Hidden deep within The Reaching Woods is a swamp grotto known to the locals of Hardbuckler as Whiskaway Wood. The townsfolk know to keep their distance from this place as few make it back. If they do, they come bearing toxic diseases that place the entire town in jeopardy. This is the situation the town is dealing with when the adventurers come knocking on the outer gates of Hardbuckler. In this adventure, the party must go forth into the swamp in search of Rotwood Maggie, a hag priestess of Talona who calls Whiskaway Wood her home. She possesses information on how the adventurers may go about saving the town, but her secrets don’t come cheap. In addition, some of the information she possesses may leave the adventurers questioning whether the town deserves to be saved at all. Features a disorienting swamp dungeon bolstered by several new magic items, creatures and diseases! Be sure to check out the full preview of the adventure when you visit the page!
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.
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.
"For untold eons, Eshebala ruled over Vulgarea, the 193rd Layer of the Abyss...content to revel in hedonism, corrupt the hearts of her dwindling followers and inflict petty cruelty. Yet, if there are days in the Abyss, there came one when she realized she despised her own province. She hated demonkind. She hated the Abyss. It had become unbearably tedious, spent...done. The burgeoning goddess decided she would dip her toe back into the lives of mortals, and quest to remember...to understand her own existence...But that was a lofty goal for a mind that had long ago begun to unravel. Instead...She is learning that all she has left is cruelty...and it was always cruelty that gave her power, so she now believes, to the woe of any who cross her path." Partly inspired by a scant notation by Carl Sargeant in 1992's TSR book Monster Mythology: "Eshebala is the foxwoman deity of vanity, charm, greed, and cunning. Her symbol is a female fox. Eshebala appears as a foxwoman, a shapely fur-covered female with a fox’s head, or as a beautiful young elf maiden. She is bedecked in rich clothing and jewels, and carries a silver mirror. Eshebala’s realm of Vulgarea can be found on the 193rd layer of the Abyss. She is wily and vain. She favors beautiful things and collects jewelry and art, the tackier and flashier the better. She prefers to overcome her opponents using subtlety rather than force, seducing and devouring out of boredom. She loves gossip, and always insists on being the center of attention. Eshebala is a patron of evil shapeshifters who use their wits and wiles before resorting to violence." Eshebala is a true chaotic evil demon goddess, behaving 100% true to form, and an extremely challenging opponent to take down for your players. An unforgettable 262 page jaunt for Levels: 15-17, with multiple possible modes of play, including Party Mode for up to 12 players. Profusely and paintstakingly illustrated over the course of several years by an award-winning professional illustrator. No stock illustration in this beast! A loving, dark & insanely detailed exploration of the 193rd Abyssal Plane An exuberant nod to the most grueling, deadly dungeons ever created Rich encounters that play out in a unique way each time 100 + NEW CREATURES 200 + NEW TREASURES (& possibly the most illustrated treasury ever provided) 82 BOOKS for PCs to discover 70 + NEW SPELLS & RITUALS, INCLUDING DETAILED OPTIONS FOR DEMON SUMMONING 50 + NEW TRAPS, HAZARDS & EFFECTS (guaranteed to run amuck) 4 RANDOM TREASURE TABLES, including a TABLE OF GEMSTONES that would be useful in any campaign 2 NEW CLASS SHIFTS: the Demonologist & the Exorcist!
5e Solo Gamebooks presents Tyrant of Zhentil Keep by Paul Bimler, a 160+ page solo adventure for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition. This adventure is designed for one 3rd-level PC of any race or class, without a DM. Tyrant of Zhentil Keep continues the narrative of The Death Knight’s Squire (the first solo adventure in this series) but can be played as a standalone also. It follows the story of your PC as they continue their journey across Faerun, a lone adventurer wandering wherever the wind takes them. Eventually, it takes them to Zhentil Keep in the Moonsea Region, a strange city, full of secrets. There they begin a quest which takes place over two books, this being the first one, part 2 being Citadel of the Raven. Tyrant of Zhentil Keep is a mini-sandbox in gamebook form, with multiple sidequests and locations to explore. Everything leads towards a central story arc that becomes clearer as the book progresses. Where Death Knight’s Squire had a clear-cut mission at its core, this adventure is pure exploration at first, similar to how a game with a Dungeon Master might commence. The nature of your quest becomes clearer as you advance, collecting snippets of information and encountering various NPCs and locations. The adventure builds upon The Death Knight's Squire in several ways, introducing new combat sheets, sidequests and even audio sound FX embedded in the PDF! You have two ways to approach playing this adventure. You could print out the maps booklet and use actual tokens or miniatures (you’ll need access to a printer for this), or you can load individual .png files of the maps (included) into Roll20 or similar applications and place and move tokens on your device.
Sometimes its better not to know... Citizens are turning up in the city in catatonic states, alive but devoid of personality. Are they the victims of an illness or disease, or is there something more sinister at work? Encountering one of these poor souls, the characters are drawn into an investigation of politics and treachery, seedy underworld dealings and rooftop chases, culminating in a fiery conclusion. Can they discover the cause of this epidemic before it’s too late?
Five distractions within the castle walls - The party's help is needed by several of the denizens of the local castle. Role-play and skill challenges, a new magic item, and a new monster. Published by Limitless Adventures.
The Cult of the Dragon, along with its dragon allies and the Red Wizards of Thay, seek to bring Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells to Faerûn. To this end, they are sweeping from town to town, laying waste to all those who oppose them and gathering a hoard of riches for their dread queen. Continued in The Rise of Tiamat.
A magic shop, The Travelling Salesman, has appeared in town just in time for the party's arrival. This shop specialises in being in the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment, for the right adventurers. Its wisteria-covered frontage adorns any old blank wall space, and immediately looks like it's been there for decades. Large paned windows are smeared with age-old dirt and hint at the vast array of interesting objects inside. The shop belongs to Yannik Willowbough, an exhausted-but-jovial halfling with a passion for helping others. At least, it belongs to Yannik now. It was once home to a lich, Verdenia Siskin, who has recently concocted the perfect way to exact her revenge. She just needs a party of adventurer's to turn to her point of view. This adventure contains: - A (hungry) planes-travelling magic shop and former home of a powerful lich. - A lich who takes particular delight in winding adventurers around her little finger to do her bidding. - A planar tear that threatens to pull the whole town (or more!) into the Shadowfell. - A spooky house of delights. - NPCs whose motives will be thoroughly questioned by the party. - A 3—10 hour adventure for a party of any level and composition - Depending on the outcome the party may also benefit from: - A planes-travelling base of operations - A recurrent NPC quest-giver and/or helper - A devious, and eternally patient, antagonist. - Four original hand-drawn maps to support combat and exploration, with seperate versions suitable for VTTs. - Advice for new DMs to run this adventure smoothly. - A separate accessible adventure pdf. This adventure was written as part of the Storytelling Collective's Write Your First Adventure workshop. Content warnings: Horror, gore
Ahoy, mateys! Join Captain Moonlight and her crew aboard the Dawn Chaser for swashbuckling adventures on the high seas. You'll fight pirates, tangle with storms, explore a ship wreck and confront an ancient power on a lost island! This easy-to-run adventure is designed for 3rd-4th level characters, and can be completed in 4-6 hours of play. This adventure was co-created with critically acclaimed DMs Guild author, Anthony Lesink. It includes several original maps by Daniel F. Walthall.
This adventure was featured at GriffonCon in South Bend in 2016. Two countries are uniting for a wedding when one of the most important gifts of the union is stolen. Without the dowry of the 40 Golden Eggs from Lord Griffon the wedding will not occur and war will be the likely outcome. A quartet of the most loyal warriors has been sent into to Chromatic Canyon to deal with the bandits and retrieve the items! This is an “EGGSELLENT” adventure for convention tourneys!
Lord Blackmoor's son has been kidnapped, and is being held in the crypts beneath an ancient fortress. Can our heroes rescue the boy before he is sacrificed in a diabolical ceremony? The party responds to a plea for assistance from Lord Blackmoor, whose son Willet has been kidnapped. Blackmoor desperately needs someone to mount a rescue mission. The party journeys along the old East Trail, facing bandits and dangerous obstacles before delving beneath the ruins of Firestone Keep, encountering fearsome enemies and ancient magic. Finally, the party must fight for their lives as the truth about Willet’s abduction is revealed.
Caravan of Peril takes place on the unprotected roads and trails of the wilderness between cities. Merchants, pilgrims, and wanderers have long banded together in wagon caravans for safety when setting off into the wild -- yet a caravan is only as safe as its hired guards. There's plenty of coin to be had on the road for those with a swords (or spell book), a steady will, and a taste for adventure. This adventure begins assuming the characters have all signed on as caravan guards. Their motivation may be money, wanderlust, or a hasty need to get out of town. Whatever the case, payment is 25gp each, paid upon safe arrival in the next city. Along the way, the characters will brave the dangers of the wilds, make some unusual acquaintances, and be ambushed by crafty goblins.
This introductory level scenario brings a new group of players into an area formerly controlled by the Tunnmaa Dynasty. This group of rulers was rich in gold and gems before collapsing. It is well known that their kings, known as Ga Mantse, were buried in underground barrows that are well hidden and protected by traps. A few days ago a group much like your own found one of these hidden tombs and attempted to investigate. Sadly for them they were not up to the task. Can your party succeed where they failed?
Burial in Baldur's Gate is a 6-8 hour Dungeons & Dragons adventure for characters of levels 1-2, for use as an introduction to Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus or as a standalone module. A simple errand to help a friend reveals a mystery that will lead the characters to a grisly charnel house and the cults of the Dead Three. This is why you never do anybody a favor in Baldur's Gate. The adventure has everything you need to start a new campaign in Baldur's Gate, including: - a new adventure hook for Descent into Avernus - two short introductory dungeon crawls in the Lower City - notes for transitioning into Descent into Avernus - new motivations for characters to continue on to Avernus - four creature and NPC stat blocks, including the carrion crawler larva - a map pack with two maps by Dyson Logos Burial in Baldur's Gate also includes suggestions for combining this adventure with Escape from Elturel if you want to run a mixed party of characters from Baldur's Gate and Elturel.
The village of Silverwell lies at the foot of a mountain range in the icy north. Through most of its history it has enjoyed relative peace, save for its battles with the harsh elements. Recently however, a group of villagers were attacked by bandits while hunting in nearby Rothir’s Pass. The bandits left behind a grim message warning for none to follow. Frightened by the possibility of a larger attack on the village, the headman will happily reward any brave adventurers that can help. Unknown to the inhabitants of the remote village of Silverwell, this new terror pales in comparison to the troubles that have already begun to flood down from the distant Mount Neboria – troubles stemming from the dark wish of a dying dragon. This is an introductory adventure for a group of four or five 1st level characters, which should run for roughly 4 hours of gameplay (excluding preparation time), ending with a quest hook for groups that wish to continue into a full campaign. It includes extra tips and tricks both for new DMs and for interaction with new players.
Village children are disappearing in the dead of night. Are the characters willing to risk their very souls to stop the Night Fiend? This adventure is a short side quest designed for the Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft setting and easily merged into Curse of Strahd by Wizards of the Coast. It features a powerful ghostly villain who brings the heroes to the brink of death. The only way to defeat this ethereal foe is to battle him on equal terms, spirit against spirit.
An evil oracular being has taken up residence in a lonely valley. The only access to the valley is through a thick, dead wood whose shadows draw out foul memories from those who travel there. The oracle, Lurinax, has recently divined the season in which the world will end. This knowledge is greatly prized by many, so the evil fortune teller hides in his lair, protected by maddening winds and the souls of those he slew to obtain his knowledge. In this grim and dark adventure for tenth- and eleventh-level PCs, the party must travel the trail of shadows, face the manifestations of Lurinax’s victims, and finally the evil oracle himself.
To Hell and Back Again is the perfect adventure for new players and veterans looking to experience Dungeons & Dragons in a new way! It's written as a solo adventure, where choices have gigantic consequences, but it also provides balanced rules to play with a group or a Dungeon Master as well! This 80 page adventure features: - A heart-pounding origins story that fits perfectly as either a prequel to Descent Into Avernus, a stand-alone adventure, or into your ongoing fantasy campaign. - Beloved characters like Lulu the hollyphant, Mad Maggie and her redcap gang, the archdevil Zariel, and many others brand new to this adventure. - Infernal War Machines, and exciting encounters with unique stat blocks. - Innovative Destiny and Traits mechanics that make your choices really matter. - A ton of possible outcomes that will fuel your character's many adventures to come! - Four gorgeous sample characters, with interactive character sheets designed to be new-player friendly so that you can jump right into the story if you'd like. - A community survey when you finish so that you can see how your outcomes and choices compared to other players!
A dwarven laboratory forgotten for many centuries has finally been rediscovered, but there is sure to be danger lurking within. It turns out some of the other machines within are still active, as are some of the traps and puzzles. Prepare your party for a blend of challenging puzzles and diverse fights in the dungeon that was home to my first player kill.