Panic Room

There are books scatter on the floor of the foyer, with There are books scattered on the floor of the foyer, with stairs leading to the second floor on the righthand side of the room. In the wall under the stairs, there is a strange device with seven slots. In one of the slots is a metal card with holes punched in it. This is fragment A. The hallway is blocked by fallen bookcases just past the first door to the dining hall, DC20 Strength check to remove. Tiny creatures may do a DC10 Acrobatics check to move past the blockade.

The sitting room has several small chaises in it, and more books. As characters enter the room, the switch bodies with any living creature already there. The switch is undone when they leave the room.

The dining hall has a molded and dessicated meal set at it. At the head of the table is a large gelatinous dessert with fragment B in it. As a character goes to retrieve the fragment, the gelatin grows to Medium size and comes alive.

There are 1d4 health potions in the cupboards, as well as many common magical reagents. Room Description

A skeleton (the estate's servant) is seated at the table in this room. They are holding fragment C. The keycard may be removed on a DC25 Strength check. Regardless of success, the skeleton will animate, and the players will enter combat. At the end of each round, the skeleton will alternate between animated and inanimate. Players may defeat the skeleton, or succeed at a the strength check, to retrieve the card.

The larder is chilly and permanently dark. If they choose to search for the fragment while the room is dark, each search takes 1 minute, roll on the following table to see what they find. 1d6 Result 1 A tuba 2 47 handkerchiefs tied together 3 fragment D 4 Julia Child's The Joy of Cooking 5 An alchemy jug (DMG p. 150) 6 A mannequin which eerily resembles a party member

A staircase on the lefthand-side of the room leads down to the library. From this balcony level, the party can see fragment E on a table near the middle of the room, nearly directly underneath a large chandelier. Surrounding the table is a maze of bookcases. If they enter the maze to approach the table, they must pass a DC13 Wisdom saving throw or become lost for 1d12 hours and repeat the saving throw.

Stairs lead down from here to the foyer. A DC10 Perception check (or passive Perception of 15) will reveal the sound of footsteps from above. (Lorrestar, in his panic room.)

Stairs lead up from here to the attic. The floor is worn red carpet, with large circular brown stains on it. If characters step on the red, they must make a DC12 Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 fire damage. To move only on the brown stains, they must pass a DC10 Acrobatics check. (The floor is lava.)

Any character who looks at the mirror above the dresser in this room must pass a DC10 saving throw or spend the next minute laughing at their reflection.

Fragment F is in a drawer of a desk in the study. DC18 Lockpicking, DC25 Strength to open. The key is on the vanity in the Master Bedroom.

As characters step onto the balcony, they see fragment G on the ground. A moment later they shrink to 1:12 scale and will be attacked by 1d4+2 ravens coming down from the roof. At this size, the fragment weighs the equivalent of 60 pounds, heavily encumbering most characters.

The key to the study desk is on a vanity. Taking a short rest on the bed has all the benefits of taking a long rest, but only one character may use the bed in this way at a time. A random party member must make a DC13 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to take a short rest on the bed.

Include treasure of your choice, or use the roll table in the appendix.

The bathtub is full of algae-covered water, which may be useful if Lorrestar is aggressive and sets fire to one or more parts of the house.

Stairs lead down from here to Hallway #1. As the party enters the hallway, a strong wind picks up and attempts to blow them back downstairs.

Roll for a treasure hoard for CR0-4 from the DMG, p. 137 to fill these rooms.

This room is locked until all fragments are placed in the dispel magic device in the foyer closet. Lorrestar is in a pocket dimension which opens into the panic room. Resolution Once the party has dispelled magic by placing the collected fragments in their slots, all magic in the house is dispelled: the skeleton de-animates, the pantry is no longer permanently dark, Hallway #1 no longer is lava, the wind in Hallway #2 ceases, the balcony no longer shrinks characters, the library is no longer a maze. Lorrestar may be friendly and thankful, or aggressive. If he is friendly, Lorrestar may teach characters History proficiency during downtime, and wizards may learn spells from his library. Lorrestar will also reward the players for any spell scrolls or books they bring him. (I would also award the party Lorrestar's XP value for completing the adventure.) If he is aggressive, Lorrestar may use misty step to jump around the house, taking convenient shots at the players until he has exhausted his spell slots, at which point he may attempt to flee the estate, to make a future appearance. If the estate is empty, the house may collapse due to age and the magic protecting it weraing off.