Errata, typos, and weird-but-correct sections in Labyrinth of Madness

Quoted sections are written by Monte Cook, the man who designed the module,
who was kind enough to respond to some of my criticisms with clarifications,
explanations, and the occasional apology. :)

1. Room A1
Monte: "Hmm. I can see why this ended up being confusing. It was poorly
worded and poorly mapped, which is just as bad as being an error. The thing
is, from Hatch A, there's a 6-foot drop down to a 30' diameter room, from
which, a spiral stair leads down 200' (through a 30' diameter shaft,
which is right in the text). At the bottom of this shaft, there's the
stairs which lead to the trapped room where the floor splits."

Clarification: There is an 10' diameter spiral staircase going down through
the middle of a 30' diameter shaft; the staircase is open to the air on the
sides, and there's 10' of space between the staircase and the walls (thus
there is a decent chance that clumsy characters might fall 200' to their
deaths).  In addition, the room pictured at A1a on the map is actually
the room at the bottom of the staircase, not the room immediately below the
trapdoor "a" in A1.

2. Inside Cover/Room C2
The diagram for C2 has an incorrect scale; comparing the text description
and the interior map, the scale is actually 1 square=5 feet, NOT
1 square=2 feet as labelled.  This will only have an effect on gameplay if
the DM isn't paying attention and describes a 20-foot-wide room as having
4 2-foot-wide squares from wall to wall.

Monte: "You're right on this one 100%."

3. Rooms C6, C6a, and C7 and maps/p. 26-27, 32
a) whereas the text claims the spots are marked "T" and "T2" on the
map, they are actually labelled "1" and "2" (inside a red dot)

Monte: "Sigh. Right again. Although the key tells you that the red dot means
teleporter, which the T stands for, so at least it's not a game-wrecker
or anything. :("

b) The teleporters seem to leave no way to get to C7-9, which is required
to get Sigil 8, unless one catches the "Sigil 3" note at the end of the
description of room C6--something I initially missed when trying to follow
the path of the teleporters, as I was looking for a way from C6a to C7, not
from C6 itself to C7.

Monte: "Check out the note at the bottom of the 1st column on page 26.
The teleporter in C6 takes you to C6a, yes, BUT, once you have Sigil 3, it
takes you to C7. So, like so many things in LoM, you have to do it twice."

4. Room C9/p. 29
Out of the three times it is mentioned, "altar" is misspelled "alter" once.

Monte: "Yikes. Major typo. Sorry again. I'm sure Thomas (the editor) is sorry
too."

5. Room D1 map/p. 32
There no no "X" marked on the map as per the room description for D1.
However, it's not difficult to figure out where it should be and put the
mark there yourself.

Monte: "Right again. These mapping errors are really frustrating."

6. Rooms E1c, E1d
Tricky text: It took me forever to figure out the deal with the
Apparatus of Kwalish--when it appears, when it disappears, where it goes
in what order, where it reappears, etc.  Be sure to read this section
thoroughly to get the jist of what's supposed to go on here. (There's no
errors, but the wording isn't as clear as I wish it were.)

Monte: "Agreed. There's a lot of places that would've benefited from longer
descriptions. I guess it was a matter of fitting in as much as I could
rather than raising the page count and the price.

"In room E1c, if the emerald key is used, the apparatus teleports from
room E1d. Because of the Lifebane, it teleports back to room E1d (with
the characters inside if there are any). After another 30 rounds, it
teleports back to E1c, leaving anyone inside it behind this time, trapped
in E1d.

"In E1d, where the device was stored, there's a saturation of magic
originally intended to power the apparatus. It has a bunch of different,
random effects on PCs within the room. If the emerald key is used in this
room, everyone (whether or not the apparatus is present) is teleported
back to Elc.

"So, the danger to the PCs is this: The apparatus appears and makes
navigating the underwater portions of the dungeon much easier. But,
because the magic has been corrupted, the apparatus is going to
disappear on the PCs shortly after they begin using it (30 rounds). If
the guys inside the apparatus don't have the emerald key which will get
them back to Elc, they are trapped in E1d."

1) So why the "possibly leaving them to drown" comment?  They're either
trapped in a room with no water in it (E1d), or have hopped the key express
back to E1c, where the apparatus (having already teleported its second time,
and thus, accoriding to the text, apparently won't t-port on them again...)
is at that point. Or is that some of the "unclear wording" you were
referring to? :)

Monte: "If you read that again, I believe that's referring to the fact that it
will teleport BACK to the party after it's been in E1d for 30 rounds, and
if they get in it again, it will teleport away after another 30 rounds,
and WON'T take them to E1d."

If a character with the key, in the Apparatus, ends up in E1d after the
first 30 rounds, and uses the key before the Apparatus t-ports out of the
room, "everything in the room" (i.e. the character & the apparatus) is
ported back to E1c.  Since the Apparatus could thus already be in E1c when
the second 30 rounds is up, where would it port to?

Monte: "Hmm. If I understand the question, the answer is E1d. :)"

Also, if it's in the shaft or elsewhere in the watery passage at that
point, would it port back to E1c, thus "possibly leaving them to drown"?

Monte: "Again, assuming that I'm following you, the answer is 'yes.'"

2) How long does the effect take to completely reset?

Monte: "Technically, since this was never intended to be a trap, but has
become a magical aid warped by the lifebane, it never 'resets.'"

So, here is a possible chain of events explaining the usage of the Apparatus
of Kwalish gimmick:

1) Rath enters E1c and uses the emerald key.
2) The apparatus is t-ported from E1d to E1c.

3a) Rath presumably gets inside of the apparatus and probably starts
paddling.
3b) Rath leaves the apparatus alone and explores the rest of E1.

4) After 30 rounds, the apparatus t-ports to E1d, with Rath inside, if he
was inside.

This far is crystal clear.  Now it becomes less so.  This SEEMS to be the
correct interpretation, but if anyone can demonstrate otherwise, please
let me know!

Go to 5a or 5b, depending on whether or not Rath still has the emerald key;
or 5c, if Rand wasn't in the apparatus after the first 30 rounds was up.

5a) The apparatus, with Rath inside, arrives in E1d.  Rath gave the emerald
key to Delsenora before he alone got into the apparatus.  Thus, he has to
stay in E1d and have fun with the effects.
6a) After a second 30 rounds, the Lifebane-warped apparatus t-ports to
E1c, leaving the Rath to rot in E1d.
7a) Delsenora, still in E1c can now use the appratus all she likes; since it
has already used up its two t-ports (it doesn't reset; two is all it gets),
she has no problems using it to navigate the shaft.  Possibly, depending on
the DM's feelings of the matter, at this point Delsenora could use the
emerald key to t-port the contents of E1d (i.e. the poor, trapped, and--
probably insane by now if not dead--Rath) to E1c.

5b) The apparatus, with Rath inside, arrives in E1d.  Rath has no desire to
hang around this weird room, and quickly figures how to use the emerald key
to t-port himself and the apparatus to E1c.
6b) Rath, being the stubborn sort, gets back in the apparatus.
7b) After a second 30 rounds, the apparatus t-ports back to E1c (or E1d, if
it is currently in E1c), leaving a very surprised Rath behind (provided he
didn't make it to open air in time).
8b) Delsenora, who is *still* in E1c (she doesn't get around much), sees the
apparatus appear, and decides to try it out herself.  Since it has already
used up its two t-ports (and hasn't been in E1d long enough again to
recharge that portion of its power; or two is all it gets), she has no
problems using it to navigate the shaft.

[Alternatively: 6b) Rath gets fed up with the situation and kicks apparatus
into the well with the door open, so it sinks.  7b) After a second 30 rounds
are up, the apparatus t-ports from the bottom of the shaft to E1c.  8b)
Seeing this as a sign from Clanggedin, Rath hops in and starts paddling, and
it doesn't t-port a third time, so he has no problems navagating the shaft.]

5c) The apparatus arrives in E1d.
6c) Rand, still in E1c, tries the emerald key again.  Probably, it works
again.
7c) The apparatus is t-ported back to E1c.
8c) Rand once again doesn't get in, for whatever reason (or gets in, but
only wanders about E1 and doesn't go diving).
9c) Rand either uses the emerald key *again*, and this time gets in--or he
finds the apparatus has t-ported from E1 to E1c, and he gets back in--and
this time he goes diving.  Since it has already used up its two t-ports,
he has no problems using it to navigate the shaft.

As you can see, 7a, 8b, and 9c sort of rely on the effect either not
resetting (i.e., it only t-ports twice, as I assumed above, and thus is
potentially safely usable after that, depending on where the second t-port
takes it), or random teleporting (i.e. the second time, it t-ports into
solid rock and is thus permanently unusable after that).  All the module
says is "it teleports *again* after another 30 rounds," which doesn't
really say much in the way of what actually goes on or where it goes that
time.

7. Room E4
It is impossible to get beyond this room; you need Sigil 15 to get to
Area G, but Sigil 13 is located in Area G and must be gotten before 15.

Monte: "There's an unfortunate typo on page 44. In room
E4, where it says 'Sigil 15' in red, it should say 'Sigil 12.'"

8. Room E4
Once the elevator plug has risen back up, there doesn't appear to be any
way to get it to come back down.  This is necessary for the players to get
back to the upper parts of the labyrinth to get Sigils 14, 15, and 20.

9. Room E4
The stone disk appears to have no use, even though the description states
that "it is useful in areas beyond this."

Monte: "The wording is unfortunately vague, I'm afraid. It's a DM
'gimmie'--something that comes in handy where the PCs need it most or
where the DM thinks things in the module are particularly difficult."

Clarification: It can be used to supply any effect the DM decides is
necessary, such as if PCs don't have a vital spell, need a quick escape,
or any such similar use.

10.  Art booklet, Room G1
Just a note:  AFAICT, the drawing for G1 doesn't actually match up
to any location in G1, but merely gives the feel for the room. (It
actually matches up fairly closely to a location in G7, near one of
the doors to G6, and facing south.  Hard to tell for certain though.)

11. Art booklet, Room G19
The drawing of G19 is missing the entryway into the room.  There should
be 20 doors and one hallway entrance.  If the DM is aware in advance of
this, there's not really an effect on gameplay, but players can easily get
confused by this when the DM shows them the picture and tries to describe
the room.

9. Room G19/Art booklet
The text for G19 claims that the floor sigils are similar to, but
different from, the main 20.  However, those in the picture are
identical to the main 20.  No real effect on gameplay, unless you have
players that are too attentive to details (which I do).

Monte: "Artists. Sigh. Who can figger 'em? ;)"

12. Room G19
Stats are given for a "stone snake"; this is not the one pictured on the
floor of the room (which is merely a cover for the well the iron ladder is
in), but for the 1d4 stone snakes that are summoned by opening Door #9.

13. Room G19
There doesn't appear to be any way to get room G19 to lower back down to its
starting postition; this is required for characters to get out of the
labyrinth.  The switch behind Door #15 will probably work to lower the room,
but the text only mentions raising the room.

Many thanks to Mr. Cook for responding!