# Under Van Richten's Tower

> From the Curse of Strahd game wiki (it covers the whole game, spoilers included): https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/under-van-richtens-tower.html. Unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy, not approved or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

> [!infobox]
> ![loc khazan undercroft 1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-khazan-undercroft-1.webp)
> **Region:** [Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/regions/van-richtens-tower.md) · level 8
> **Resting:** no
> **Light:** dark
> **Getting here:** [Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/van-richtens-tower-van-richtens-tower.md)
> **Quests:** [The Name Over the Door](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-name-over-the-door.md)

## Overview

The undercroft the archmage Khazan cut under his tower, below the level of the tarn: a stair, a hall of shelved names, a crypt the lake has got into, and his study, where he waits to be remembered (The Name Over the Door, docs/story/side_quests.md).

A stair under the hearth goes down past the level of the lake. The walls sweat cold water. Every step down, the silence gets thicker, like the inside of a library that has never been opened.

**Resting:** no Every time you close your eyes, somebody whispers your name from the shelves. Nobody sleeps down here.

![loc khazan undercroft overview](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-khazan-undercroft-overview.webp)
*The whole place from above.*

## Getting here

### Ways in

- **From [Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/van-richtens-tower-van-richtens-tower.md):** Down under the hearth

### Ways out

| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to the tower | [Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/van-richtens-tower-van-richtens-tower.md) |  |
| 2 | Up to the tower | [Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/van-richtens-tower-van-richtens-tower.md) |  |

## Map

![khazan undercroft](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/maps/khazan-undercroft.svg)

**Key:** gold, people; red, containers; purple, hidden finds; teal, skill checks; white, exits; orange, traps. The numbers match the lists on this page.

### Close up

![loc khazan undercroft spot1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-khazan-undercroft-spot1.webp)
*Something in the silt*

![loc khazan undercroft spot2](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-khazan-undercroft-spot2.webp)
*the book of names, a high chair*

## People

> [!note]- Who turns up at points in the story (1)
> - **[Khazan](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/khazan.md)**, Khazan's study (#3): when not khazan withdrawn and not khazan destroyed; or when khazan withdrawn and khazan name broken and not khazan destroyed

## What to find

| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Khazan's coffer | [Wand of the War Mage, +3](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#wand-of-the-war-mage-3), 800 gp | open it; only when khazan destroyed |
| 5 | Something in the silt (hidden) | [Bracers of Defense](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#bracers-of-defense) | Search: Investigation DC 16 |

The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 8 the first time you come ([Random Treasure](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/random-treasure.md)). Hidden finds need a Search (F) nearby; the party's best roll counts.

## Fights

- *The books on every shelf open at once with a sound like birds, and the people written in them come out of the…*, in [Under Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/under-van-richtens-tower.md): [Banshee](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/banshee.md), [Ghost](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/ghost.md), [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md), [Wraith](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wraith.md).

- *Khazan stands up out of his chair, and every candle in the study leans toward him, and the books in the hall…*, in [Under Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/under-van-richtens-tower.md): [Khazan](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/khazan.md), [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md). Part of [The Name Over the Door](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-name-over-the-door.md).

- *For one moment more Khazan is himself, and he doesn't lift a hand. Then the lights in his eyes go out, and…*, in [Under Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/under-van-richtens-tower.md): [Khazan](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/khazan.md), [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md). Scales with your level. Part of [The Name Over the Door](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-name-over-the-door.md).
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[Under Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/under-van-richtens-tower.md)**, when khazan name broken and khazan said: [Khazan](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/khazan.md), 2 × A Visitor ([Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md)) (11900 XP; surprise: enemies)
> - **[Under Van Richten's Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/under-van-richtens-tower.md)**, when khazan name broken: [Khazan](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/khazan.md), 2 × A Visitor ([Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md)) (11900 XP)

## Quests and lore

- [The Name Over the Door](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-name-over-the-door.md): Mordenkainen says the archmage who built the tower on the tarn never died: he moved downstairs, and he's waking.