Overview
A tower of black stone on an island in Lake Baratok, a cold tarn under Mount Baratok. A long-dead archmage built it; Rudolph van Richten keeps it now, and his door answers to the builder's name. A Vistani wagon is parked on the shore.
Cold, still water; a half-drowned stone causeway out to the island; a round tower with one lit window and no handle on its door. On the shore, a painted wagon and a campfire.
Resting: Risky: a rest here can be interrupted.
Getting here
Ways in
- The travel map: Van Richten's Tower, in Lake Zarovich, the wolf hills and Lake Baratok. It shows once tower rumor or khazan known or tarokka.tome.region is van richtens tower or tarokka.symbol.region is van richtens tower or tarokka.sword.region is van richtens tower.
Ways out
| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The path down from Lake Baratok | the travel map | |
| 2 | The path down from Lake Baratok | the travel map | |
| 3 | The tower door |  Van Richten's Tower | tower door opened |
| 4 | The tower door | Van Richten's Tower | tower door opened |
| 5 | Down the old well-shaft |  The Drowned Library | quest.the drowned library |
Map
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
Ezmerelda's wagon
the carved lintel and the door
a lookout rock, a satchel wedged behind the lookout rock
People
Who turns up at points in the story (2)
- Ezmerelda d'Avenir, Ezmerelda's camp (#6): when not ezmerelda with the party and tarokka.ally.npc isn't ezmerelda and not ezmerelda left tower
- Rictavio, Ezmerelda's camp (#7): when van richten reunited and not rictavio with the party and not ezmerelda left tower
What to find
| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Ezmerelda's wagon | Holy Water ×2, Alchemist's Fire, Crossbow Bolt ×20, Potion of Healing, 30 gp | lock DC 16 |
| 11 | a satchel wedged behind the lookout rock (hidden) | Eyes of the Eagle | Search: Perception DC 14 |
| 12 | something dropped beside the path (hidden) | Caltrops | Search: Perception DC 13 |
The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 8 the first time you come (Random Treasure). Hidden finds need a Search (F) nearby; the party's best roll counts.
Skill checks
| # | Where | Check | Try | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Ezmerelda's campfire | Survival 14 | Read the tracks around the camp | reveals vrt_wagon_tripwire |
| 10 | a lookout rock | Perception 14 | Watch the lake from the lookout rock | finds Eyes of the Eagle |
Traps
| # | Trap | Find DC | Disarm DC | Save | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | A tripwire at the wagon step | 14 | 14 | DEX 14 | 3d10 fire |
Fights
- Something is waiting where the causeway meets the shore: two pale figures standing very still, and above them…, in Van Richten's Tower: Vampire Spawn, Wight, Swarm of Bats. Scales with your level.
By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
- Van Richten's Tower, when night and van richten notes read and not tower visitors beaten and level ≥ 8: 2 × Vampire Spawn, The castle's huntsman (Wight), 2 × Swarm of Bats (4400 XP; loot: 25 gp, Potion of Healing)
- Van Richten's Tower, when night and van richten notes read and not tower visitors beaten and level ≥ 7: 2 × Vampire Spawn, 2 × Swarm of Bats (3700 XP; loot: 25 gp, Potion of Healing)
- Van Richten's Tower, when night and van richten notes read and not tower visitors beaten: Vampire Spawn, 2 × Swarm of Bats (1900 XP; loot: 25 gp, Potion of Healing)
Quests and lore
- The Destined Ally: Madam Eva's fourth card named the one who will stand with us against the devil.
- The Drowned Library: Something whispers up the old well on the shore of Lake Baratok, from the archmage Khazan's library under the lake: don't come down.
- The Hunter's Tower: A dead archmage's tower on an island in Lake Baratok, kept now by Rudolph van Richten and warded against one person in particular.
- The Name Over the Door: Mordenkainen says the archmage who built the tower on the tarn never died: he moved downstairs, and he's waking.
- The Pack in the Hills: A pack of werewolves dens in the hills above Lake Zarovich. Its leader serves the castle, and its old leader hangs in chains for refusing…
A note nailed to the wagon
Rudolph. The old lock still opens to the name of the wizard who built this place: KHAZAN. I found it under the moss in an hour. Your new ward opens to nothing, and it bites me. It bites only me. You keyed it to me. I am sitting on your doorstep until you come out and explain that to my face. E.