The Thieves Guild Ebonclad has welcomed its newest team to the fold, assigned to the Keeper Reese Kincaid for instruction. The recruits are green, but capable. Their Keeper has devised a job for them to assess their talents. If his new team is successful, he gets some insight as to how his new Scraps operate, in addition to scratching something off his to-do list. If they die trying, well, then Reese has one fewer thing to worry about. The party must track down the slum thief Dale E’ssio, and reclaim valuables marked for the guild. Should anything unfortunate happen to Dale, there must be no evidence tracing things back to Ebonclad. The mission will require the party to enter Kintalla’s sewers to ultimately confront Dale E’ssio in a ruined slum house. Characters may have to explore the city while trying to get a lead on him.
Berryridge is beset by bandits, the woods nearby have always caused issues, but these recent bandits are something else. Something or someone with actual intelligence is leading them now. Worse, even the bandits seem to dislike their new leadership, not deserting out of fear alone. The lord's men are weeks away and the town is unsure how much longer they can keep the bandits out of their homes. It's up to you to find out exactly what happened and stop the bandits before they can start taking something other than valuables... Draw Steel! In this unofficial 1st-level adventure for the TTRPG Draw Steel, you meet with the small town of Berryridge. Currently under siege by banditry. However, these bandits are getting desperate, find out who or what is driving them to take more and more risks. This product contains: - A short and sweet adventure for a 1st-level party. - A flexible storyline that can fit into any campaign - 2 custom monsters - 3 maps specially designed for this Draw Steel adventure, with a separate map showing suggested enemy placements. - Custom characters and negotiations.
The mighty dragon Oroshar lies dead, as does the barbarian king who slew him. Yet the dragon's spirit does not rest quietly. His wrath lingers in one of the teeth lodged in the dead king's corpse, awaiting only the caress of the funeral pyre to awaken into something far worse than a dragon of flesh and bone. A D&D adventure for 7th-level characters.
Sometimes you can just be in the wrong place at the wrong time... Sheltering from a savage storm, a group of fledgling adventurers find themselves trapped by circumstances and powerful forces from a bygone age. Escaping from dark and dismal caverns, the heroes must brave a nightmarish trek through haunted and hostile terrain, pursued by an mysterious assailant to the very walls of Anduria – home of the greatest civilisation in the world. On the edge between madness and salvation, they must broker a deal with shadowy cults and political powers to determine not only their own fate, but potentially that of the Eternal City itself.
From Exalted Funeral: The snows are alive. A soft, cold spirit courses through them. Her lace threads the world; watching, drinking, listening, stroking, soothing, killing. Her touch is soft and icy. She is Winterwhite, the daughter of the Waterdrinker and the Northwind, and she is a terrible god. An avatar of ice and hunger, of visions and death. Dooms and devastations to visit upon a cosy roleplaying setting. Longwinter is the RPG sandbox of a realm that has broken its vows to Winterwhite and will now pay the cold price. This book contains secret knowledge and mechanics for the referee. The setting is profoundly close to that of Witchburner (by the same author and artist). This sandbox includes: ~110 pages of content. some colour illustrations. 3 variations of the Brezim map to represent changes as Winterwhite's curse bites harder. faction trackers for the 5 key factions and over 40 events to represent different groups growing or waning in strength depending on player actions. detailed weather and event tables to simulate a living setting. detailed encounter tables for night and day, which grow harsher as Winterwhite's curse grows stronger. several more tables to generate corpses, caches, vaults, and memories of summer. optional playing card-based escape mechanic with 54 different locations, challenges and characters encountered in each location. alternatively, the escape section serves as a resource to mine for winter locations, challenges, and characters. Be aware: This is a book of factions and winter encounters for the full-fledged mini-setting detailed in the Longwinter: Visitor's Book. The content is mostly system-neutral. It references some 5E or d20-style conventions, but should work with most low-power systems easily. Many of the encounters, and particularly the escape, will not work with characters resistant to cold, capable of flight, or otherwise able to avoid the environmental challenges. Finally, thank you for considering running Longwinter for your players. It is a bit of a tribute to the mountains and myths I've walked and heard over many years, and I hope you will find fuel for many adventures and good memories herein. It has also been a challenging project to prepare. Many people helped make it as good as it is. The fault for all errors and typos is my own. —Luka, December 2020
When the Guildmaster speaks, everybody listens. When the going gets tough, the thieves get going. For 3-6 thieves. Pgs. 9-16 & 34
*THIS IS A D&D NEXT/5E PLAYTEST ADVENTURE* Imani, a Turmishan wizard and former adventurer, seeks the aid of heroes to infiltrate Dretchroyaster’s lair and recover the Diamond Staff of Chomylla—the key to powerful magic and wisdom locked away for thousands of years. In addition to his own sagely interest in the lore of lost Uvaeren, Imani recognizes the dangers of such powerful magic falling into evil hands. The dracolich has secured the staff in his lair’s cen- tral chamber, using ancient wards of protection that can be bypassed only by four artifact-idols once belong- ing to a cult of Bhaal. Each group of adventurers enters the dungeon through a different section of the dun- geon—a forgotten temple of Bhaal, a vast underground lake, a troglodyte village, or Dretchroyaster’s vaults. Dretchroyaster’s lair is no simple set of caverns and ancient ruins. It sits atop a source of great power and energy, which the dracolich and his Cult of the Dragon allies hope to use to unlock the secrets of the staff. Only by undertaking a unified assault against Dretchroyas- ter’s lair can the adventurers hope to recover the Diamond Staff and survive the dracolich’s fury. The adventurers must make their way through the lair and recover the Bhaalite idols that will help unlock the Diamond Staff, all the while dealing with the lair’s creatures and avoiding the dracolich as he pur- sues intruders. Entering the Chamber of the Diamond Staff, the heroes must overcome its magical wards and claim the staff before being slain by the dracolich and his servants.
The plague-stricken Copper District of Waterdeep's Southern Ward needs your help. What is causing the plague? Can it be stopped? Are you the right person for the job? Published by Arcana Games.
A Little Bit of Thievery is an unconventional freeform adventure for level 1 characters. The players are contracted to steal a magic item at a noble's fancy party, and are forced to abandon their weapons and rely on their wits to survive. Mayhem required and violence (mostly) optional. Success might bring the ire of an elite with a panache for vengeance and money to burn. Beats killing giant rats in the safety of a basement for a few silver pieces, right? Although it is specifically written for the 5th edition’s basic rules, the adventure can be dropped into any rules system or campaign with minimal modification. (Pay What You Want)
“The Temple Between” is an adventure for 9th level characters, and it is challenging enough to take them to 11th level by the time all is said and done. Although intended as the final chapter of the heroic tier portion of the Scales of War Adventure Path, it can be run as a standalone adventure, or as an adventure in a campaign of your own making, with a small degree of modification. It contains elements of urban investigation, dungeon delving, and even wartime conflict, making it a suitable adventure to players of many tastes and preferences. The western end of Elsir Vale has been greatly troubled in recent days. The threat of the orc hordes from beyond the Stonehome Mountains, though turned back at Bordrin’s Watch, still lingers in the people’s minds. Peculiar and hostile creatures of shadow lurk in the caverns and caves below. Political squabbling grows among the city’s powerful dwarf clans. All this makes the city particularly vulnerable to an enemy nobody saw coming - that nobody even imagined. This enemy has goals and objectives far beyond the ultimately unimportant Elsir Vale, but the first step is the utter subjugation of Overlook. An enemy who, at least in part, is already here. In this adventure the player characters start by investigating the strange behavior of the city's clergy. They swiftly discover hints of a conspiracy worming its way through the city hierarchy - some members are possessed while others have been replaced by dopplegangers. After trailing this conspiracy to its source they discover a portal that leads to an ancient temple in the mountains. Using the portal, the PCs go to the abandoned ancient temple where they must confront both a cadre of fey and a band of mercenaries, from whom they learn there is a plot for a full-scale invasion of the region! The PCs must them rush back to Overlook and cement their place as heroes as they face off against the invading forces. Pgs. 4-71
In part one of the Randal Morn Trilogy, "The Sword of the Dales," the legendary leader of Daggerdale, Randal Morn, was captured by unknown assailants as he sought to regain the great weapon for which that adventure was named. A stalwart band of enthusiastic heroes was recruited to ride to his aid, yet all they recovered was the Sword itself and a message: "Seek me in Spiderhaunt Wood." In the second part of the trilogy, "The Secret of Spiderhaunt," those same adventurers found Randal and freed him briefly, yet he was almost as quickly torn from their grasp by an agent of the evil Zhentarim, seeking to end the threat of Randal Morn's return to power. In this final episode, the heroes must follow the kidnapper's trail and rescue Randal Morn again before the Zhentarim finish interrogating him and the axe falls upon his neck. Armed with the Sword of the Dales and aided by a powerful spirit that lives within the weapon, the heroes must march into the heart of Zhent-occupied Dagger Falls, free Randal Morn, and save the city from utter destruction. The job is dangerous - perhaps more than the heroes can handle - yet those who would live in songs and legends cannot concern themselves with living to a ripe old age! This is the final part of a trilogy of modules that began with "The Sword of the Dales" and "The Secret of Spiderhaunt." TSR 9488
Horrible hauntings, cruel curses, dark secrets...this is no pleasure cruise! The mists of Ravenloft know no boundaries and observe no rules. One way or another, they always get what they want - this time with some help from a cursed captain and his ship. Player characters boarding an innocent-looking ship will soon find themselves aboard a haunted vessel, destined for an island inhabited by a new form of undead creatures. But that's not the end of the horror - an evil necromancer lies at the root of the evil on the island. The battle isn't over until he's been defeated! Ship of Horror is an adventure set in Ravenloft with two beginnings: one for PCs already in Ravenloft, and one for DMs looking for a way to push his PCs into Ravenloft from other worlds. The adventure includes three new monsters, new spells, and several handouts ready for distribution to players. Ship of Horror is an adventure for four to six players of levels 8-10 looking for grisly chills and thrills! TSR 9321
If the ravens die, Crawford Manor falls. Soaked from the storm and weary from travel, the adventurers seek shelter for the night at the manor house on a hill. The PCs are shown rooms to change into dry clothing, and invited to dine with Lord Crawford this evening. Dinner is interrupted by a woman's scream from a nearby room: Corbett, the master-at-arms has been murdered! This adventure is an atmospheric murder mystery set in a manor house. While it's setting-neutral, it would be a good fit for a Ravenloft setting. Pgs. 52-64
Despite what some may think, those in Zhentil Keep haven't forgotten about their orc troops in Phent. In public discussion in Zhentil Keep, the leaders of the Zhentilar, the military branch of Zhentil Keep, have confidently asserted that the orcs in Thesk are completely loyal to Zhentil Keep. They maintain that the orcs are just biding their time and building up trust among the citizens, until the appointed time when the word is given. In private, these same leaders are gravely concerned. The leaders didn't get to positions of command by being idiots, and they know that the orcs are treated well and accepted in Thesk, which is a rarity for them with the humans and humanoids of Faerûn in general. The leaders know that many of the orcs would be reluctant to destroy the source of this acceptance. But what if the orcs' chief god, Gruumsh, told them to? The Zhentilar turned to the Black Network and presented the problem. The Zhents knew what to do. The Zhents have dispatched a powerful cleric, a master of persuasion and deception, to pose as an orc prophet of Gruumsh and whip the orcs into a destructive frenzy. In addition, the Zhentilar have staged raids against human caravans by what look like orc warriors so that they can start antiorc sentiment among the population of Thesk. Twin Oaks is a tiny, sleepy little thorp located just within the sheltering eaves of a great forest. Home to an extended family clan of farmers and woodcutters, the community was founded within living memory and since its creation the inhabitants have known only peace and prosperity. But just as the gentle breezes of late summer can transform rapidly into the deadly storms of autumn, dark times have come suddenly to Twin Oaks, in the person of Deskryn, a vampire who finds himself on the run from deadly enemies. Just two nights ago, as the good folk of Twin Oaks prepared for the annual harvest, Deskryn’s castle home was invaded by an intrepid band of adventurers led by a noble paladin. Although the party did not achieve its goal of slaying the vampire himself, they managed to drive him from his lair and force him to flee into the night with only the barest fraction of his former resources in tow. Unfortunately for the good folk of Twin Oaks, theirs was the community onto which the 2 vampire stumbled first, and it is here that the fiends have taken refuge. The little settlement offers the displaced vampire all that he needs: shelter from the hateful light of the sun, a selection of new servants, and a supply of fresh mortal blood. Even in his current condition, Deskryn alone is more than a match for the nhabitants of the thorp; but his best hope of survival lies not in conquest, but in secrecy. He plans to hide in Twin Oaks until he believes it safe to leave; then, he can begin plotting his revenge on the hateful paladin and her compatriots who brought him to this lowly state. As for the citizens of the thorp, they are all but helpless in the face of this powerful enemy. The vampire has already slaked his unholy thirst on one of their number, and his minions have taken hostages to ensure that the inhabitants do as they are told. All the folk of Twin Oaks hope that Deskryn will take what he wants and then leave them in peace, but few of them believe that such hopes are realistic. Until Deskryn has satisfied himself that the coast is clear, Twin Oaks—and its people—belong to him.
Curtain Call: A Sharn Adventure is an introductory Eberron adventure. This is a great adventure for new Dungeon Masters to Eberron and includes sidebars to help DMs and players get familiar with the world of Eberron. A paying job in Sharn to find out what happened to a missing noble turns into a myriad of street chases, personal grudges, spy agencies, cultists, and charlatans as you take an exciting tour through the City of Towers.
In the kingdom of Minoxia, the dragon Oxitorus rules the people with a disease his breath causes. A rebel approaches you and implores you to investigate a lead he has on a cure. The travel through Minoxia's swamp will be difficult, and you can't trust anyone, as the tyrant's spy network has roots everywhere. What will become of you, even if you succeed?
Captured! While trekking across a trackless wasteland, your stalwart band has fallen into the clutches of a nefarious gang of desert raiders. Imprisoned in a subterranean chamber, you are bereft of all of your equipment and magic items, save for a few tattered loincloths. But as chance would have it, an opportunity to escape the cell presents itself. To escape, you must head deeper into an ancient sealed tomb, armed with nothing but your wits and anything you can find along the way. Getting to the surface is just one of many challenges, as you still need to recover your precious equipment, and flee the Lost Oasis, which is surrounded by an inhospitable sea of solid glass!
Ancient port city on the edge of a desert. The city is stratified by social class and some of the slaves have formed a cannibal cult to Kthulhu. City + hexcrawl + dungeon. The Anthropophagi of Xambaala™ takes players into an action-packed realm of adventure: the mythical world of Hyperborea, a sword-and-sorcery campaign setting inspired by the fantastic fiction of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and others. This adventure is inspired by Robert E. Howard’s “The Man-Eaters of Zamboula” and by various short tales of H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. It is designed for use with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea ™(AS&SH™), a role-playing game descended from the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. AS&SH is compatible with most traditional fantasy role-playing games (c. 1974 to 1999) and their modern simulacra, such as OSRIC™ and Swords & Wizardry™. This work is both a setting and an adventure. The setting describes the town of Xambaala, noting key people, locations, and local lore. The adventure proper provides players with a variety of environments and the several factions fighting over them for their own goals. With a bit of skill and luck, stalwart adventurers may emerge richer and maybe wiser. The situation that will develop in Xambaala will be determined by the players’ choices.
The Ocaulin Cult has stumbled upon the tomb, seeking to awaken an abomination known as the Spawn of Ocaulin. They have kidnapped a merchant’s daughter, Mornea, to serve as the final sacrifice for the creature. Meanwhile, undead have escaped the tomb, plaguing nearby settlements. The PCs must navigate the dangers of the tomb, confront the cult, and prevent the Spawn of Ocaulin from being unleashed upon the world. Multi-level tomb filled with traps, and undead guardians. Dynamic events and rumors in the City of Omere
In “Rescue at Rivenroar,” the player characters must brave the depths of ancient catacombs in search of prisoners taken from the town of Brindol in a midnight raid. The hobgoblins, bandits that style themselves after an invading horde from long ago, have taken refuge in a dungeon under a ruined mountain fortress, and the PCs must clear them out to find the captive townsfolk and the treasures taken from Brindol. “Rescue at Rivenroar” also marks the first step in a great journey - the Scales of War Adventure Path, which spans 30 levels and put the PCs at the crux of events that shapes the world for centuries to come. While the scope of this adventure isn’t as grand, it represents the seed from which an epic tale will surely grow. Pgs. 4-45