Module
Duergar outpost (+ Grey Burrower)
East of the pool — lake cavern, duergar district, Viewing Table, Assembly Hall, Grey Burrower.
Module — Duergar outpost (+ Grey Burrower / Assembly Hall)
Status: Ready to run. Replayable and party-agnostic. Use a live table sheet / session plan to track specific party decisions and HP state.
Canonical PDFs & Handouts:
| Resource | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Session 4 DM Pack (PDF) | Full read-aloud text, encounter stats, relics, and pacing notes |
| Duergar Combat Tracker (PDF) | Compact HP tracking sheet |
| Troglodyte Combat Tracker (PDF) | Otyugh and troglodyte HP tracking sheet |
| Ethium Language Sheet (PDF) | Viewing table activation words and rune translations |
Live Session Plan: After Grey Burrower (Session 5 Plan)
Overview
East of the Ethium pool: dig / lake cavern → worked stone → duergar-held district of ancient Ethium (old dwarven halls). Features the Ethium Viewing Table lore set-piece, Assembly Hall tactical battle, Grey Burrower mid-fight chaos, and the duergar retreat behind the massive dwarven gates.
Big ideas:
- Ethium Was Alive: Ancient Ethium technology operated via an interconnected stone network.
- Duergar Occupation: Duergar and Quaggoth slaves occupy ancient dwarven halls.
- Viewing Table Mechanics: Ethium Stone (power socket) + Relic (location/memory node) →
Memory Retrieved(past vision) → glitch →Memory Updated(present live status). - Garnel’s Safe Haven: Garnel Stoneblender can remain safe back at the Ethium pool researching ancient conduits.
- The Grey Burrower: A colossal blind subterranean predator, not a trained miner monster.
Map orientation (duergar-route-sm / Druegar_sm): Approach from right-hand tunnel; grey passages = burrower routes; Assembly Hall left; Viewing Table upper-right; massive dwarven gates south → duergar city.
Key Areas & Read-Aloud Descriptions
1 — Lake Cavern & 50-Foot Cliff Face
Collapsed subterranean lake cavern after the Hall of Statues.
Read Aloud: The rough cavern ceiling opens into a vast underground vault filled with black, stagnant water. High above, a narrow archway pierces the cliff wall. The smell of damp moss gives way to dry stone, faint coal smoke, and old iron.
DM Note — Abyssal Cavern Verticality (50-Foot Drop): The corridor archway sits 50 feet above the cavern floor. Climbing down into the Otyugh lake basin or scaling up to the upper archway requires ropes and a DC 10 Athletics check.
2 — Outpost Crossroads
Worked dwarven masonry with defaced relief carvings and exposed blue mineral veins.
Read Aloud: Square-cut granite blocks replace rough cave walls. Crude iron spikes and gnawed animal bones litter the flagstones. Shadows stretch between massive square pillars.
- Encounter: 2 Duergar Guards and 2 Quaggoth Slaves.
- Tactics: Duergar use Invisibility to set up ambushes, then use Enlarge (1/day) to swell to 8 feet tall. One guard may attempt to flee down the hall to warn the Assembly Hall.
3 — Ethium Viewing Table Chamber
Square room of polished pale stone standing out sharply against rough dwarven tunnels.
Read Aloud: Atop raised stone steps stands a rectangular table cut from a single block of pale Ethium stone. At its center lies a two-foot circular opening surrounded by interlocking grooves, with a stone socket at its rim and a shallow carved tray beside it.
- Activation: Pressing an Ethium Stone into the socket powers the table. A crystal sphere rises from the central opening and prompts:
ready, accessing [ Memory ], memory updating. - Relic Memory Sequence:
- Placing an item on the tray projects a 3D vision in the sphere: Memory Retrieved (ancient past) → static glitch → Memory Updated (live present view).
| Relic | Past Memory | Present Live Status |
|---|---|---|
| Explorer’s Compass | Ancient Explorer’s Guild hall in bustling Ethium | Same hall converted into Duergar outpost barracks |
| Ethium Smith’s Hammer | Great Forge ringing with dwarven crafters | Forge overrun by Duergar with iron cages and slave pens |
| Child’s Drawing | Dwarf family with a dog inside a stone home | Ruined family cottage now quiet and broken |
| Ethium Battleaxe / Weapon | Busy ancient Ethium forge and armory | Dark Duergar garrison riding giant subterranean spiders |
| Healing Pool Water | Citizen lowered into blue healing pool | Live view of Garnel Stoneblender & Poopy Joe at the pool |
| Old Manor Stone | Ethium royalty holding court in a castle | Manor ruins occupied by Goblins, Ogres, and Hobgoblin King |
4 — Assembly Hall
A high-ceilinged grand dwarven hall converted into a Duergar military outpost with mining carts, barricades, and weapon racks.
Read Aloud: Soaring stone pillars support a vaulted ceiling high in the darkness. Fortified wooden barricades block the central avenue, behind which stand heavy Duergar guards and chained, snarling Quaggoths. At the far southern end, two colossal dwarven gates seal off the lower city.
- Garrison: Duergar Captain, 3 Duergar Soldiers, 2 Crossbow Duergar (flanking behind pillars), 2 Quaggoth Slaves.
- Mid-Fight Event — Grey Burrower Eruption (~Round 4-5):
- The floor shakes violently as a 40-foot blind worm erupts through the stone flags.
- Neutral predator: attacks Duergar and intruders alike, swallowing a creature whole or slamming its tail.
- Resolution & City Gates:
- When the Captain falls or the Burrower causes chaos, surviving Duergar retreat toward the south.
- Spider-mounted Duergar cavalry emerge beyond the gate to drive off/dispatch the worm, and the massive dwarven gates slam shut with a deafening BOOM.
Encounters & Creature Stats
Outpost Rooms (DM Pack)
| Creature | AC | HP | Attacks & Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duergar Guard (×2) | 16 | 26 | War Pick +5 (1d8+3), Javelin +5 (1d6+3). Enlarge 1/day (+1d4, Large), Invisibility 1/day. |
| Quaggoth Slave (×2) | 13 | 45 | Multiattack: 2 Claws +6 (2d4+4). Climb 30 ft. Wounded Fury (adv. on melee attacks when HP ≤ 22). |
Assembly Hall (DM Pack)
| Creature | AC | HP | Role & Attacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duergar Captain | 16 | 45 | War Pick +5 (1d8+3; +1d4 enlarged). Enlarge, Invisibility, optional Command Ally. |
| Duergar Soldier (×3) | 16 | 26 | War Pick +5 (1d8+3), Javelin +5. Formation tactics. |
| Crossbow Duergar (×2) | 16 | 22 | Heavy Crossbow +4 (1d10+2), Dagger +4 (1d4+2). Takes cover behind pillars. |
| Quaggoth Slave (×2) | 13 | 45 | Multiattack: 2 Claws +6 (2d4+4). Wounded Fury. |
Grey Burrower (DM Pack)
| Trait | Value |
|---|---|
| AC | 15 |
| HP | 68 |
| Speed | 30 ft, burrow 30 ft (Tremorsense 60 ft) |
| Multiattack | Bite +6 (2d10+4, Grapple escape DC 13) + Tail Slam +6 (2d8+4, DC 13 STR or Prone) |
| Burrow | Vanish into stone → erupt within 30 ft on next turn |
| Tunnel Collapse | On emerge: creatures within 10 ft must make DC 12 DEX save or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage; ground becomes difficult terrain |
Tracker-Sheet Alternate (Compact)
| Creature | AC | HP | Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quaggoth | 13 | 30 | Claw +5 (1d6+3) |
| Quaggoth Brute | 13 | 45 | 2 Claws +5 (1d6+3) |
| Duergar Guard | 16 | 20 | War Pick +4 (1d8+2), Javelin +4 |
| Sergeant Brokk | 16 | 28 | War Pick +4 (1d8+2) |
| Duergar Captain | 16 | 35 | Multiattack (2 picks) |
Environmental & Tactical Actions
| Action | Check / DC | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Push Mining Cart | STR DC 12 | Moves cart 20 ft; targets in path make DC 12 DEX save or take 1d6 bludgeoning + prone |
| Collapse Rubble | AC 10 (10 HP) / STR DC 13 | Creates difficult terrain; blocks line of sight |
| Leap onto High Rubble | DEX DC 12 | Grants high ground advantage; off-ground position confuses Burrower tremorsense for 1 round |
| Lure Burrower | DC 12 / Clever Distraction | Using loud noise, meat, or metal draws the Burrower’s focus to a target area |
Treasure & Signature Relics
Signature Relics
- Explorer’s Compass: Small brass compass with a glowing blue crystal needle. Points toward the nearest Ethium Stone rather than magnetic north. Unlocks Explorer’s Guild memory at an Ethium Viewing Table. (Campaign-defining relic).
- Ethium Smith’s Hammer: Perfectly preserved masterwork hammer. Unlocks Great Forge memory. Used for repairing, reforging, or understanding Ethium metalwork.
- Child’s Drawing: Fragile parchment depicting a dwarf family, dog, stone home, and glowing blue crystal. Unlocks Family Home memory. Emotional value, no gold value.
Container & Captain Loot
- Captain’s Pouch: 25–40 gp, polished platinum ring, Duergar emblem token, old dwarven key fragment, written orders in Dwarvish, and a heavy ring holding four iron keys (stamped with dwarven runes for side doors, supply stores, and slave pens).
- Climbing Gear Cache: Coiled hempen rope ladders, iron pitons, and climbing harnesses stacked near supply crates. Makes scaling the 50-foot cavern cliff face and lake wall safer for future travel.
Maps & Visual Assets
| Asset Name | View Link |
|---|---|
| Duergar Outpost Route Map |  |
| Beyond the Pool Cavern Map |  |
| Troglodyte Route Map |  |
| Explorer’s Compass Item Card |  |
Related DM Documentation & Links
| Category | Reference Link |
|---|---|
| Live Table Plan | After Grey Burrower (Session 5 Live Plan) |
| Session Plan | Session Plan 4: Duergar Outpost |
| Session Log | Session 4 Table Play Log |
| Novel Chapter | Chapter 7: The Ethium Viewing Table and the Burrower |
| Previous Module | Ethium Pool Hub Module |
| Side Modules | Kruthik Lair Module · Troglodyte Caves Module |
| Place Lore | Ethium Underground City Lore |
| Character Lore | Garnel Stoneblender Profile |