Faced with an unusual alliance of giants raiding the countryside, the party must venture into the steading of hill giant chief Nosnra and uncover maps to the locations of the other giant strongholds. “Steading of the Hill Giant Chief ” can be run as a stand-alone adventure, or you can play it as the first part of a four-part series that continues with “Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane” (Dungeon 198), “Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl” (Dungeon 199), and “Hall of the Fire Giant King” (Dungeon 200). The adventure is part of the Against the Giants series originally by Gary Gygax, hence the writing credit.
"More than five hundred years ago, clans of dwarves and gnomes made an agreement known as the Phandelver’s Pact, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave. In addition to its mineral wealth, the mine contained great magical power. Human spellcasters allied themselves with the dwarves and gnomes to channel and bind that energy into a great forge (called the Forge of Spells), where magic items could be crafted. Times were good, and the nearby human town of Phandalin (pronounced fan-duh-lin) prospered as well. But then disaster struck when orcs swept through the North and laid waste to all in their path. A powerful force of orcs reinforced by evil mercenary wizards attacked wave echo cave to seize its riches and magic treasures. Human wizards fought alongside their dwarf and gnome allies to defend the Forge of Spells, and the ensuing spell battle destroyed much of the cavern. Few survived the cave-ins and tremors, and the location of Wave Echo Cave was lost. For centuries, rumours of buried riches have attracted treasure seekers and opportunists to the area around Phandalin, but no one has ever succeeded in locating the lost mine. In recent years, people have resettled the area. Phandalin is now a rough-and-tumble frontier town. More important, the Rockseeker brothers - a trio of dwarves - have discovered the entrance to Wave Echo Cave, and they intend to reopen the mines. Unfortunately for the Rockseekers, they are not the only ones interested in Wave Echo Cave. A mysterious villain known as the Black Spider controls a network of bandit gangs and goblin tribes in the area, and his agents have followed the Rockseekers to their prize. Now the Black Spider wants Wave Echo Cave for himself, and he is taking steps to make sure no one else knows where it is." Extra Info from AL.com users: by @marcellarius. "There are a variety of locations in this adventure: the town of Phandalin, a gang hideout, a ruined keep in the forest, a destroyed village, and Wave Echo Cave (a dungeon crawl). The adventure is written in a sandbox style and relies on the players to choose their path. Phandalin offers several side-quests which could serve as hooks for continuing adventures. The premade characters have ties in their backgrounds to NPCs and locations. If you're not using these you'll need to consider other ways to introduce key NPCs."
A new, expanded, OSR-ised, prettified edition of Joseph R. Lewis’ Ragged Hollow Nightmare which was rated among The Best by Tenfootpole. Joseph Lewis hit a perfect balance between the classics of dungeonverse fantasy and the whimsy of the folk tales we love so much (as testified by our Folklore Bestiary. we released last year), adding a dash of dreamworld strangeness and a pinch of body horror to spice up his brew. We did our best to respect his recipe when adding our extra material (about 30 pages of it). We worked with Joe and Li-An (the perfect artist to give life to spooky Ragged Hollow and its strange surroundings) to make the best module we could: a solid introduction to old-school gaming for both players and gamemasters. And for the veterans among us, it also makes an excellent, full-fledged campaign starter. Nightmare over Ragged Hollow is a sandbox adventure centred around a quaint town at the edge of the kingdom. But however quiet life in Ragged Hollow is, the town lies between places where you shouldn’t be traveling alone. Places like Gloam Wood (“A witch or two lurk there!”), the Bleak Mountains (“I’m told there are bugbears…”) and their infamous Mount Mourn (“Home, they say, to cursed Dwarven ruins”), not to forget the Wailing Hills (“Bandits on every road!”). There’s even a haunted house by the river (“That mad inventor riddled it with traps!”). But only when an impenetrable dome of golden light materialises around the Temple of Halcyon (“Hey, my kids go to school there!”) do things really get out of hand. Some selfless heroes (or, failing that, a bunch of greedy ne’er-do-wells) should really get involved. One town with three adventure mini-sites Three small dungeons One 50-room dungeon Three hexes with 16 detailed locations Two groups of potential allies or rivals Sixteen pre-generated characters One deadly countdown! Written for the Old-School Essentials (OSE) rule system
Ever needed to spice up a stay in a city? Or, ever needed something to fill the gap between sessions when you are missing a player? Add a little flavor to the adventurers’ city visits with a rampaging mummy, a circus gone wild, a haunted inn, and much, much, more. This 80-page supplement contains 26 encounters written by best-selling Dungeon Masters Guild writers and new writers! Encounters in the Savage Cities includes: •26 unique encounters / mini-adventures ◦A mix of combat, roleplay, and investigation •Scaling Suggestions for CR 1-10 •New creatures •Custom Art •Downloadable Custom Maps (as a separate file) These encounters are location generic and are designed to be easily added to any campaign. Use them to introduce new players, as inspiration for a new campaign, as a one-shot, or whatever else you can think of.
A strangely delivered advertisement has led you to a sage named Demetrios. He needs a rare component to complete a desperately needed potion. The journey to retrieve it will take you through a large, unexplored swamp to a ruined keep, the former headquarters of a vile cult that once claimed the lives of many innocent youths. You cautiously accept the mission... To solve the mysteries of "Baltron's Beacon," the characters must excel in handling wilderness, building ruins, traps, puzzles, and new monsters. This adventure, originally designed for tournament use, is now available for your own campaign. TSR 9152
Ambushed on the road by goblinoids and then follow them to their lair in an old, abandoned hunting lodge in a forest. This is a short adventure that can be played in a session. The Goblins’ Gambit is perfect for situations where the party suddenly decides to go completely off the rails and the gamemaster does not have anything prepared for the destination. It is designed to be simple and the gamemaster is empowered to read and run it quickly. A 3rd level party is ideal for this adventure, but it can be easily tuned up to 5th level or down to 1st level by adding or removing a few simple enemies. This adventure can be used in three different ways - The starting adventure - This is a great adventure to start a new campaign with. A good option to use for a brand new group of players A random encounter - This is perfect for use for a random encounter along the road A retrieval mission - This adventure can also be used as a low level mission from a patron What is included? The adventure pdf DM's map of two different locations Two high resolution (8192x6144) maps for an abandoned hunting lodge and a roadside encounter (grid and gridless), which can be printed out as a tabletop map to play on.
A small band of centaurs have seen their water source fouled by unknown magic. When word of their plight reaches the party, they embark on a day's travel to the centaur camp. Along the way, they encounter injured wildlife and panicked bugbears. Terrifying storms beset the region, raining down acid and oozes. Agreeing to investigate the small corrupted lake, the adventurers discover a long buried evil has awakened—bringing with it oozing undead. The party must navigate the wilds, face the ooze storms, and confront a reanimated warrior who betrayed her god.
Only True Heroes Can Find Honor Among Thieves … They lurk in the Ralferst Forest, striking out at all who pass through, robbing traders, assaulting farmers, even killing with impunity. Working from a secret base deep in the forest, a band of thieves has struck fear into the heart of Brandon's Bridge, the little village at the crossing of the Azure River. But now a band of heroes has come, seeking glory and adventure - heroes that might just be up to the challenge of driving away the Thieves in the Forest. Thieves in the Forest is a beginner-friendly, introductory OGL adventure. It features: A wilderness adventure segment featuring the Ralferst Forest, a dense wood crisscrossed with paths and fraught with perils. The nature of the forest and paths makes it easy for less experienced players and GMs to deal with this non-dungeon environment. A double-sided, fold-out poster map (17" x 22") of the thieves' hideout - an ancient ruined temple - suitable for tabletop use with miniatures or counters, for easier handling of tactical combat. Maps created in Profantasy Software's Campaign Cartographer 2, and available for download on the Atlas Games website. GMs can customize and manipulate these maps themelves, if they own CC2, and integrate them into their own game worlds. Published by Atlas Games & Truant Spiele
The heroes arrive at the eponymous Keep on the Borderlands, a fortress on the edge of civilization built to stave off the chaos and evil of the wilderness. Using it as a home base, a party can make forays into the surrounding wilderness, encountering monster and marauder alike. The centerpiece of the adventure is certainly the CAVES OF CHAOS, a network of tunnels and caverns found in the walls of a nearby but isolated ravine. It is here that hordes of evil humanoids have made their home. Through combat and negotiation, the players can try to explore and map out these caves, perhaps with the aim of accumulating valuable treasure or even cleansing the land of evil creatures. However, even the Caves are not all they seem. Beyond the goblins and kobolds lurk dark horrors: cults dedicated to fiendish chaos and a Minotaur's enchanted labyrinth await the unprepared adventurer. But for the hero who is brave, clever, and fortunate in equal and sufficient measure, great treasures and glory await in the Caves of Chaos that lie beyond the Keep on the Borderlands! TSR 9034
Tristan Harpell, a self-centered though likeable young mage, has bought a magic village! A month ago he sent his servant off to take possession of it, and he's heard nothing since. Our heroes are sent to investigate - and find an adventure unlike anything they've experienced before...
Caravans are having a difficult time getting through to Parnast via the Black Road. Organized attacks by orcs and other monstrous humanoids working in concert with one another have folks baffled. Little do they know that an unusually intelligent hill giant, going by the name of Bad Fruul is to blame. SEER has sent her emissary Hsing, to task your group to accompany a caravan with a very special cargo destined for the Shrine of Axes in Parnast, and to figure out who is responsible. A Two Hour Adventure for 1st-4th Level Characters
When Volothamp Geddarm hires you to recover a missing key, you find yourself wrapped up in a series of murders in Lower Skullport. Can you find the killer before they find you? Part One of the Skullport Shakedown trilogy. A Two- to Four-Hour Adventure for Tier 2 Characters. Optimized For: APL 8
Ages ago, the tower stood as a bastion against banditry and marauders. But civilization has long since retreated from this area, and a band of goblin thieves has taken up residence in the ruined tower. Local woodsfolk beg the PCs to rid the place of the bandits before they are victimized again by the goblins of the Broken Tower. Pgs. 18-23
Slumber in the Sands – A Level 6 Adventure Beneath the shifting desert dunes lies an ancient ruin, home to a fanatical goblin tribe that worships a slumbering blue dragon as their god. Traps, puzzles, and hidden dangers fill the dungeon, all designed to protect the dragon’s hoard. Can your party navigate the treacherous ruins and escape with the treasure before they awaken the beast? This adventure includes: ✅ A sandbox-style dungeon crawl with multiple paths to success ✅ Dynamic encounters featuring goblin zealots, deadly traps, and a cunning Sand Druid ✅ A time-twisting magical artifact – the Hourglass of Stilled Time ✅ DM-friendly layout for easy reference and play Perfect for one-shots or as a drop-in adventure for your desert campaigns! Will your party slip away unseen, or will they awaken the dragon’s wrath?
An old-school dungeon adventure! Explore (and possibly claim and re-open) an abandoned gem mine. 8 pages, 16 rooms, weird monsters, eerie situations, arcane technology and iridescent jewels! For use with old-school or OSR RPG systems.
Your search for Volo’s key in Skullport has you playing a dangerous game between The Xanathar Guild, Bregan D’aerthe, and the Zhentarim. In the Port of Shadow, how do you know who you can trust when lives are on the line? Part Two of the Skullport Shakedown trilogy.
For months, the dreams of the people of Emystrell have become dark and terrible. It seems their nightmares have come to life as in recent weeks, people have mysteriously gone missing, vanishing in the night without a trace! Everyone is too paralyzed by their own despair to do anything or venture far from the safety of their homes. Emystrell is on the brink of collapse. The baron is offering a handsome reward to anyone who can show proof of the end of whatever evil curse that has taken hold of their town. This adventure is designed for a party of 3-5 heroic characters from the 2nd to 3rd level. It has elements of mystery and investigation in the first section which can be detailed and highly involved for groups that enjoy the process of searching for clues and solving mysteries or just as easily glossed over for groups that are more tactics focused. The second section of the adventure features the dungeon: a labyrinthine complex of an ancient elven crypt which the thieves guild has used as a base of operations for a decade...until the serpent worshipping cult arrived. The third section of this book is the detailed map and notes on the town and surrounding area of Emystrell. Roleplaying notes are kept light to allow for room for your own interpretations and details to NPCs remain as free to do with as you choose unless I felt inspired and hoped to give you a cool idea. This adventure has hooks for Dungeon Masters interested in a larger campaign involving the sinister plots of the Yuan-Ti (snake people) as well as other interesting adventure hooks (such as the giants in the nearby mountains or the stolen gem: The Eye of the Dragon). These plot points are intentionally left vague for you to fill in the gaps based on what your players seem interested in. You are invited to use this as a launch point adventure to lead your heroes on a larger adventure that might someday set them against an Anathema Serpent demigod, or it may simply be the adventure that begins their journeys and the evil of Yargoth stops here at Emystrell. If your campaign is set in a pre-published setting, this town of Emystrell can be replaced or fit into any campaign with a few tweaks to local gods and names. If you are playing in Dragonlance, you could replace Yargoth the Dread Serpent with Tiamat, or Dendar in Fearun. The local goddess, Tyr, could be the Tyr from the Forgotten Realms or even Norse myth if that is your campaign setting.
The characters, members of the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild, have been tasked with acquiring the Chains of Mur’taal, an artifact tied to Thelanis, by their guild handler, Lhara. This artifact is the latest in a series that Provost Nigel Faurious has commissioned the Clifftop guild to retrieve for him. The adventure starts when the characters arrive in Rhukaan Draal via Orien caravan. They’re given a chance to explore a small portion of the city before they head to a local bar to meet their contact provided by Lhara. Accompanied by a local guide, they make their way to the Seawall Mountains, where they’ll have to follow clues and their intuition to find the Valley of the Hero, which conceals the artifact that they’ve been hired to obtain. In order to earn the artifact, characters must first pass three tests laid before them by the Story: The Test of Courage, the Challenge of Wisdom, and the Trial of Honor. Once they finish the tests and collect the artifact, the party heads back toward Rhukaan Draal. But there are Marguul forces in the area, and they don’t intend to let the heroes escape with a priceless piece of their folklore…
"A great cat sits upon the northern grasslands, my friend, waiting to pounce on adventurers just like you." As you part the tall grass with your sword, the words of the tavernkeeper echo in your head. "He was the mightiest wizard we'd ever known, and that Lion Castle was his home." Your friends' voices mingle with the tavernkeeper's. "He's but a ghost now, haunting those halls, and waiting for an heir." The ground rises slightly. A strong wind rushes through the field. Suddenly, the grasses part, and Lion Castle rises majestically before you! "Magical riches await those who enter!" "Beware of man-beasts!" Voices flood your head again. Will you brave the haunted castle? Can you afford not to? It's all up to you in this D&D Solo Adventure. Ghost of Lion Castle is for one player only, but that one player makes all of the choices and enjoys all of the rewards. An entire castle and courtyard await your exploration. The adventure also includes a complete solo combat system. TSR 9097
This book goes over the various rules around the faction of the Lords' Alliance in Phandalin and the Forgotten Realms, making it easy for any new or veteran DMs to integrate it more into the core stories being told, and making the faction feel more useful for the players that choose to join. In the adventure, the characters are tasked with adventuring through the uppermost level of the abandoned Dwarven city of Southkrypt Garden and assassinating an evil mage before they lead an army of Goblinoids to besiege Neverwinter.