Demiplane of Pompolius the Powerful
What's Happening Here?
Pompolius the Powerful was a human archmage who created a special demiplane as a personal getaway and research lab. Not wanting to use his own spells to repeatedly create a portal into his demiplane, Pompolius bound the entrance of the demiplane to a special copy of his lengthy and seldom-read autobiography. Pompolius spent the next several decades almost exclusively inside his demiplane, not leaving for years at a time, as he tried to crack the problem of his own mortality.
Recently, Pompolius thought he found a way to live forever. Using potent transmutation magic, Pompolius bound his mind into the helmet of an animated suit of armor. The process was successful, but to his dismay he found that most of his magical powers had not transferred with his mind. Pompolius has alchemically preserved his body and has now spent many months desperately trying to find a way back into his original form.
Who is Present?
- Pompolius is a neutral evil human wizard who is currently trapped inside the helmet of a Helmed Horror. He is a selfish and self-aggrandizing man who has a long history of magically harassing or assassinating anyone who looks down on him or his research.
- Vazerag is an Imp who acts as Pompolius's assistant. Vazerag is secretly delighted by Pompolius's current predicament. Vazerag hopes that Pompolius will agree to sell his soul to Vazerag in exchange for the imp contacting a Duke of hell for aid. If Vazerag can pull this off, he will be promoted to a much higher ranking devil.
- Dozzle is a cat-like Pseudodragon who sees Pompolius as a somewhat noisy roommate. Dozzle deeply dislikes Vazerag and is worried about the imp's current scheme.
Adventure Hooks
- The Mysterious Book. The player characters come across Pompolius's autobiography in any manner you like, such as being looted from a previous villain's layer. The book has a strange magical energy that causes the air to quiver and a creates a faint prismatic sheen on its surface. Opening the book transports the characters into Area 1.
- Troubles in the Library. Pompolius's autobiography is kept in a library in whatever town the players are staying at. One of Pompolius's recent experiments has caused the book's magic to go haywire, creating sparks of wild magic that animate nearby books (use the statblocks for Flying Swords, dealing bludgeoning damage instead of slashing damage). The library wants the party to investigate the book and put a stop to whatever is causing the magic.
- Lost Secrets. If the party is looking for a piece of lost lore, a rare alchemical potion, or a specific magic item, a bit of research can inform them that Pompolius's demiplane contains precisely what they are looking for. In this instance, the book is kept in a special room of one of Pompolius's few friends, a noble scholar named Balabar.
Exploring this Dungeon
General Features
The demiplane of Pompolius the Powerful is a 1-mile diameter ocean with a single 150-foot wide island. From the shores of the island, the horizon looks normal and the sky is a beautiful cloudless afternoon without evening or night. If you travel out away from the island, the edges of the ocean fade away into the endless gray mist of the Ethereal Plane.
Located on the shore of this island is a set of stone double doors that lead inside of Pompolius's estate. The estate does not conform to the outside space, being larger than the island should be able to fit.
Interior hallways of the estate are 10 feet high, while each room is as tall as the shorter width of that room. All rooms and corridors are brightly lit by permanent magical lights that bob near the ceiling.
1. Arrival Room
This circular room has a 8-foot diameter stone platform in its center. Creatures teleporting into the demiplane via Pompolius's Autobiography arrive on this platform. Creatures need to speak a command phrase ("Farewell Pompolius!") to use this platform to leave the demiplane.
Creatures: Vazerag the Imp waits in this room in the form of a crow. He sits atop a bird perch embedded in the western wall. Upon any creatures arrival, Vazerag says "Welcome to the estate of Pompolius the Powerful! I will be your host, Vazerag. Are you visiting for an appointment, to request a consultation, or to steal secrets that aren't rightly yours?"
If the characters request a meeting or consultation, Vazerag easily agrees. Vazerag knows Pompolius has no appointments, but plays along if the party claims to have one. Vazerag invites the party to "Explore the wonders of Pompolius's work in his private museum, relax with some tea in the sitting room, or enjoy a day in the sun at our private beach."
If the party claims to be here to steal secrets, Vazerag replies "Excellent! Pompolius will be with you shortly. Please, feel free to begin your adventure in your own time." He then turns invisible and will try to follow the party unnoticed, waiting for a good moment to attack.
2. Private Beach
This strip of beach is dotted with palm trees and overlooks a cerulean blue ocean with placid waters. Behind the beach rises a 15-foot high sandstone cliff with a set of double doors that lead in to the Arrival Room. There is a small beach blanket unrolled beneath a wide umbrella, and a rowing boat pulled up on the beach with its oars placed on the sand. A set of booted footprints lead from the set of double doors and down to the ocean.
If a creature takes the boat out or goes for a swim, they find that the water is astonishingly clear and that there is a beautiful coral reef ringing the island, filled with countless exotic fish.
Two scantily clad beautiful women are splashing and giggling in the water. They are programmed illusions left by a lonely Pompolius.
Creatures: Pompolius is the source of the footprints leading to the water. He is at present literally cooling his head by taking a stroll along the ocean floor, admiring the coral. See Event: Pompolius's Return at the end of the adventure for more details.
3. Sitting Room
This lushly appointed sitting room has three armchairs and a lit fireplace. Windows in this room are enchanted to look out over a snowy mountain landscape.
Creatures: Dozzle the Pseudodragon is asleep on one of the armchairs. He is grumpy if awoken. If the characters are nice to the pseudodragon, it attempts to communicate using its limited telepathy. It sends feelings of danger, worry about Pompolius, and hatred of Vazerag. It also sends an image of a suit of armor stalking towards it, covered in blood. This image is supposed to show Pompolius turning increasingly cruel in his desperation, but it's too complicated an idea to easily communicate.
If the party ingratiates itself to Dozzle, he will join them on this adventure, giving small helpful hints about upcoming dangers. He will not join in any fights unless it is against Vazerag.
4. Museum
This room is a museum dedicated to Pompolius's greatest achievements. The ceiling is supported by four columns. Six stone platforms display treasures of Pompolius's past. Each of these treasures are surrounded by a permanent wall of force that can be lowered by a specific command word known only to Pompolius.
- A skull of a young red dragon that Pompolius slew. It is worth 1500 gold to the right collector.
- A gemstone Pompolius transmuted from sand. It is worth 1000 gold.
- A spell scroll of plane shift, made by Pompolius.
- An instrument of the bards (Doss Lute) that Pompolius used to play.
- A Mummy that is in a state of suspended animation after Pompolius defeated it.
- A +1 longsword Pompolius took from a slain rival.
Creatures: Two suits of armor that stand against the north wall are Animated Armor. They are instructed to attack any creatures that try to take any of the treasures in this room, or who are fighting other Animated Armors, Pompolius, or Vazerag.
5. Library
This oval room is lined with bookcases filled with Pompolius's private collection. Most of the books aren't particularly rare, but a handful of unusual or valuable volumes can be found in here at the DM's discretion.
Creatures: If any creature touches a book without speaking a command word known to Pompolius, the book they touch animates and attacks. Use the statblock for a Flying Sword that deals bludgeoning damage instead of slashing. Reducing the book to 0 hit points causes it to fall to the floor and stop being animated, but does not ruin the book. Only up to four books can be animated at one time.
Trap: The door in the north of this room is trapped with a glyph of warding set to cast polymorph on any creature that touches the door that isn't Pompolius (spell save DC 15). A creature that fails their saving throw is polymorphed into a frog.
6. Dining Room.
A long table is set with eight places for diners to sit. Windows in this room are enchanted to look out over a the roofs of a beautiful city, as though you were seated in a high tower.
A creature sitting in a seat causes the plates and cups in front of it to magically fill with fine food.
Creatures: Two suits of armor that stand against the west wall are Animated Armor. They are instructed to attack any creatures who enter this room without Vazerag or Pompolius, or who are fighting other Animated Armors, Pompolius, or Vazerag.
7. Bed Chamber
This ornate bedchamber has a beautiful king-sized bed set with silken sheets, a bed-side table with a candelabra, and two bookshelves. The bookshelves hold an impressive collection of smut.
The windows are enchanted to look out over a beautiful forest lake at night.
Trap: The set of double doors that lead into this room are trapped with a glyph of warding set to cast polymorph on any creature that touches the doors that isn't Pompolius (spell save DC 15). A creature that fails their saving throw is polymorphed into a frog.
Creatures: A suit of armor that stands against the east wall is Animated Armor, and the sheets on the bed are a Rug of Smothering. They are instructed to attack any creatures who enter this room without Vazerag or Pompolius, or who are fighting other Animated Armors, Pompolius, or Vazerag.
8. Bathroom
These two small rooms contain a toilet and bath.
9. Study
This lavish personal study is where Pompolius spends most of his time. It has several desks and a drafting table, a small globe showing the known lands of the Material Plane, and a wardrobe with several robes.
On the desk is a personal journal. Flipping through its pages reveals numerous notes on moving a mind between bodies. It also contains the command word used to leave the demiplane when in area 1 ("Farewell Pompolius!").
10. The Lock
Pompolius got tired of having Vazerag bother him while he was in his lab, so he created this simple locking mechanism.
The door to the south is locked and cannot be opened by any means other than Pompolius's touch or by completing the puzzle.
Puzzle: Eight magic circles are inscribed on the floor in a ring around a central ninth circle. Each of the smaller magic circles can be easily identified as representing each of the eight schools of magic. To open the door to the lab in the south, objects from a set of drawers in the north of the room must be placed on the correct magic circle. The rational for each item is that it best corresponds to that school of magic.
- Abjuration: A shield
- Conjuration: A hat that produces a magical rabbit every time you reach into it. The rabbit disappears after 1 round.
- Divination: A crystal ball
- Enchantment: A book called "hypnotism for fools"
- Evocation: A brazier of ever-burning fire
- Illusion: A small crystal that projects a hologram of a pretty, scantily clad lady.
- Necromancy: A skull
- Transmutation: A piece of lead, half of which has been turned into gold.
Easy Version: In the easy version of the puzzle, half of the items are already placed in the correct circles.
11. Laboratory
This is a magical laboratory. In the southeast rests a cauldron that is filled with a bubbling green liquid. Shelves of ingredients line the walls around it, and there is a small preparation table next to it as well. On the west side of the room, two magic circles have been made out of blood. One is empty, while the corpse of an old man rests in the other.
The corpse is the body of Pompolius, preserved by the alchemical solution that is being made in the cauldron. Mechanically, the cauldron holds a large volume of liquid gentle repose.
The two arcane circles still crackle with power. It seems they still hold an active enchantment. A DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check can tell that the two circles swap the minds between a living humanoid and a construct.
Event: Pompolius's Return
At some point during this adventure, Pompolius returns from his trip under the ocean in area 2. He believes he has cracked his problem: if he can't return to his dead body, he just needs another living humanoid with whom he can swap places! All he has to do is find a victim and lure them into his laboratory. Once there, they need simply stand in one of the two magic circles while Pompolius stands in the other. The latent magic in the circles will automatically swap their minds, with the victim being trapped in the suit of armor and Pompolius free in the humanoid body.
The player characters make excellent candidates for this swapping. If the characters are still waiting to speak with him, he will try to lure them into his laboratory, making up some false reason for what he is doing:
- If the characters needed information, Pompolius can claim he does not know what they want. However, he claims, the ritual he will perform will find the information.
- If the characters need an item or some other assistance, Pompolius can give a partial version of the truth: he will explain he is trapped in his current form and wants to return. However, he will describe the ritual as the other character helping guide his spirit back to his original body, rather than swapping places.
- If the characters have been invading his home, Pompolius just tries to knock one of them unconscious and drag them to his laboratory.
The party should have several chances to realize that everything isn't all that it seems. Make sure to roll Charisma (Deception) checks contested by the party's Wisdom (Insight) checks. A spellcaster can also attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to realize the arcane circles on the floor of the laboratory don't do what Pompolius claims they do.
If the ritual begins, the humanoid in the magic circle becomes paralyzed. It must then make a series of DC 13 Charisma saving throws against possession at the end of each of its turns. The character must succeed three times before failing three times. The successes and failures need not be consecutive. On a success, the ritual ends and the humanoid is no longer paralyzed.
During the ritual, Pompolius's speed is 0 and he must remain in the magic circle. If his Helmed Horror's hit points are reduced to 0, the ritual automatically ends.
If Pompolius is successful, things get complicated fast. The player must now run the statblock for a Helmed Horror, while their original body is replaced by the statblock of an Archmage controlled by Pompolius. Pompolius will try to convince the party to take their helmed horror companion and leave on pain of a nasty, fast death.
At the DM's discretion, you can allow the player character to retain their statblock but replace their type with Construct instead of Humanoid. How the character can regain their body is up to the DM. I recommend that Pompolius's death automatically reverts the process, but it may also be an interesting quest hook to some other adventure.
Fighting Pompolius
A fight with Pompolius form is very likely, either because he is trying to take a humanoid captive or because the party is trying to stop his horrific ritual. If the ritual has not begun yet, Pompolius fights to subdue, not kill.
Pompolius uses a Helmed Horror statblock that can speak Common and Infernal. He prefers to stay flying, dropping down to melee range to attack and then flying back up out of reach. If fought during his ritual, he cannot move.
If he is reduced to 0 hit points, the body armor collapses but the helmet remains and begins to levitate on its own. The helmet takes on the statblock of a Flame Skull whose type is Construct and which can speak Common and Infernal. The Flame Skull is at full hit points and has no ongoing conditions on it. The Flame Skull has lightning bolt prepared in place of fireball.
If he is reduced to 0 hit points again, Pompolius dies for good. His helmet clatters to the floor, becoming a helm of telepathy