Level 7: Maddgoth's Castle - Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Level 7: Maddgoth's Castle. Maddgoth's Castle is designed for four 9th-level characters, who should amass enough XP to reach 10th level. The characters can forge tenuous alliances with several of the monsters on this level. Award XP for these creatures as if the characters had defeated them in combat. The level is named after a miniature, one-twelfth-scale fortress in one of its caverns. This castle serves as the home base of Maddgoth, a serial killer who lures other wizards to his lair to murder them and keep their arcane focuses and spellbooks as trophies. Maddgoth isn't home when the adventurers first arrive, but he might show up later (see "Aftermath"). Most creatures are reduced to one-twelfth their normal size as they approach Maddgoth's castle, enabling them to better fit inside. Either by design or because of some failing, the shrinking magic doesn't affect all creatures, as adventurers who explore the castle will discover. The Original Maddgoth's Castle Undermountain: Maddgoth's Castle, written by Steven E. Schend and published in 1996, was the second of three modules in the short-lived "Dungeon Crawl" series of adventures designed for the second edition D&D game. Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage borrows some of the ideas from that earlier adventure while presenting an alternative version of Maddgoth's Castle scaled for fifth edition and this product. What Dwells Here? Maddgoth comes and goes from Undermountain with the aid of a horned ring similar to the one worn by Halaster Blackcloak. While he's away, his homunculus watches over his castle. A faerie dragon has also discovered the castle and claimed it as its lair. To reach the castle, adventurers must travel through caverns inhabited by a family of forgetful stone giants. Stone Giants Ten years ago, Halaster lured a family of stone giants to Undermountain and stripped them of most of their memories. The giants remember who they are and can recall events that happened within the last 8 hours, but eve...