Sorcerous Vault

The entry chamber of the Sorcerous Vault.

The Sorcerous Vault is a sub-area of Sorcerous Sundries. This area is fast travel restricted.

Overview

Accessing the Sorcerous Vault

There are two ways to access the Sorcerous Vault:

1. Press the Weave Button labelled 'Vaults' in Ramazith's Tower, after jumping down to the middle level using the floating furniture. This teleports you to the hidden northern room of the Vault.
2. Go up the stairs to the second floor of Sorcerous Sundries and lockpick (DC 15) the metal door to the left X: 12 Y: -79. Interact with the Clasped Book in the bookcase in this room to open a portal to the central room of the Vault.

Unlocking the Elminster and Karsus vaults

Note:  See Invisibility is needed to safely traverse this area; each octagonal room contains an invisible lever that disables all of the traps in that room. Several chests in the vaults are also invisible.

To unlock the named vaults, open doors in the following order:

• Silverhand → Evocation → Wish → pull the lever to unlock the Elminster Vault → proceed through any door to return to the beginning.
• Silverhand → Abjuration → Silver → pull the lever to unlock the Karsus Vault → proceed through any door to return to the beginning.

Alternatively, the Knock spell can be used to open the named doors.

The Elminster vault

The Tharchiate Codex and Pyroquickness Hat can be found here.

Hidden rooms

There are four hidden rooms in this area.

Hellfire Greataxe room

Behind the Silverhand → Illusion door lies the  Hellfire Greataxe X: 366 Y: 941. Destroy the 'Illusion' door to find this room.

Hidden northern room

If you entered the Vault from Ramazith's Tower, you will begin in the hidden northern room. Otherwise, the room can be found behind a wall just north of the entry portal to the vault, locked behind a hidden button X: 369 Y: 1034 (requires a DC 15 Perception check to reveal). This room holds  The Red Knight's Final Stratagem and several chests and crates full of items.

Yafeu the djinni's room

In the transitional hallway between the portal room and the hidden northern room, walk up to the eastern wooden chest to discover an illusory wall X: 374 Y: 1039. The room behind this wall contains a Peculiar Lamp.

Clicking on the Peculiar Lamp swaps you with whoever is currently stuck in the lamp (initially, Yafeu the Djinni). The character who clicked on the lamp is now stuck inside. "See: Escape Tactics" below for known methods of escape.

You may also choose to fight Yafeu when he tries to leave, though he only grants 250xp and does not drop any items. Note: It can be a convenient tactic to swap in and out of the lamp between turns, because inside the lamp is considered a separate region which results in refreshing the actions for those who are swapping causing you to defeat Yafeu before he's able to attack again.

Escape tactics

• Summon any creature (Mage Hand works as well) and have them drag to move the lamp (the game will not let you take the throw action on the lamp) to swap places with your trapped character. Dismissing the trapped summon will destroy the lamp, assuming it was the only occupant.
  • There is sometimes a Scroll of Summon Quasit in one of the Gilded Chests X: -1602 Y: 113.
  • If you have Scratch's Ball in your inventory, you can Summon Scratch inside the lamp and you will be transported out while he remains inside. If you then take a Short Rest right there and summon him again from outside the lamp, he will appear. Then a dead duplicate of Scratch will replace the lamp for a moment before disintegrating.
• Banishment can also be used to escape the lamp.

Hidden library

The final hidden area can be found behind another illusory wall X: 359 Y: 1010, behind a wooden chest in the transitional hallway between the portal room and the door puzzle. This library contains notes about Lorroakan's attempts to gain immortality, a letter from Lenore De Hurst, and  Caution Before the Seelie.

Notable characters

• Yafeu

Related quests

• Unlock the Ancient Tome
• The Wizard of Waterdeep

Notable items

Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:

• File:The Red Knight's Final Stratagem Unfaded Icon.pngThe Red Knight's Final Stratagem: In a locked display case (DC 20) in the hidden northern room of the Vault X: 368 Y: 1057
• Scroll of Artistry of War: Received as a reward for reading The Red Knight's Final Stratagem.
• Hellfire Greataxe: In a Gilded Chest behind the Silverhand -> Illusion door (destroy the 'Illusion' door) X: 366 Y: 941
• Caution Before the Seelie: In a hidden library area behind an illusory wall X: 350 Y: 1010
• Scroll of Bestial Communion: Received as a reward for reading Caution Before the Seelie.
• The Tharchiate Codex: In a locked display case (DC 20) within the Elminster Vault X: 417 Y: 998
• Pyroquickness Hat: In an invisible Opulent Chest within the Elminster Vault X: 415 Y: 995
• The Annals of Karsus: On a bookshelf in the Karsus Vault X: 318 Y: 997
• Scroll of Dethrone: On a bookshelf in the Karsus Vault next to The Annals of Karsus X: 318 Y: 997. A second copy is received as a reward for reading The Annals of Karsus as part of The Wizard of Waterdeep.
• Foebreaker: In an invisible Gilded Chest in the Karsus Vault X: 327 Y: 1001