The wizard Abracadamus hid the Forever Stone in the darkest depths of a failing mine, coerced monsters into serving as guardians, and rigged the dungeon with traps galore. Then he died, as all good wizards do. Many heroes have fallen prey to the Forever Stone’s lure of immortality. To date, only one stalwart band has plunged into the Mines of Madness and lived to tell the tale. You think you’re better than them? You think you got what it takes to grab life by the stones and conquer the dungeon that won the 2012 Gygaxian Award* for Bonecrushing Awesomeness? We seriously doubt it, but go ahead . . . prove us wrong! Mines of Madness is a Very Special D&D® Next Adventure written for PAX East 2013 and designed for four 3rd-level characters.
Synopsis: Chalk Hill is a lonely village on the edge of the Downs. Nearby barrows contain remains of long-dead kings. As is the local custom, a pair of young newlyweds went to the ancient standing stones for the druids to bless their union. They never came back. The heroes must find and return the couple, who have been taken into the grave of Eorl Wulfstan. The undead Eorl saw the new-wife in a dream, and she is the spit of his long-lost beloved, so he had his servants bring her to him. They slew the young man, who rose as undead under the Eorl’s control. Can the heroes find the survivor and put the dead back to rest? A 4 to 6 hour adventure for 4 to 6 Tier 1 characters—optimized for 5 characters of 3rd level. This adventure came about thanks to the generosity and encouragement of Dyson Logos, cartographer of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. In it you'll find maps never before seen in a Guild adventure! "Chalk Hill" is an Old School "out and down" dungeon crawl, where brave adventurers venture into the wilderness and pit themselves against horrors which would set a-quiver the flesh of honest folk. It's proof you can have an OSR experience using the 5e rules!
The nefarious master wrestler Dib, the goblin, is "terrorizing" the streets of the town (or city). Since his defeat in his roadside fortress, the would-be chieftain has plotted his revenge. Gathering to him a new batch of dim minions, Dib has transformed a stolen merchant wagon into a machine of war. The wagon is powered by several goblins inside who, while devoted to Dib, lack the strength to pedal the thing quickly or consistently. Dib's plan to wreak a path of havoc through the streets has resulted in something a bit more disappointing. In this light-hearted and quirky adventure for four first- or second-level PCs, the party must confront the war wagon, gain entry to it, and defeat its defenders—the lives of several potted plants and a few market stalls depend on it!
With your last adventure complete you head to town to sell off loot, replenish supplies and to find a bard to tell your tale to so that your fame can increase. As the group goes their separate ways you are wandering through the muddy streets when a shriek is heard. You see a man stab a merchant and attempt to escape. With no time to gather your associates you call for your mount (or borrow one) and give pursuit! This scenario is a true solo meaning you don’t need a DM to officiate. It is suggested that a 4th level be used for “meatier” characters or 5th for those of less daunting stats.
This is an incredibly deadly dungeon that will strain the limits of any party that dares to tread within. I consider this to be a challenge dungeon of sorts, and I would suggest it as a dungeon to throw at players if they ever want to run a gauntlet with new characters. This dungeons is filled to the brim with traps, puzzles, and vicious creatures. It is also quite a long dungeon - be prepared to spend at least two sessions working through the pathways of this horrifying Tomb.
The chase to save your family continues! After your encounter at the cove, you head south across Esaq to try and catch the slavers. With some experience under your belt, you are feeling more confident about your fighting ability, but it is about to be tested yet again. This scenario picks up where DQ1 left off and is the middle of a trio of adventures.
The temple lay just ahead, and within the answers to a great many questions about the recent goings on in Port Nyanzaru. The journey here has been long and arduous and hopefully soon at an end. Leave your trepidations at the door; there’s exploring to be done! Part Three of The Jungle Has Fangs Trilogy.
Nestled on the coast of the Azure Sea is Saltmarsh, a sleepy fishing village that sits on the precipice of destruction. Smugglers guide their ships to hidden coves, willing to slit the throat of anyone foolhardy enough to cross their path. Cruel sahuagin gather beneath the waves, plotting to sweep away coastal cities. Drowned sailors stir to unnatural life, animated by dark magic and sent forth in search of revenge. The cult of a forbidden god extends its reach outward from a decaying port, hungry for fresh victims and willing recruits. While Saltmarsh slumbers, the evils that seek to plunder it grow stronger. Heroes must arise to keep the waves safe! Ghosts of Saltmarsh combines some of the most popular classic adventures from the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons including the classic ‘U’ series and some of the best nautical adventures from Dungeon magazine: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh Danger at Dunwater The Final Enemy Salvage Operation Isle of the Abbey Tammeraut’s Fate The Styes All adventures have been faithfully adapted to the fifth edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons. Furthermore, this book includes details on the port town of Saltmarsh, as well as plenty of hooks to kick-off each adventure. Play through each story in a seafaring campaign leading characters from level 1 through level 12, or pull out sections to place in ongoing campaigns in any setting. The appendices also cover mechanics for ship-to-ship combat, new magic items, monsters, and more! “The Saltmarsh series consistently ranks as one of the most popular classic D&D adventures,” said Mike Mearls, franchise creative director of D&D. “With its ties to ocean-based adventuring, it was an obvious step to augment it with additional sea-based adventures and a robust set of rules for managing a nautical campaign.” Hoist your sails, pull up anchor, and set a course for adventure!
Lurking in the drowning folly that is the aristocratic enclave of the Sinks, the horrific Asylum, shunned by a citizenry terrified of the revelations it may contain, is where the nobles of the Blight bury their living secrets. But when too many overseers are killed, and in ways more gruesome than even the brutality of that location might evoke, someone must enter to investigate. Those who do soon learn that life — if it can be called that within its walls of that bleak place — is even worse than they feared and the truths that nestle within its inmates are far more distressing than mere madness.
Can you survive the Madhouse of Tasha’s Kiss? Or will you go mad trying? A small village, empty of villagers except for one boy found sitting and weeping next to a jester’s pageant wagon. The boy explains that the villagers, including his family, followed a jester into the wagon and never came out. A portal to a pocket dimension is found inside the wagon, leading to a brass door with the word Madhouse etched into it. What lays beyond the door? What madness could the adventurers face? Can they save the villagers, or will they go mad trying? Published by Jeff Stevens Games
The people of Feycircle believed the fairy ring for which their town was named protected them from the encroaching sands of the Western Wastes. When the ring withered, they learned they were right. Feycircle’s dewflecked pastures and verdant forests succumbed to the Wastes in an instant. Feycircle sank deep into the sands and was soon occupied by a tribe of fanatical dust goblins, a herd of dogmoles, and the giant worms that caused the blight. The PCs may explore the keep—the only structure remaining in the dusty sinkhole now called the "Pit of the Dust Goblins." Inside the keep is an entrenched gatekeeper who can divulge that two children remain in town, imprisoned by the goblins. The dust goblins have summoned and imprisoned a selang—a shadow fey—inside the blighted fairy circle. The goblins fear open combat and have laced the sunken keep with traps, and would sooner parley than fight.
D&D’s latest book contains thirteen exhilarating heist-themed adventures, where you and your crew will take on missions from a mysterious organization known as the Golden Vault.
Centuries ago, a powerful wizard locked himself in his inner sanctum to dedicate his life to the pursuit of knowledge. His discoveries and magic remain sealed inside to this very day. Solve his riddle and unravel the fate of the wizard Maalzinabar and the sinister evil lurking in the depths. A 2-3 hour adventure for 5th-12th level characters
This adventure was not meant to be a serious campaign addition but could with some tweaking. Instead, we present this as more of a seasonal classic based on a popular movie. The scenario is a solo PC attempting to locate a runaway during the holidays. With a gypsy, a runaway, and an old “abandoned” house what could possibly go wrong?
Every autumn the reclusive goliaths of the Silvertop Mountain Clan hold their Festival of the Hunt, inviting neighbors to join in the partaking of merriment and mead. Your adventuring company finds themselves drafted as monster hunters when a young huntress is slain. The culprit? A lamia, whose lair has discouraged all previous attempts to destroy her. What the party finds inside her cave triggers a different call to action. Pgs. 21-27
Hunt for the Thessalhydra is a short adventure published by Wizards of the Coast as a tie in to the "Stranger Things" franchise and part of the Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. The adventure features characters, locations, and monsters inspired by that series. The adventure is suitable for characters of level 3-5.
A dispute erupts between a trade ambassador and a wealthy merchant and the players are hired as champions only to learn that they face a brutal and savvy opponent. Will the players be a second in time? "A Second in Time" is a two-hour adventure for 3-6 players. It is written for characters 1st-3rd level. The players act as a champions in a harsh blood sport that is as much the court of a river city as it is entertainment. This module includes a new poison, a new type of item and a rudimentary rule for addiction. The river city of Lotian is a rough place, where might often means right and the thirst for blood is nigh unquenchable. Gold may be the currency of the realm but justice is paid for in blood...
Old Olga and Young Yvonne is a four- to six-hour adventure for 1st-4th level characters, designed for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, with a village theme, hags and witches, an abducted child to save, some horror, and mysteries to solve! Willow Creek, a remote farming village, is in trouble: livestock is going missing and reappears gutted in the woods, crops fail and fields blight - and now the bastard child of young Yvonne has gone missing as well. What no one in the village knows: Yvonne is a budding witch secretly feuding with Old Olga, an evil hag in the woods - who now demands a human sacrifice from Yvonne in return for her child. Who can sort out this mess, bring back the innocent child, prevent a murder, and return peace and quiet to Willow Creek? This adventure can also be used as a mini-campaign sandbox. With the branching and inter-connecting scenes, locations, and NPCs it provides, combined with the guidance on how to run a "village adventure", the material provided here on more than 60 pages can easily cover up to eight hours of playtime. Included with this adventure are: + an original custom creature, the young witch + 12 original fleshed out NPCs, including personality traits and roleplaying tips + a toolset for creating villager NPCs quickly + 7 hand-drawn maps of important locations + 4 alternative story rewards (depending on how the adventure resolves)
A magical storm builds over the Anauroch desert bringing portents of death and destruction to Faerûn. Giants imbued with the power of death itself threaten to permanently destroy the giant Ordning and small folk in their wake. Can you stop these unnatural giants and those that seek to control them? A 2 Hour Adventure for 17th-20th Level Characters. Optimized for five 18th-level characters.
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?