From time out of mind, the standing stones known as the Circle of Cahervaniel have stood lonely vigil on a grassy hilltop. Sheepherders once moved their flocks over the hill and through the circle, sometimes resting in the cool shadows cast by the ancient stones. Everything changed when a stone finger fell, revealing a fissure in the earth. Now, dark shadows caress the circle after the sun sets. Creatures out of nightmare dance upon the hillside at night. Many swear that a unicorn of deepest ebony now hunts all upon two legs who draw near, while stunted creatures scurry in the shadows, abducting sheep from their sheds and drawing them down below ground for food. After the disappearance of a sheperd, fear grows stronger in neighboring villages. Who will brave the black hollow of the ancient Circle of Cahervaniel? Heroes of stern mettle must descend into the cavity and explore the ancient spaces existing there. Product History "The Shattered Circle" (1999), by Bruce R. Cordell, is a generic adventure for AD&D 2e. It was published in January 1999. Origins: Another Generic. After Wizards of the Coast began publishing D&D, their first year and a half of generic adventures were all classic revivals: returns to RPGA tournaments, to classic adventures, and to Dungeon scenarios. Even "A Paladin in Hell" (1998) was a return in its own way, to the demons and devils that TSR had become afraid of. Wizards was staking out new ground by reclaiming the past. "The Shattered Circle" (1999) was the first generic Wizards adventure that was simply a generic adventure, with no deeper origins and no hidden motives. Artifacts of Note. the foundingstone and the harp Euphonious are both one-off named magic items. However, it's sword Icerazor that's the most interesting. It's said to have grown from a shard of Frostrazor — a sword that would only appear ten months later in Return to White Plume Mountain (1999). There, it's listed as one of Keraptis' four implements of power, alongside Wave, Blackrazor, and Whelm — meaning that Icerazor (and this adventure) are just one step removed from White Plume Mountain itself. Monsters of Note: Chitine. It's somewhat curious, given the Greyhawk and Neverness connections, to note that the chitine debuted in MC11: "Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix" (1991). The spider-humanoids have generally been a Realms creature, featuring in bestiaries and histories for that setting. However, they also received a more generic "Ecology of the Chitine" in Dragon #223 (November 1995), which introduced the choldrith, or chitine priestess. This is their major adventure appearance. When asked about pronouncing their name Cordell says that he "can't be 100% sure of the original designer's pronunciation", but he prefers "KI-TEEN". About the Creators. By 1999, Cordell was one of D&D's most prolific writers. He'd previously authored many slightly related adventures, such as The Gates of Firestorm Peak(1996) and the sahuagin (1997) and illithid (1998) Monstrous Arcana adventure trilogies. This conversion guide allows DMs to run the original module with 5th Edition rules. To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of The Shattered Circle, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in Digital format at the DMs Guild. This adventure is a generic adventure, not specifically based in any existing setting. Suggestions are given in the conversion guide to place the adventure in the Forgotten Realms.

In the kingdom of Keystone, at the mouth of the Manyforks River, stands the port city of Barnacus. It was founded two hundred years ago, and its strategic military and commercial location has made it the second most important city in the kingdom. The city is under the rulership of Haermond II, Duke of the province of Elcadan, a half-elf of high esteem who has been in charge for more than a century. His outstanding commercial politics have made the city very prosperous; almost every trade company in this part of the continent has a counting house in the port of Barnacus. Because of this prosperity, the city has suffered many pirate raids, and thieving activity is a fact of life for residents and visitors alike.

Indomitable it stood for centuries, a symbol of order in a world of chaos. Bastion of the pass through the Kamph Mountains, the very stones of the Keep of Adlerweg were the stuff of legends. What evil power had strength enough to take it? How were its defenses swept aside? Fell creatures now attend the battlements that overlook the only pass between Berghof and the sea. This is not a pretty problem to be solved by the militia of the local villages. These and more may be needed to withstand the mayhem stirred up by the fall of the keep. Indeed, if the Keep is not retaken, and retaken soon, the Hold of the Sea Princes itself may not be secure. Now is the time for heroic action. Aided by the Sentinel, former protector of the legendary Guardians of Adlerweg, have you the courage and the determination to rid the keep of its sinister occupants? UK3: "The Gauntlet" (1984), by Graeme Morris, is the third UK-series adventure and the second half of the two-part Adlerweg series. It was run as the final round of the GamesFair 1983 AD&D Open (and won by a RuneQuest fan!). It was then published in 1984. TSR 9111

The Heroes are relaxing in an inn when they hear a scream, rushing outside they find that a local merchant has been kidnapped! The merchant's wife saw the assailants drag him into an alley, where the heroes give chase. Following the villains through a maze of natural fissures, tunnels, and ancient ruins they encounter a number of monsters, traps, and puzzles. Eventually they make their way to the kidnappers hideout, where they confront the kidnappers in a final climatic battle to rescue the merchant and uncover a criminal gang.

The prince's godmother commissions you to retrieve the prince's jade crown, held in the tower of the vampire! The vampire's tower has three levels, and the three-level dungeon below 45 rooms. The party must be wary! Lethal traps abound. Marching order is important. A straight-forward dungeon crawl with many Gygaxian rooms and encounters. No roleplaying to speak of. Pgs. 4-18

Having put down a rising of giants, it was discovered that the motivating force behind their depredations was that of long-forgotten evil - the Dark Elves. Determined to seek out these creatures, a body of doughty adventurers mounted an expedition to learn the strength of the Drow and bring retribution to them (DUNGEON MODULE D1, DESCENT INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH). This module contains background information, a large-scale referee's map with a matching partial map for players, referee's notes, special exploration and encounter pieces, a large map detailing a temple complex area, encounter and map matrix keys, and an additional section pertaining to a pair of unique new creatures for use with this module and the game as a whole. A complete setting for play of ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is contained herein. This module can be played alone, as the second part of a series of three modules (with DESCENT INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH, D1, and VAULT OF THE DROW, D3), or as the fourth part of a continuing scenario (DUNGEON MODULES G1, G2, G3, D1, D2, D3, and Q1, QUEEN OF THE DEMONWEB PITS). TSR 9020, From 1978

"The module takes place in a large cavern that is part of an extensive underground cave network. It can be used as a side-trek encounter in the Undermountain or Night Below campaign." -- from the adventure. Includes a small keyed map of the cavern.

Trapped in the dungeons of the Slave Lords! The hardy adventurers must find a way out, with only their wits and courage to help them. But can they do it before everything is destroyed by the dreaded Earth Dragon? This module contains a challenging scenario for experienced players, the tournament scoring system, and nine fully-equipped playtested characters. Also included are large-scale referee maps, playing aids, notes, and background information. A4 is a complete adventure in itself, but can also be used in conjunction with A1 (SLAVE PITS OF THE UNDERCITY), A2 (SECRET OF THE SLAVERS' STOCKADE), and A3 (ASSAULT ON THE AERIE OF THE SLAVE LORDS). TSR 9042

It is said that when the largest and most ancient of purple worms know that the time of their death is near, they make their way through rock, earth, and water to the legendary Purple Worm Graveyard. Canny adventurers can return from this quest with a fortune in purple ivory. Foolish ones will die. The Purple Worm Graveyard is a short dungeon crawl adventure that’s best for levels 1-4. The adventure has 15 entries and is designed to provide a variety of challenges for a new adventuring party or one-shot game. The adventure is designed to provide interesting monsters, traps, tricks, and treasures.

The final confrontation with the giant, King Snurre, and the entry of mighty adventurers into the caverns under his stronghold (DUNGEON MODULE G3, HALL OF THE FIRE GIANT KING) discovered the Dark Elves, the Drow, had instigated the giant alliance and its warfare upon mankind and its allied races. This module contains background information, a large-scale referee's map with a matching partial map for players, referee's notes, special exploration and encounter pieces, a large map detailing a cavern area, encounter and map matrix keys, and an additional section pertaining to a unique new creature for use with this module and the game as a whole. A complete setting for play of ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is contained herein. This module can be played alone, as the first part of a series of three modules (with SHRINE OF THE KUO-TOA, D2, and VAULT OF THE DROW, D3), or as the fourth part of a continuing series of modules which form a special progressive campaign scenario (DUNGEON MODULES G1, G2, G3, D1, D2, D3, and Q1, (QUEEN OF THE DEMONWEB PITS). TSR 9019

The mists have led you deep into Glumpen Swamp to a den of great evil. Within, the unliving son of an unliving god awaits the peace of death that eternally eludes him. Will you grant him his rest, or realize the part he is to play in things to come? Part Seven of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts.

Deep below the surface lies an ancient beholder city called Ilth K'hinax. In times past, hundreds of beholders called it home - until simmering rivalries within their society exploded into warfare. The few survivors fled, leaving the city deserted for hundreds of years. However, the story of Ilth K'hinax's glory was passed down from one generation of beholders to the next. Now, after countless years of self-imposed exile, the beholders are back! After securing the city, the hive mother of Ilth K'hinax implemented a plan to wipe out all the beings living above it. Unfortunately for the beholders, several facets of the hive mother's plan have been revealed through the exploits of a party of adventurers. Now, this group of heroes must meet eye to eye with Ilth K'hinax's newest occupants in an effort to stop the hive mother's pernicious plan! "Eye to Eye" is the last of three adventures featuring the nightmarish beholder. It can be played as an individual mission or as part of the series that began with "Eye of Pain" and continued in "Eye of Doom." TSR 9536

In this adventure the heroes invade Susurrus, the palace of the githyanki lich-queen and attempt to end Vlaakith's reign forever. The adventure begins when Zetch'r'r, a githyanki warlord petitions the heroes to confront and destroy Vlaakith. However, the lich-queen's spies know of Zetch'r'r's treachery and are preparing to deal with him and the PCs.

An introductory adventure for AD&D. Discover the secret fortress! See if your character can survive the Trail by Fire! Use your own characters, or use the fully equipped characters that are provided. Also contains maps of the fortress and a detailed wandering monster table. Exploration into an underground military base, now occupied by monsters.

A City on the Brink of War Missing for decades, the Crown of Neverwinter, symbol of the former ruling family, has emerged at last. Yet not all are pleased with the crown's reappearance. Beset by rebels and plaguechanged, Lord Dagult Neverember must hire a group of adventurers to track down the so-called Lost Heir and discover his intentions for the city. The stakes are no less than the lives of the citizens of Neverwinter, for if the heroes fail, Neverwinter seems doomed to descend into civil war.

The Grand Duchy of Geoff has recently been plagued by a rash of unusually weird and terrible monsters of an unknown sort. This western area, particularly the mountain fastness which separates the Grand Duchy from the Dry Steppes, has long been renowned for the generation of the most fearsome beasts, and it has been shunned accordingly -- save a handful of hardy souls with exceptional abilities. Within the last few months, however, a walled town not far distant from the area, and four small fortresses as well, have been destroyed by mysterious attacks! This classic adventure set on a crashed spaceship challenges the players assumptions, and expands on what's possible within the "fantasy" label. TSR 9033

The lizard men are just pining for the fjords. A plague of locusts is bad enough, but when the locusts are each a yard long, the farmers need professional help! A swarm of giant locusts has been eating all the grapes and leaves from the vineyards of Vineyard Vale! In addition, lizard folk have attacked and destroyed several steads in the vale. The farmers are desperate, but what they don't know is that these events are linked! A mage known as Rhungold the Trickster has been orchestrating the attacks and locusts to try to scare the farmers off the land so he can claim it as his own. The players slowly piece the story together by investigating a fairly linear story through a cave, a marsh, and finally to a compound owned by the wizard Rhungold. Pgs. 6-16

The Thorn Hag, an ancient evil thought vanquished by the Elf Queen and her heroic companions many years ago, has arisen from the dead. A fey harp, created from the heart of the treant that perished in the battle, has gone missing from Satyrs' Glen and the Thorn Hag seems to be behind it. The PCs must track the missing harp through a warped and eerie wood and into an unseelie area of the Feywild to stop the Thorn Hag wreaking revenge upon the Elf Queen before it's too late - the clock is ticking. The Sylvan Harp is a D&D 5e adventure for 4-5 PCs of the 1st tier (Levels 1-4). The adventure has been designed with suitable alternatives to run the adventure for 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th-level characters, including advice for adapting creature numbers and/or powers to suit the level of your party. The adventure is estimated to take 8-12 hours to run. A timeline of events, and guidelines on how the actions of the PCs can affect those events, is included. The adventure includes nine new creatures: gwerthin, satyr bard, ash guardian, light guardian, treant spirit, pixie rot zombie, green dragon skeleton, thorn hag and thorn hag's hut. It also includes two new magical items: a powerful magical harp with a dark hidden secret and a crystal ball of clairvoyance. Also includes a player handout of the rhyming riddle of the fey, and maps of the area and a darkling tomb. Requires Volo's Guide to Monsters.

The astronomer monks of Farsky failed for decades to tell the future by the stars. Desperate, they found a promising seer, and passed off her predictions as their own… until deadly illness struck. Unable to give up their lucrative scam, they trapped her spirit, which became a thing of evil: a banshee, whose howls foretold their doom. The party have heard rumors of a ruin, where once sages could answer any question… Notes by @Demian: Winner of One Page Dungeon Contest (OPDC) 2015. The adventure consists of a single small dungeon with 13 rooms and an exploration/time-based random Silence spell mechanic. It is themed around music and sound. Designed as a one-shot to be played in one 4–7 hour session.

Was it destiny or something worse that destroyed the Order of the Opal Fist? A dungeon crawl designed for four 3rd level characters. The original article has a sidebar for scaling the adventure up or down. Pgs. 106-124