emer ee) it x Eantion odTABLE 1: PASSWORDS AND SECRET KNOCKS pocks to enter Areas FL-4 enter Areas G14 knocks to enter Areas Hts: from D. Sequence of knocks to enter Areas N Password to enter Are CLUE: relly a5 sever as the one that you ean eet see things you've not seen before, he doer 's died before SOLUTION: The flowerin a sunflower. Trace a circle (the sui) upon the door, either with one of the cravelitiy claws found in Area For with thelhand of any character who-has been raised from the dead. reinc d Password to enter Areas G3e< from G2 CLUE: Like a king in the land of So enter h my gate And if you would travel far, In your pocket. carry a star: SOLUTION: — The complete saving is; "In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king." The solution is ta enter this room with one eve closed. In addition. the character must carry a drawing of a star. One way of satistying this candifion would be te use one of the-star charts in Room 2 af Area H. But atthe DM's discretion, a hand-drawn star will do, he blind, Password to ente CLUE: G3ac from Gt eos upon my WoO Apd I'll become your handsome prince TH take-you to a place th yu it SOUSTION: The the quasit form lovers do “ 18° —vither real frog o pa it Area M in- their ansmal tel ne dows. Entering “as rs do refers to the Eaee that ters passing through this hands as they eroas the single chacacter is the second Uhreshhe attempting thi LEGEND FOR ALL MAPSDungeon 24 Edition The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga by Lisa Smedman Introductio Re . Adventuring Inside the Hut . The Deaully Dance Concluding the Adventure aba aga ste ess sais dpdesee Credits sa Smedman pv Producti Ansscrm Desras fe Daacens ABAD, DUNGEON MASTER, anal Dancow ane ested De tags teak gory Ts A ies in th bocktrede er Englh lagu penta cf TSK In isi inthe Url Nesom by TSK Lid Bribie tothe wy ant ebb rade by togeet aes pistecta under the copyright laesofte Laied States ieotberiningisbantnd wilful the apres ete pr Tsk 2 racranhEnd Etec Chasey He USA od KingsThe Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga is an adventure designed to challenge highslovel player charac- ters (PCs), It has been structured for levels 7 through 20 and can be played with a variety of character’ classes. Characiers below level 7 should ot go adventuring in this module. ‘The adventure pits the PCs ina battle of wits against Baba Yaga-an anciont and powerful sar- -ceress-and against the extremoly powerful, semi- sentient artifact she has created: her “dancing hut.” It contains a mixture of problem-solving, sombat, tricks and traps, and role-playing While higher-level characters might be tempted to try to kit! Baba Yaga and steal her but, this is not the focus of the adventure. Instead, Baba Yoga is intended as a nonplayer charactor (NPC) who can havea recurring role in a cam- Paign. The adventure is broken down into four parts, The first section, Story Background, gives the history of Baba Yago-boih as she is described in Russian folklore and in AD&D* campaign terms. ‘The second section, Adventuring Inside the Hut, gives gencral information on how the hut changes from world ta world-and how magie i warped within the hut and what effect this wil awe on the PCs, ‘The third section, The Deadly Dane, is the actual adventure. In it, the hut's exterior and each ‘of its 36 interior areas are mapped and described, This section opens with a number of “hooks” that the Dungean Master (DM) can use to entice the PC into the hut, and concludes with ideas for fature Baba Yaga encounters. The fourth section, Baba Yaga, contains the Statistics needed to run Baba Yaga as an NPC, Because this adventure makes heavy use of spells and magical items from the Tame of Magic, it is recommended that the DM havea copy of this book. In Russian folklore, Baba Yaga was a powe ful “ogre” (a generic Russian term for an evil female wizard, rather than the AD&D game mon- ster) who traveled about the countryside in a fly- auldran, searching for human victims to co0k in her oven, She used a magical broom to sweep away all races of her passage, and lived in 8 peculiar hut that stood on two giant bird legs. ‘The falktales deseribe Baba ‘Yaga as a withe cred hag, with a long nose, messy haie, and false teeth farged of iron. She was so thin that she ‘amed the derogatory title “Bony Logs.” She hob- bled around her Inut on squeaky shoes, and her eyes flashed witha keen int Baba Yaga bad a number of fantastic magical powers, She could cause thunder to grumble or ‘the winds to havl, could command the sun to ise and tact, and could detect a person's nallane ality by sniffing him, Inside her hut was a foune thin that contained the “woters of life,” a treasure trove of magical herbs and teas, and a vast horde of precious metals, When there was housework to be done, she stummoned a pair of floating ands te tidy up. Attimes, Baba Yoga acted in a benevolent fashion, rewarding with magical gifts the young rls who were sent to heras servants, But she also had a more fearsome aspect. Baba Yaga, it was said, accompanied Death as he made his rounds, greedily devouring the spirits of those whom Death dispatched. This ancient sorceress ("Baba means “ok” would ansiver the questions of those who came to petition her, but paid a price for doing so-each question made her age one year. “Your endless questions make my old bones ache,” she would complain, ‘There are hints that the petitioner also paid a price, In Baba Yaga's own words, “Peaple who know too much grow old before their time” Baba Yaga’s Quest In the AD&D multiverse, the hut of Baba Yaga travels from ane world to the next, “dancing” (plane shifting) its way through the planes. From her eantrol room deep within its eore, Baba Yoga directs the hut to areas where she can collect ‘Magical items to add to her trove of treasures.Although Baba Yaga is one of the most pow- erful wizards in existence, she has not yet suc- eceded in her most ambitious goal-immortal While she has perfected a number of spells andl magical devices that ean either prolong her life or snatch hee back from Death's icy grip, she still fears that, ane day, one of these might fail For several years now, Baba Yaga has accom: panied the minions of Death-minor beings whe conduct Death’s business on the Prime Material Plane. She has learned from them the art of feed- ing upon the spirits af the dying, utterly destroy- ing them in a magical process that transfers the energy of life inta sustenance for herself (for details, see the description of Baba Yaga at the end of this book). Baba Yaga has recently captured several of these Minor Deaths, and hopes to use them as a Ture to capture Death itself. Once she has cap- (ured Death, Baba Yaga plans to exact a promise that Death will never come taclaim her. In practice for this ambitious plan, Baba Yoga has tested her trap an a number of other arch: (ypes-personifications of those primal energie that priests call forces, She has already captured and released an entite trilogy of forces: Light, Darkness, and Twilight, As ransom, Baba Yaga has gained the power to call upon any of three at will.She naw has complete control over the da tion of daylight and darkness an any of the worlds she visits, and can control the arrival of dawn and dusk on any of the worlds her hut inhabits, She can extend daylight when searchin; for something, oz draw down darkness when she needs to conceal her actions, The Companions of Death ‘The Complete Priest's Handbook describes thee dif- ferent powers a priest can worship and draw magical potwers from: a god, a force, or a philoso- phy. A force is described as a mystical povver that stvongly affects the warld, but which probably doesn't have a mind. For the purpases of this adventure, it is not ‘important shat these forces are, & farce could be more powerful than a deity-and several gods might draw their own powers from these forces. “The reverse might also be true; several gods might work together to create and maintain the force. in any easg, itis asstimed that a force can assume a ‘physical form, similar (o adeity’s avatar. ‘One of the most powerful forces is Death, whose avatar is a hooded, skeletal figure. When inavotar form, Death rides a “pale” or greenish: yellow horse, Death docs not appear in this adventure, but the DM may choose to have it make anappearance at a later point if the sugges tions found in the Concluding the Adventure section are used, The three lesser forces that appear in this adventure are Light, Darkness, and Twilight During, this adventure, the FCs may occasionally glimpse theavatats of these three forces (a white night mounted on a white horse; a black knight on a black horse; and aed knighton a red horse). The avatars that Death makes use of are known as Minor Deaths, their task is to dispatch those whom, Death wants to claim permanently: Death is not all powerful, and sometimes loses a victim as a result of a ratse dend, resurrection or reinceruntion spell; however, any creature slain by Minor Death is permanently destroyed (no I can interfere where death itself take and). ‘While there can be literally thousands of Minor Deaths on any given world they are fairly weak creatures (soe description page 28). ‘Note: If this adventure takes place in a cams paign world with a well-defined and rigid cos: mology, the DM ean alter the descriptions of the forces accordingly. Instead of using forces, the id use the gods of death, darkness or ht or sun, and dawn, Wherever a descrip ‘ghostly horseman” appears, the shoulel substitute a teseription of a ghostly ppropriate deity, The DM might also wish to change Area Gi (the stables) of the hut to something more appropriate for those gods" forms of conveyanee, acti ———_BCU Ua CRU g The Hut's Changing Appearance Baba Yaga’s hut has been described a number of times in previous TSR products. In the Buncrons &« Dracons® supplement Eldritch Wiz dry, it was deseribed as a hovel, 10 to 15 f. 1 interior that was larger by tress the Unusual property of being impervious to metal which possed through her withouteffect. al hardeover Duxcrox Mastin® ed as being just 10 feet high+but containing within it some 39 roomsan three separate floors, The guide gave the DM the option of choosing between dozens of different powers, malevolent effects, and side offects for thisantif Bracox* Magazine fssuc 83, the hut con: tained dozens of rooms, grouped into 48 areas that were organized in the form of a tesseract. Wherever the hut stood, wilklife in a five-mile radius fled from it, A gate made of bones and magical sku ‘The w pre-programmed defer actions andl movements were contra ‘Yaga fram a contol roam deep will rior. Due to its extroplanar construction, the hut scauld both plane shi part. In the ADE&D 2nd Edition Hook of Artifacts the hut was described as “quasi It could see and h cally witha its mas than 30 rooms: within them, on could use summoning, interdimer ‘or teleportation spells the years, the hut was si deseribed as circular, other times as hexay Ench description gave slightly different statistics for the hut’s legs, as well as different movement tes, attack statistics, andr kewwise, the distance over wi hut could ‘be summoned varied, as diel the command phrase used toentee it Baba Yaga herself has also been described in more than ane TSR product. One of the earliest descriptions can be fund in Daacow® Magazine Issue 53, Each time, her powersand attributes were slightly different, Why the Changes Occur ‘The hut is a powerful artifact, created ages ager by Baba Yaga-one of the mest powverfl wizards ofall time. This ancient crone built her hone s6 that ‘was climensionally folded; higher levels af the hut occupy the same throe-dimensional space as lower levels. The result isan artifact whose interior com- prises a discrete demiplane. Due to this unique form of construction, thehut only partially touches upon the known planes oF existence, Because the laws governing magic in a demi- plone are determined by the creator of that demi- plane fin this case, Bala Yaga), the hut is impervious toa mimber of mundane attacks and magical effects. Within is walls, magie is warped ina number of unusual ways, (See the sections Magical Immunities of the Hut, and Magi¢ Inside the Hut) Each time the hut enters a different workd ils exterior undergoes subtle changes. This is why ils general appearance and attributes are slightly dlifferent in each campaign world, tthe same tire that fhe Ivut changes, Baba 2 herself undergoes minor changes. While her basic appearance and general alributes remain thesame, she experiences slight alterations in her powers from one world tothe next, Baba Yoga is aware of these changes, and always careful ta shift her hut only to those worlds where the changes will (ork to her advantage. There are some worlds Baba Yaga sefuses 10 visi Layout of the Hut’s Interlor Uecause the interior of Baba Yaga’s hut sionally folded, its layout is dramatically tecon- jgured each time the hut entersa different work, This change is instantaneous. The number ofPU ee emt ls rooms changes, as does their size and shape, as the hut's interior conforms to a pattem based on a different geometric figure, At the sate time, the contents of the hut automatically rearrange them- selves to suit the new Iayaut. The anly constant is that the interior walls, which are made of stone, always remain five fect thick, During a rearrangement, some inanimate objects disappear, while others mianitest them- selves, Creatures that have taken tip permanent residence inside the hut are also altered, Crea- tures or characters who are merely visiting the hut when it steps into another plane, however, remain the same. They siriply find themselves in. new surroundings of a similar natue (for exam- ple, if they were confined in eells before, they are still confined in colls-butt their prison has a slightly different shape! Fortunately for Baba Yoga, het memory of the Hur's interior changes at the same time that the layout changes, She instantly knows all roam shapes and sizes, the locations of all can- necting doorways and secret passages, and any magical properties or abilities that the hut has gained or lost Note: It isnot recommended that Baba Yaga’s hut step into another world while the PCs are inside it, since this will require the DM to com: pletely sedrait the interio The interior of Haba Yaga's but alyvays con- figures itself around a precise geomettic shape. In some worlds, it takes the form of a tesseract (a al figure composed of eight nor- mal cubes joined along their faces) and has 48 areas; each “area” can be composed of several rooms. In other worlds, it takes the form of a re with 3Dareas he hut's interior is config 11a series of equilateral triangles nested together in groups that share the same three- nal space, similar to a geometric fractal. Fe a fatal of éareas on thrve levels (16 areas on Level 1, 16 areas on Level and four areas on Level 3). Level 1 should peove a survivable challenge for PCs of levels as PCs of levels 1317 can venture Into the more dangerous territory of Level 2. Level 3 should be attempted anly by PCs of levels 15-20. Mapping Because the hut is dimensionally folded, map ping is difficult; the areas-will not fit together properly if mapped ona single sheet of graph Paper For this reason, each area in this module is mapped separately. A letter besidea door or por- tal indlieatos the area(s) that it leads te. Diagram 1: Areas of the Hut (found on the inside front cover) provides a visual representation of how the areas relate to one another. Any two ‘es that share a common boundary are connected by eloors oF portals (some of them concealed). Level 1 includes Arcas A-P, Level 2 is made up of four “quadrants” (FL-4, G1-4, HI-4, Ml-#) cach of which contains four areas. Level 3 ineludes Areas Gaa-d. Each of the higher levels has been dimen- sionally folded to occupy the same three-dimen- sional space asthe level(s) “below” it, To gain aceess to these higher levels, the PCs must either use a specific combination of knocks (to enter vel 2) o7 must use a “passivord” (to enter Entering Level 2 Each quadrant (a group of four rooms with the same letter designation)}-on Level 2 is entered by «using a different combination of knocks, One com- bination of knocks opens a passage to Areas F1-4, another combination is used to open a passage to G14, thid opens the way to H1-4, anvta fourth to MI-t, Here’s an cxample of how it wor Normally, a character leaving Ares B would only be able to-enter anather Level 1 area—Area C cor Area F. But if the correct sequence of knocks is used, the character can use the door that nor- mally leads to Area ad enter Areas Flt The area to which the randomly enPee aurea determined by rolling 1c, Suppose the character winds up in Area F2 From here, she may pass into.any of the other areas in the quadrant (F1, F3, of FA), As soon as she leaves the quadrant, however, she returns to Level I-unless she knows the correct combina- fon af knocks to access the adjacent quadrant on Level 2. If, for example, she knows the combination ‘of knacks that gives access to Areas G1-4 from ‘Agea F she can pass from the Flt quadrant to the G1-4 quadrant by using an appropriate door (for ‘example, from Arca F3 to Area GI) Nate: Characters stepping from one quac- ranton Level 2 to another do not enter a ran- domly determined area. A door leads to randomly determined area within a quadrant canly when a creature is entering Level 2 from Level There is only one combination af knecks per quadrant of arcas, but the sequence af Knacks within this combination is changed, depending upon which direction the quadrant is being entered from. FI-4, for example, requires the fol- loving combinations: 3/5/4 fram Area Bi 4/3/5 from area E;and 5/4/3 from. Area G. The DM should encourage players ta knack on the table when trying combinations, Entering Level 3 Level 3 can only be entered fram Areas Gl, G2, oF Gilby a character who uses the appropriate “pass word” (performs a specifie series of actions) while passing through a door that noranally leads to Area ‘G3. ILis not possible to enter Level 3 from Level f ‘Those usinga door leading to Level 3 from Level 2 will find that it leads to-an agea that i delermined randomly: (Roll a 1d3: 1= Area G33; 25 Area Gab; 3=Area G3c,) These three areas are interconnected, ane! form the trap: that Baba hopes to use against Death. Each has a secret door leading to the central control roam (Area G3d). The control room can not be entered fain Level 2ar from Level 1, —— 6 A character leaving any of the outer rooms ‘an Level 3 (G3a, GSb, or G3) automatically steps hack down to the adjoining area on Level 2 (for ‘example, character inG3cexits either into either ‘G2or Gi, depending upan which door is used). Magical Immunities of the Hut Baba Yaga’s hut has a number of intrinsi nities to magic. The hut as a whale is impe: to all magical attack forms, whether by spell, psionic power, ar magical item. The only magical items that could cone ably harm the hut (except its legs, which can be temporarily damaged by magical weapons or spelle) are a sphere of annthitation, an extraepowwer* fal diutensional mine, or a disintegration chamber lange enough to encompass the entire hut. ‘Should someone attempt to use any of these magical ilemsagainst thehut, it either maves awa from them at the greatest speed possible or plate shifts to another warld, Even if unable to escape, the hut can still atiempt asaving throw vs, spells as a 25th-lovel wizard. If the hut fails the saving thro it is destroyect, The resulting implosion tears hole in space, leaving a gaping portal (about the same size as the hut) that opens directly onto the Astral Plane, This opening, closes after 1d4 days. If the save succeeds, the hut is unharmed. Magical Resistances All materials that are integral to the hut’s construction (such as floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows) radiate strong magical aura and are impervious to the following spells: age object, dispel magic, enchant ar iter, enlarge, -glassee, linted soish, meld into stone, passwall, phase door, soften, spike stones, slone shape, stone to flesh, transimide metal 10 wood, turn waned, and wish, and to the psionic powers disintegrate, molecular agitation, and molecular rearrange: ment. They are also completely unaffected by the following magical items: raatfock of the titans; mauof Ue titans; rad of cancelation; cand of negation itn f ice aleralion, ‘ivaddition, the huts structural components can subvert a number of spells. Anyone trying to force a portion of te ut to serve as an alarm or make noise (for example, by using the spells alarm, ruagie mouth, shrieking walls, or squcaking floors) finds that it has “mind of its owe” and can produce these sounds in eandam fashion. PCs trying to mark ane of the tut’s surfaces: mage ically (for exaruple, with the spells wizard mark, slyph of wseding, ar symbol) finds that the marks disappear and become ineffetiveas soon as they ane inscribed. Surfaces can, however, be marked by mundane means-with nonmagical chalk or paint, for example, Baba Yaga, however, cam use her magic to mark the walls, These markings, since they are not an integeal part ef the hut, can be dispensed ‘with in the usual ways (for example, with erase or afispe! maagic spells Note: All furnishings, portable objects, and non-structiral magical items within the but do not share the but’s immuntties. They can be affected by spells, psionics, andl magical items. Spell Stealing ‘The hut’s structural components also can take control of the following spells: crushing walls; Evard's black tentacles, Maxtmitian’s stony grasp; stone ship tentacle walls; transmit rack to sad. any of these spells are cast on one of the hat’s s faces, the Init ean choose to store the spell energy and use it against the intruclers. Fortunately, this ability is not transforable from ane avea of the hut to another; the spell can be manifested only within the avea in which it was east-albeit within any room af that area The huit effectively “memorizes" the spell, which it can “east” without having to resort to Verbal, somatic ar matertel components (which awere provicied by the wizard or priest when the spell was first cast), The spell remains in the huts memory for up to 24 hours ee) Adventuring Inside the Hut Lies and Half-Truths Finally; the hut's semi-sentiont status conveys: he ability to lie, Should it be subjected to fell, the only truc answer will give is its:name: “the daneing hut of Baba Yoga." The DM is frce to fabricate Bes or half-truths for any other questions the hut is asked. Maglc Inside the Hut Because this adventure takes place w crful magical artifact, spells and magi not have their usual results when cast or used inside the hut General Limltations. Becnuse of the dimensional folding used in its con- steuction, na magical spell, psionée power, ar spell- Te effect proxluized by a magical item will function ‘beyond the range ofa single area-even if the areas are within the same quadrant. For example, any spell enst from Area A to Area B (or from Area FI to Area F2,0¢ from Area Gla to GIb) disappears into another dimension as it passes through a con necting dooriray oF portal, and is wasted. The samae thing happens to aspel east fram the interior of the hut ta the exterior (oF vice versa). A spell ‘may, however, be-east fram one room to another, as Jong as both reonts are within asingleanea. ‘Within the lust, magic affects any the area in which it is east. Spells or magical effects that fila volume of space expand to the limit of the space available in an.aeea; the rest seeps off into another dimension. Spells that produce a wall or sphere are even more limited, The wall or sphere can ‘expand no further than the limits of a particular does not expand into ar through the ut itself, There are two exceptions to this rule: If magic is cast directly upon a creature or object, the magical effect can mave with the crea ture ar abject from ong area to the next. A charace fer who is invisible, for example, maintains this —invisibility while passing from Area A to Area B. ‘The second exception is that Baba Yaga can cast magic from one area to the next. Because the hut isaltuned to her magi¢, hee spells are not lim ited to a single area and may pass through door ways or portals With ease. She is not able, however, lo use magical items in this fashion; the cffects of a magical item-even one in Baba Yaga’s hhands-are still Timited toa single anea, Teleportation It is possible to feleport or blink within the hut, but only within a single area (for example, from one room in an area to another, of ene part of a room to another). Spells that allows other forms of teles portation (such as dimension door, transport via plants, or ewiish) ane similarly limited. So that she and her most trusted minions might teleport from one area 16 another inside the 5 constructed five magical nensional keys” that make this possible. Each looks like a bronzed chicken’s foot, and allows the person carrying it to teleport without restcice tion within the hut. Each key has been treated ecl Nystl’s nulgien! aa spetl to give appearance of a non-enagical trinket. This ue spell hasbeen created by Baba: Yaga and od irvane of hee spell books, Ifthe DME may be wrilten up and made available tothe PCs Baba Yaga wears one of these keys on a thong around her wrist. The other four have been entrusted to the pit fiends in Area GI. Jeleport in toany area to deal harshly’ ‘and vandals. Should one of the keys fall into the wrong hands (and should Baba Yaga become aware of this) she will send one of these pit fiends to recover it. If there are no pit fiends left, she will send a clay golem from Area D ar a quasit imp: from Area M. APC using one of the keys musthaveat least viewed the area he wishes to travel to; ifthe PE feleports to.an unknown destination, the spell PRM yO CULL backfires, with one of the results described in the “Dimensional Disasters” section. The key dacs not allow its holder to escape the hut or access another plane-only to move freely between areas, Planar Contact Baba Yaga has constructed the hut so thal crea~ tures inside it cannot contact any of the known planes of existence-ineluding the Prime Material Plane that exists just outside its door, Creatures cor ebjects from another plane can neither be sum- moned nor banished. The following spells have no effect when used within the Rut-even by Baba Yaga herself-execept in those areas that are specifically stated to be in contact with a particular plane, or where the creature the caster [s attempting to summon occupies another raom within the same area (in which ease the creature is merely sum moned from one rom to ancther) ‘Wizard spells: asteal spells banishment; saints; coajure elemental; conjure spell compo- ismissal; dispel coll istance distortion; Drawmij’s instant sunnmons; cuergir drain cnsnarenrent; estate transference: frat familias; gate; Hornung's random dispatcher: imprisonment; fittensify summoning; invisible stalker; Khuzid’s procuremiett; Leomund’s secret chest; major creation; minor éreation; monster sunte mowing (-¥IE; motel; prismatic sphere, prismatic spray and prismatic wall (violet layer cannot send creatures (o another plane); rope trick; ‘sales; shadow ead; shadote form; skadote magic: shadow monsters shadow watks summon tycar= thropes summon shadow; stimmon swasim; cant (no link to Ethereal Plane) vision. erfal servant; abjure; animal hionte; imimal summoning F-11 astral spell; astral windows, call woodland keings; chariot of Sustarre; conjure animals; conjure eartt elemental; conjure fie elemes- tal; courtact ather plane; creeping doonr; dispel evils dust devik elemental stoarm; etferwalk; gate; holyPUNO em Comte Ly words insect plague; join swith astra? travefer; mind read, mind trackers planar quest; plane shift; shindoro engines: speak with astral inrvcler: stalker; succor; siimmon inscchs; undead plague; ward matrix; wolf spirits; wond of recall. Pstonic powers: a dream travel; probab creature. 1 projection; banishment; iy travel; summon planar Magical items: ‘The following items either do nat function or have limited powers, due to the lack of planar connections with which to sum- mon creatures: amulet of the planes: boto! cane- monding water elementals; Brazier commanding fare elementals; razier of sleep smoke; censer coutrollias, elementals; eubie gate: deck of many things (void, flames and skull cards go temporarily blank while inside hit); efeurendad compass; horn of the tritons: hors af Valiatla; stirrer of ricutal prowess (partal ability lost); oil of ethereal ess pipes of the sears: late mail of etherealaess; ring of djinni sirmmoning: ring of elemental cavernnaed {passwol! ability lost); robe of stars, rad af passage {can only teleport within rooms ina single area); staff of te elementats (passccall ability lost) staff of the magi (passwall and plane travel abilities lost); stone of cantrolling «rth efementals; stoord of te planes (functions as +1 weapan, except when, used against opponents from inner or outer planes) talisman of pure good: talisuran of ultimate it; Trimia’s calalog ue of outer Plane actifactss sean of conjuration; eand of wonder, Note: Powers are lost only while inside the hut and return when object is again outside the hut ot when itis inan area with a connection to the appropriate plane: All properties that do not rely upon planar contact continue to function nor- mally inside the hut. Contact with Deities Yagga’s hut is on especially dangerous place for pricsis (including clerics and druids). These characters are cut off from contact with th deities. While inside the hut, they-are unable to use the following spells: augiry; communes com inuble wilh nature; consequence; divination; divine inspiration; draw npon holy miight; genius; spirit of pacer, In addition, the priest carries into the hut only that divine energy that is already stored within ber body. She can use only those spells she has.alrendy memorized; while inside the hut, her prayers to have hee spells restored never rench the earsof her deity, The priest is cut off from contact with the deity’s plane of existence; only by exiting the hut (or catering an area with connections to the appra- priate outce plane can she make contact with the leily and memarize more spells, Fortunately, not all links witlva priest's deity are severed, and. the priest also carries a trace of divine energy within her boa, & cleric’s a to turn undead continues to Function. Likewise, granted powers of priests and druids continue to function, Holy symbols, suffused as they are with divine energy, continue te function normally. ‘Magical items that contain portable chunks of divine energy (such as a candle of invocation, oF ingeuse of uteditation) also continue to function normally. Dimensional Disasters Because of its dimensional folting, Baba Yaga’s hut rencts violently to spells, psionic powers, and ‘magical items that warp dimensional space. It likewise has a violent reaction te spells or magi« eal items th cextra-dimensional pockets to Appear inside it, ‘Those spells that trigger a reaction frome the wut include: dimensional folding; extradimens sional manipulation; extradimensional packet; Leomiumil’s secure shelter; phys rp; transfarnnation, ‘The psionic powers dimensional door and ensian walk also trigger a reaction when art 9used inside the hut ‘Thase magical items that trigger a reaction from the hut ineluce: Daera’s irstanit fortress: porlable hole, wan of prime material packet; warp ‘marble; well of many zoos If the PCs attempt to use any of the above, the effectsare disastrous. Roll 1c 1. One of the user’s arms is permanently stuck another dimension. The characier can still his arm, but it cannot be touched or ised. It appears to have been neaily severed above the elbow; blood can be seen flowing, and out of the part that accupies the other ension. The arm can later be returned {0 this dimension by means of a reversed extrndimensional pocket spell. 2. Ifa magical item triggered the reaetion, the fem collapses intoa two-dimensional object. Tthas width and breadth but no dept can no longer be used int can Inter be restored by means of a reversed dho-dimension spell. If a spell is being used, the spell simply oes not work. At the moment the spell nor mally wauld have taken effect, one of the user's magical items (DMs choice) becomes two-dimensional, as described abov 3, An explosion tears a small hole in the fabric of space-time. If this effect was caused by a magical item, the item disintegrates. All of those within a 20-foot radius of the magical temvar the impact area of the spell (or of the caster, if the range is zero) suffer 10d6 points burn damage as radiance pours out of the Plane ina brilliant flash of light. In addition, all these within 100 feet axe blinded for 146 rounds. The hole forms (and Fe-aeals itself) instantaneously, The user's mind temporarily enters a highce dimension, The user must save vs. paralyza- tion with a -6 penalty or be driven insane. The insanity can be cured by psychlesuegery, cor by a heal spell. 10 [es sc a 2 PCa ie mL [ee Another magical item that pases a danger isa horn of collapsing. If this horn is sounded inside ‘the walls, the hut must attempt a saving throw: vs. spells asa 23th-level wizard. A successful roll means there is no effect If the rol ails, howev the ceiling does not collapse, Instead, small hole is torn in the fabrie of space-time, All of those within a 20-foo! radius of the horn suffer damage as per effect 3, abo Spying and Serying From her cantral room at the center of the hut, Baba Yaga can spy’ upon the yard surrounding the hut and the rooms inside the hut. She does this by means of a series of trans-dimenstonal serying relays that can transmit sights, saunds, and smel These one-way serving relays manifest themselves in this dimension in a variety of dif- forent formsemirrors, crystals, fonts af water, and eyes in statues, tapestries or paintings. Theso can be put out of commission only by magical means (for example, by the spells disiti- tegente or dispel neagic, or by a wand of negation cor rod of cancellation). fall the scrying relays in anarea are put out of commission, Baba Yaga suffers 1410 points of dam age-which she quickly regenerates. Destroying all the scrying relay’ in an area renders one of the mit= rors in the control room blank for 24 hours. Visitors can avoid Baba Yog; using the spells false visiou, nrind lank, Mor- denkaten's private sanctun:, non-etection, sequester or screen, or by more creative means, Such as enveloping one of the relays in a darkness 15° radius spell}. An annutet of proof against leteetion smd location is also useful Most areas of the hut contain scry relays. Each time the PCs enter one of these areas, there sa chance that Baba Yaga will be monitoring its serying relays {rom her control room (60% for Level 1; 75% far Level 2; 90% for Level 3). Ifso, she notes the PCs" actions, con versations, and aligaments (through her sense ‘of smell, see page 62).Cee Cem elig The PCs have the same chance of naticing that they are the subjects of this scrying as are listed under the description for a crysiad bait (in Ihe Duxceow Mastei Guide). Nolicing that they are being spied upon only gives the PCs a sense that someone is watching-it does not allow them to immediately pinpoint the relay. Instead, the DM should say that the sense of being watched increnses as the PC moves in the general directio ‘of the relay. Using the spell detect scrying autom: pinpoints the relay. Attempts by PCs to Spy or Sery Unlike Baba Yag; Due to the hu itis impossible to use magical means to sce insicle it from the outside (or vice versa). It is also impossible to magically sery or send messages from one area to the next (although it is possible todo so from one room to the next within a par- fcular area). The following spells and magical items ae limited to a single area. ‘Wizard spollsschiraustience;ctairoaynce; demand; ag rou P; hovering skal focnte crea vate abject; magic mirror; Rory’ telepatetc ond; reflectiug pool; serufing:zehispering win; roiz= tard eye (eye disappears into another dimension andl is lost if it passes through a doorway or por- tal from one area to another; it then no longer transmits information). Priost spells: find rhe pati; know direction; locate animals or plats; locate wbjets magic ft Magical itemss-rysial balls crystal hypnosis bn (user is no longer under the influence of beings from another plane while inside the hut); potfow of trastare ialing; rng of X-ray vision (dows no see throughany of the walls of the Starting the Adventure When Baba Yaga arriveson a world, she typically sets her hut down in.a secluded clearing in a dense forest. The first sign of her arrival (for those close enough to observe it) is a wave of ani mals that emerge from the forest like wildlife fleeing a forest fire, All animals (who are much ‘more sensitive to Baba Yaga’s fear aura than intcl- int creatures) within a five-mile radius of the: of Baba Yaga’s arrival can be seen over greater distances. As she travels in her cauldron, thunder grumbles in a clear sky. Trces crash over in the forest, but the forest appears nar mal to anyane who investigates the source of the disruption. (See the description of Baba Yoga's ical cauldron and broom.an page 64 for details) Finally, weird things start happening to time. One day might be unnatur: hem incredibly short. ‘The sun might rise twice in a gle 24-hour period, or night might stretch on for 36 hours, Each time the sun rises orsets at an unuste y re horse rs oF night suddenly descende (without a sunrise or sunset} ghostly white or black horseman is spatted. ‘These strange happenings should whet the curiosity of the PCs, To lure them to the hut, the DMcan use any (orall)of the following scenarios: * ‘The area's inhabitants ask the PCs to-look into the strange warping of time. The people are terrified that the world is coming to an tend and that the gods have forsaken them, (This works especially well if significant calendar event-a festival day, change of sea- son, oF majora -is approaching} The PCs" only elues are the sightings of the ghostly horsemen, which are most frequent in an isolated forest region, Either by ques- tioning the forest's few inhabitants or by fol- lowing the horsemen, the PCs.are led to Baba ‘Yaga’s hut, Their task is to persuade Baba ‘Yagato stop tinkering with time.Adventuring Inside the Hut $$ 12 A young pproachos the Pes, The gi wed in rags, and she explains that her tivin sister, Vassilissa, was sold into servitude two months ago by their evil stepmother, The buyer was afierce ores. who lived in a tiny hut deep in the woods, Marya is terrified that the ogress wi nd cat her sister if Vasilissa fails in vamt’s duties oF shows any fear. She begs the PCs to deliver a rag dll to Vasilissa, so that she will be comforted by it at night. The doll appears ondinary and. rather scruffy, but radi- ates a strong aura of divination magic, Itcan, give short (one-sentence), sametimes cryptic answers t0 any three questions per day. To: aetivate the doll's magic, the user must address it by its name: Alenka. Marya tolls the PCs the name only ifthey specifically ask. Tugarin, a traveling vendarof games, comes to town (or the PCs meet him along the road) andl befriends the PCs, This rague’s specialties are loaded dive, marked cards, and” magical” rune stones used in fortunctelling. Ashort time lat the PCs encounter Tagarin asecond time, His wagon has been smashed, his merchandise seattered, and Tugatin has been mutilated by ‘what looks like elaw and bite marks, Strangely enough, all that was stalen was a skull eard from a deck of many things. The deck, still elenched in Tugarin’s hand, has lost its magic. ‘The PCs are haunted by a phantom of Tugarin, ‘who urges them to recover the missing eard from his attacker, whom he describes only as ‘he little grancimather with squeaky shoes. He haunts the PCs (returning in 1d4 days, if dispelled) until the eand is recovered. If the PCs have been laoking for a specific magical item, their inquiries keep turning up the same name: Quesirix. This gnome illu- jonist owns the item, but disappeared ane manth ago into a mysterious hut that walks about the countryside on bird legs. Alterna- tively, the PEs may find a letter written by x that refers to two wondrous items ide the hut: the “waters of wander” and the "black flowers of transformation.” Even if the DM does not use him as an adventure hook, Questrix’s name should turn up frequently in the days preceding this civenture. He has left a number of clues inside the hut, and the PCs will be beiter able fo interpret these if they have heard his name. Perhaps the local folk (or Marya) are ask= ing the PCs to help them only after having first asked Questeix the same thing, only to have him never return, Or perhaps people are overheard speculating on the whe: bouts of, “That funny little wizard, Quests.” ‘A full description of Questrix can be found under Area P. Exterlor of the Hut The hut isa small, hexagonal log eabin, It is wine dowless and has a single door in one wall, The Ihut is 15 fect wide and 15 feet tall Just under its sloping, thatched roof is a weoden panel, rin- ygaround the circumference of the hut, that is decorated with strange symbols (these resemble the Cyrillic alphabet form Baba Yaga’s home World) and carved eyes (serying relay’), If trans- lated, the inseription reads: “Welcome to the home of Baba Yaga, Seekers of knowledge are welcome; seckers of wealth, beware!” ‘When first sighted, the hut is motionless upen the ground, Surrounding it, at a distance of 80 feet, is a fence composed of 64 humanoid skulls, supported by the upright pillars of thett own spinal columns, Each has excessively longs canine teeth, resembling these of vampixes. “At night, the eyes of these skulls glovy, ill minating an area 60 fect outward fron the fence witha soft purple light. ‘The fence is.a circle of nectophiditss galems, planted in the ground about eight feet apart. Loyal to Baba Yaga, they let her pass, but attack ‘oncelse. Anyone coming within 60 feet af the a eee tele ala Manskulls causes them Lo begin their “Dance of Death.” Those watching this hypnotic swaying must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or become immobilized, as if affected by a hypnotism spell. A half dozen of the necrophislit then slither forward to attack each helpless vie Golem, Neerophidius (64 AC2; MV 9 FL18; HD 2: hp 10 each (9 in head, 1 in spinal column); THACO 19; #AT Leach; Dmg Id8; ALN; SA hyp- natism, paralyzation; SD immune to poison, turning, and mind-influencing spells; MR nil ML, fearless (20); XP 270 each, Once the fence has been dealt with, there are other dangers. If anyone not accompanied by Baba Yaga approaches to within 40 feet of the hut, it rears up onto its two legs, which are 12 fect long and about two feet thick, and attacks, See the Getting Inside section for the logs statisti, From inside her control room at the center of the hut, Baba Yaga can ste the area enclosed by Pe MCR Ue the skeletal fence ant command the. legs. Should she choose to flee, rather than attack, she has three options. By walking, the hut ean travel 48 miles per day over smooth ground or water, 36 miles through forest or jungle, and 24 miles over all other terrain types. Her second option is to cause the hut to feleport in-ane round to any other location on the plane it currently occupies, AS a third option, she can cause the hut to “dance,” On the eighth round of daneing the hut plane shifis te another world, The lags ean attack while the Bait dances. Although the hil appeats to be made of wood and thatch, it isémmiane to fire, acid, cold, water lightning, and any form of physical atack. Itis also completely immune to all forms of jc. Only its legs may be harmed—and then only temporarily, (See the Getting Inside section.) ‘Any direct magical attack on the hut eauses a flurry of downy white chicken feathers toexplode from its roof, The feathers flutter down like snow 4 NOO-Foot radius. Ht will be 1d4 rounds Before 1Bea aT Adventuring Inside the Hut the PCs time to run out of the ara of effect, if they choose to do so). After that, the feathers are falling so thickly that they are automatically deemed to-envelop those within the area of effect. Anyone enveloped by feathers is affected as though attacked by a elonAkil spell, The feathers fall for a total of 4d4 rounds {including the first 1¢4 rounds mentioned above) ‘They can be blown by the wind, but disappear upon touching the ground. Getting Inside ‘There are two eptions for ‘The first is to use the proper command phras “Hey my strong locks, unlock yourselves. Hey my sturdy door, let me in.” (It must be spoken In Baba ‘Yaga’s native language, which resembles real- world Russian.) One way for the PCs to learn itis: by concealing themselves from Baba Yaga and tis- fening to her use it as she enters the hut-but they will need to find a way to comprehend her lan- guage. And there is a catch-the phrase will not ‘work ifthe hurt has already reared wp on its legs; it ‘will only work if the hut is settled on the ground {that is, if the PCs are standing more than 40 feet away from the hut). Alternatively; the PCscan use a legend lore ot vision spell, or could wish the door ‘open. The dear is ivizant locket, and gives access 10 Room 1 of Area A, The second option is for the PCs to gain foreible entry to the hut, which can be done by defeating the legs in battle (reducing beth of therm, simultancously in any given round, #9 2ero oF less bit points). The legs then disap pea and the hut set Hes to the ground, It remains motionless, its door ‘open, until both of the legs have regenerated back oat least one hit paint. The dor then slams shut and the hutsprings back to its feet AC 0; MY 24; HD 10;hp 45 each; THACO 11; AAT T cach; Dang 346 (claw) / dé (law): SA crush; SD-can be hit only by magical weapons, regeneration; MR 100% i 14 oints a round, In of any attack e number of hit Each leg. regenerates three hit ion, they absorb the ener cast at them, gaining 1 points that would normally be inflicted. If the attack was directed at a single leg, it gains the hit points; otherwise the poinis are split evenly between the tivo legs. Besides attacking wit hut has the option of drop} tors beneath it. The legs then reappear as the hut st can drop once every three rounds, crushing those below it for 6d points of damage. is bworclawed feet the Interlor of the Hut ‘There are three categories of monsters inside Baba Yaga’s hut. The first type are Baba Yaga's companions-magical animals who have lived swith Baba Yaga for some time. Some are intelli- gent and know many of the secrets of the hut {including several of the secret knocks and pass- swords), while others have only an animal intelli- ence. Because Baba Yaga sometimes mistreals them, they may offer assistance to PEs who treat them well The sccand type of creature found inside the hut arethose evil hamanoids, monsters, and planar creatures that Baba Yaga has sumumoned to serve as hhonchmen, Some are fanatically loyal, while others hhate and fear Baba Yaga and must be kept in line bby threats and powerful magical spells. ‘The third type of creature found inside the hut are Baba Yaga's visitors. Some ane welcome quests (for example, the avatars of Light, Darke noss and Twilight) while others are prisoners. Still others act as Baba Yaga’s unwilling servants. Baba Yaga normally teleports from one arca of the hut to another. But when using a deor, her touch is sufficient to open any wizard fock. To move fram one level to the next through a door, she too must utter passwords or use secret knocks. When passing through a door from a lower level to a higher level, she too winds up in randomly determined area.a ee Bite Cae ita Tempo: Lento Level 1 of the hut can be explored by characters of 7th level and up. No passwords or secret knocks are required to move from one area to another on this first level. Unless stated otherwise, all walls are stone, all ceilings are 15 feet high, and all rooms are lit by lanterns or candelabras that hang from the ceilings. Doors are made of wood with the following exceptions: doors leading to Area F are silver; doors leading to Area G are gold; doors leading. to area H are black iron; doors leading to area M are bronze that has turned green with verdigris. All maps are at the same scale: one square = 10 feet, except Area A (one square =5 feet). When the PCs enter the hut, Questrix has been a captive of Baba Yaga for several weeks. He is imprisoned in Area P. Area A: Hut & Cavern 1. The front door of Baba Yaga’s hut leads to a small, dark, hexagonal room with a plank floor and ceiling 10 feet high. The room con- tains a messy bed and a brazier filled with cold ashes. Pegs on the walls hold ragged robes, frayed ropes, and dried herbs that have gone moldy. Worn baskets on the floor hold chipped pottery cups and empty bottles, and a ladder leads up to a trap door in the ceiling. A secret trap door is located in the floor under the brazier; under it is a rusted ladder leading down. 2. The attic is also hexagonal. The ceiling is just five feet high in the center, and rafters slope down from the peak to a height of three feet near the walls. Dirty straw covers the floor, hiding the trap door there. 3, This rough stone cavern contains a jumble of boxes and barrels that hold stale food and Area A: Hut & Cavern barrels rates & barrels sour wine. Behind them, a door can just be seen, The door leads to a dead end, and open- ing it triggers a symbol of stunning. The other obvious exit from this room is a rusted ladder, set into one wall; it leads up to a trap door. A heavy metal plate in the floor is hot to the touch. If this is dragged away, PCs find an apparently bottomless shaft leading to a flame-filled inferno. Faint, ghostly screams can be heard echoing up from below. Just 1d4 rounds after the hatch is opened, three two-foot-wide balls of flame emerge from it and hang in the air as if watching the PCs. ‘These are will o' wisps that have mutated toa ted color and that can imitate humanoid cries. Will 0” Wisp (3): AC-8; MV F118 (A); HD9; hp 41 each; THACO 11; #AT 1; Dmg 2d8; AL CE; SA electricity; SD spell immunities, invisibility; MR special; ML fanatic (17); XP 3,000 each,The Deadly Dance Inside one of the boxes, only: partially hidden, is a small Teather pouch of yold coi ring of jumps a placed the pouch here te test the honesty of anyanc who enters the Inn, the box to see It was ‘opened and altack the party if the pouch is missing, Hea will o' wisp is reduced to less than five hit po rs back into the pit-unless the cover has been replaced, i forced to offer up . the will 0! wisps direct the PCs to the nts, it disappe pouch FR sins pack (404) of rats inhabits the rhree rooms that make up this area. They hide in the straw, bedding and boxes, The rats are normal fit Dice (1-2 hit points) ereatures except in reach has ane glass eye, These false yes serve as Baba Yaga’s scey ing celay’s in this ess lo Area C is through the pit ir the floor af the cavern, The flames and heat in the pit and its bottomless appearance are the result Of a permaneailfusion spell. The pit actually is five feet wide, 100 fect deep, and filled with a chilly wh ore iva small trap door al the bottom. The mist b J in from the swamp 1 the Will o” wisps live, Droplet sat p ‘cl are suspended within the cloud of mist inside tho pit. Anyone ig the pil must vs. poi 2 penally each rand or sit points of damage. Failure alse me ops wh we acid must al The pit basa direct conne ‘wisps’ sivamp. The siya 1 the same world the hut is currently visiting, The will o” wisps can pass back and forth he pit and their swamp al will, sear , ppearing, through is walls. PCS « so only by means of a spell thal a tekeporl js located z At the DMs disc may also he sum tained within the pit the ether rooms of Area A. sisps to rebum. ip creatures mist is con: Area B: Imprisoned Cyclops This room is utterly dark. When the PCs first aner, any normal light sources they ave carrying, extinguish themsolves. Only may penetrate the darkness: infravisto ‘cyclops that Baba Yaga captured on another world is imprisoned here, He of the darkness and is swinging his huge club findly, smashing the pillars that line the wall: Dobris flies theaugh the airs there is. 25% hon: per round (nom-cumulative, rolled separately for each PC) that a PC in the main part of the is struck by a splinter of stone that inlicts 2¢ damage. The room has a ceiling that is 30 fect high along eacl of the longer walls and that curves sgracdually inwvarc to reach a height of 50 feet ati midpoint, A round, three-faotwidle mirror is s into its ape; this is the serying re As soon asa magical light s the room, the PCs sve the cyela me, they see a ghostly black kaigt horse (the force Darkness). The eyelops immu attacks the knight with his club, which harmlessly through the insubstant ture. It will appear, howewer, that the cyclops attack worked; the black knight wheels his horse ‘anal rides through a wall, disappearing into it The PCs also see pool of water, surroun by a Keslge one foot high, set inta the flaor mid between the two doors. The water tastes bit: ferb cal praperties similar to a ring of sinstonanee; anyone who takes agood drink can po for an entite ay without food and needs only wo how night to be refweshed. The «alter just 2d6 turns iE terrified iis ete 1 the poolThe Deacily Dance inne moment the black keight disap Pe he in the farcorner uf the mats roar fills ‘the zoom with light, and the metal doar ‘Area € begins ta glow with a ditn rest lig red-tol; anyone touching it suffers Ilé pu damtage. A silver daor opposite it leads ta A (or toon deen, deteemined randomly, in quadrant FI if the proper sequence of knocks is ised). The fire has been burning all this time Darkness was present it produced heat, but na ligit. The wood has been treated wi verbuernitig spell ar hows, nt, Cyclops: A THACOT; WAT 1s SD nil MR nil; Mel 7 MD 13; hp 64 E:SA thurl stone: (lo) XP 4,0. The eyslops carries a club of smashing. a magical item thal functions in thesame manner asa sword of dancing. After four rounds of fighting, the exelops allows it “danee,” attacking opponents while he huels chunks of the shattered pillars The club is far tao large tor most PCs to wield ines a Strength of 18 or ‘The eyclaps is tapped in thisarea because he is too big to fit through thestoars. He Is furious with Baba Yaga (sehom he calls" she stole andl ate his flock of sheep Hasked about the pool, theeyelops say “bac water” and the PCs away tran it-even thougty he ias drunk from it several times. He kraws little about Ba Ya save that sho isdangesous, but can describe one or twvo of her powers. He mistakenly believes his-club is capa. ble of driving off the black knight. The cy beliowes the black katiptt (a be servants, ne of Ha ¥a's al days ago, the cyclops used charcoal to scratch marks of the floor 1 “IIL UITILIIIC™ the seceet Knock ne Areas Fil), Ble has forgotten what the aiatke bust he knows that they were important te iny man” (Questrix). Area C: Kitchen 1. This storage room, agically cool, Sheep