The Adventure Zone Royale: Episode 24

Summary of The Adventure Zone Royale: Episode 24

by The McElroys

1h 9m•May 14, 2026
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Overview of The Adventure Zone: TAZ Royale Episode 24

This episode is the late-stage push through the “trial of necromancy,” with the surviving wizards racing to survive until sunrise while a zombie horde closes in. The party splits up across the second floor of the mansion, solves the prismatic fireplace puzzle, and fights a series of undead threats, including the return of Dr. Legume and the reveal of Randolph as another undead force tied to Duber’s past. The episode ends on a tense cliffhanger as Duber asks the most important question possible: whether Loravith killed Randolph, and “which time.”

Main Plot Developments

Escaping the zombie pressure

  • Rictus uses Thunder Step to teleport himself and Franklin away from a corpse mound, freeing Franklin from danger.
  • He later uses Wither and Bloom to damage approaching undead and heal Hippocrates.
  • Franklin is cured of poison with an antidote, and the group regroups on the second floor.

The second-floor puzzle

  • The study contains a map showing four color-coded corner rooms: purple, red, green, and blue.
  • The fireplace in the study hides an iron ladder and a prismatic fire mechanism, implying the rooms are part of a larger lock or tower ascent puzzle.
  • The party splits to investigate the colored rooms:
    • Blue room: Hellgramit and Duber
    • Green room: Rictus and Franklin
    • Purple room: Hippocrates’ room
    • The red room remains unresolved at the end

Blue room and Dr. Legume

  • Hellgramit absorbs the blue flame with Absorb Elements, gaining a fire charge for a future melee hit.
  • This triggers an attack from Dr. Legume, who emerges from a hidden crawlspace.
  • Duber helps by smashing Legume with a vase.
  • Loravith finishes him with Lightning Lure, seemingly killing him.

Green room and the hidden gentleman

  • Rictus extinguishes the green flame with Ray of Frost.
  • That activates a hidden undead figure known as the gentleman, who bursts through the wall.
  • Rictus and Franklin escape before the situation can fully escalate.

Purple room and Hippocrates saved again

  • Rictus reaches the purple room with a nat 20 on Athletics and then another nat 20 on Arcana.
  • He realizes the purple candle/fire is about to explode and Ray of Frosts it out in time.
  • Hippocrates survives thanks to Rictus’s warning and quick action.

The real twist: Dr. Legume and Randolph return

  • After Legume is “killed,” Loravith notices movement behind the fireplace.
  • A new undead figure emerges: Randolph, formerly Duber’s ward/guardian, now zombified.
  • Hellgramit casts Leomund’s Tiny Hut to protect Duber.
  • Loravith uses Spider Climb and then Fireball to obliterate Randolph’s room.
  • The scene strongly suggests Randolph is gone, but the emotional fallout is not over.

Notable Character Moments

Rictus

  • Has a very strong episode mechanically:
    • Thunder Step
    • Wither and Bloom
    • Multiple clutch high rolls, including two nat 20s
  • Becomes the group’s most effective rescuer in several moments.

Loravith

  • Gets a brief “flight” moment from the red half-cape, which then disintegrates.
  • Continues to lean into flashy magical problem-solving.
  • Is emotionally tested when Randolph appears, especially because of Duber’s history.

Hellgramit and Duber

  • Their dynamic continues to be one of the emotional centers of the episode.
  • Hellgramit repeatedly tries to protect Duber and proves competent in combat.
  • Duber is caught between conflicting loyalties and visibly shaken by the undead people from his past.

Hippocrates and Franklin

  • Both are repeatedly injured and then saved.
  • Rictus’s healing and antidote use keep them in the fight.
  • Franklin especially gets a small but memorable recovery beat after being poisoned and rescued.

Mechanical Highlights

Spells and combat tools used

  • Thunder Step
  • Cause Fear attempted, but ineffective on undead
  • Wither and Bloom
  • Absorb Elements
  • Scorching Ray
  • Lightning Lure
  • Ray of Frost
  • Leomund’s Tiny Hut
  • Spider Climb
  • Fireball

Puzzle structure

  • The episode centers on a color-coded elemental/fire puzzle:
    • Blue room = blue flame
    • Green room = green flame
    • Purple room = purple candle/fire
    • Red room still pending
  • The implication is that each room controls part of a larger magical system tied to the hidden ladder and the trial’s progression.

Endgame Setup / Cliffhanger

  • Randolph’s appearance turns the episode from a tactical cleanup into an emotional confrontation.

  • Duber is visibly rattled by seeing his former guardian in undead form.

  • The final line lands perfectly as Duber asks Loravith:

    “Did you kill Randolph, Loravith? Was it you? ... which time?”

  • That sets up the next episode with both a mystery and a moral/emotional reckoning.