourself by all means, but consider well the consequences quences of your actions. - Zagig." The casket contains a potion of delusion, philter of persuasiveness, oil of disenchantment, rod of beguiling, amulet of inescapable location, cloak of displacement, helm of opposite alignment, sword of life stealing, two darts of homing, and, of course, the shard of Fraz-Urb'luu's staff. The shard radiates an aura of in tense evil and seems to shift in size, shape, and color.

However, the PCs' task is not finished yet-No sooner do they eexamine the contents of the casket than Fraz-Urb'luu's advance guard teleports into the chamber. Two vampire mages have been sent ahead to secure the chamber and the shard before the rest of the force and Fraz-Urb'luu himself arrive.

Vampires, 5th level wizards (2): AC 1; MV 12, Fl 18 (C): HD 8+3; hp 55,54; THAC0 11: #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+4; SA level drain: SD + 1 or better weapon to hit; Int Exceptional; AL CE: SZ M; XP 4,000 each.

Spells: burning hands, detect good, detect magic, protection from good, darkness 15' radius, detect invisi bility, monster summoning I.

They have amulets of proof against turning, so they are turned as "special" undead.

This combat should seem to the PCs to be a desperate last stand by the forces of good against the forces of evil. There is no sign of the lammasu and the force he said would be here to relieve them. lf the PCs get the upper hand with the vampires, more vampires will arrive. At the height of the battle, a shadowy form begins to materialize, which the PCs should recognize as Fraz-Urb'luu, here to claim what is rightfully his. But the forces of good are preventing him from fully materializing on the Prime Material plane and he cannot join in the battle, although the PCs should not know this.

Just when the battle seems lost. the cavalry arrives. The lammasu and a contingent of its fellows burst into the chamber, and drive off the vampires.and claim the staff fragment. They allow the PCs to keep the rest of the magical treasure.

If the PCs attempt to leave the chamber with the staff fragment through the use of teleport spells or similar devices, they gain only a few brief rounds of respite before the vampires catch up with them and resume the battle. If the PCs give up or leave behind the shard, then they are not followed, but they can rest assured that Fraz-Urb'luu will send some of his minions after the PCs when time allows it. In this instance the PCs should only be awarded one-half experience for monsters killed.

Only a very small portion of the secret chambers Zagig created beneath the Free City is used in this adventure. The DM may wish to extend these chambers and carry on the adventure here after the staff fragment is safely in the hands of the forces of good. Perhaps the PCs may even discover clues to the disappearance of the Archmage and some indication of his present whereabouts.

Finally, the PCs have gained both some powerful allies and some exceptionally powerful and vengeful enemies.

Terrain: City of Greyhawk

Total Party Levels: 60 (Average 10th)

Total gp: 0

Monster XP: 29,000