The leader of all the Shadow Guilds, the Ceta Consortium is gone, wiped out in a single night, without warning or witnesses. Their empire of control, secrecy, and soft-handed rule has vanished, leaving behind only rumors and blood. Now, the city of Lumina stands on the edge of something new... and something dangerous. Shadow Guilds is a system-agnostic tabletop campaign setting built for fantasy games that blur the line between ambition and morality. Set in a bustling metropolis of vice, corruption, and uneasy power, it invites players to step into the roles of underworld mafiosos, trying to make their mark—or just survive the fallout. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to run a campaign focused on gang politics, black-market enterprise, and the slow scramble toward power in a world that rewards the bold and punishes the careless. You’ll build a crew, carve out territory, and navigate a world where magic is outlawed, alliances are temporary, and opportunity lurks behind every closed door. This is not a story of chosen heroes or grand prophecies. It’s a story of clever rogues, ruthless enforcers, and ambitious criminals rising into the vacuum left by the old guard. The game leans into roleplay, style, and smart decision-making—but it doesn’t shy away from trouble when it finds you. Start small. Lie often. Watch your back. Shadow Guilds is a system-neutral campaign setting designed to drop into any fantasy world where criminal syndicates thrive in the shadows of power. Whether you're running a long-form campaign, a gritty one-shot, or threading a criminal conspiracy into your existing world, this guide provides the building blocks for a dangerous, decadent underworld full of secrets, turf wars, and moral gray areas. This setting assumes a single sprawling metropolis, where various criminal guilds operate openly or in secret. It leans into noir fantasy, urban intrigue, prohibition, and the uncomfortable alliances forged when justice fails.
For ages, “the old monastery on the hill” was simply that and nothing more to those that knew of it – a small building of a forgotten age and purpose, overgrown by the land around it. But recently, rumors have been making way among the educated that there is a wealth of knowledge that hides within the old monastery, waiting for someone to find it. Most dismissed these rumors as hearsay... but those with their eyes on the prize continued to pay attention. There must have been some merit to these claims, because seemingly overnight a monstrous creature has appeared on the monastery grounds - a serpent the size of a dragon, with a dozen legs and breath that crackles with lightning! There's no doubt the rumors and the monster's appearance are related somehow, and the PCs are tasked to put their skills to work to figure it out!
With allies gained from denizens of the Underdark, the former drown enclave of Szith Morcane is on the precipice of being retaken. During the battle for Szith Morcane, secrets of the drow community are revealed. What will you do with this knowledge, and how will it affect the outcome of the conflict?
On the shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars, in a small and xenophobic coastal town, there is a mystery that must be unraveled. People have started disappearing during the past months, as a direct result of the criminal activities going on in town, under cloak and dagger. The players must examine clues, talk with witnesses, and investigate further, to help the people of Saltwater restore peace and order. The smuggling mastermind and his lackeys, including a vicious shapeshifter, will stop at nothing to stop the players from achieving their objective. This is a starting adventure for players and DM’s alike, which may also be used as a starting point of your campaign and easily adapted to any small coastal town in your game world. It involves a great deal of roleplaying and some degree of battle, depending on the player’s decisions. A cloak and dagger investigative adventure, for nerves hard as steel and fists tough as nails.
Dracula, the Lord of Shadow and Darkness, has covered the land in shadow and dispatched armies of monsters and undead from his magical castle. His armies threaten to overrun major cities and plunge the world into a literal Dark Age. The last of the vampire-hunting clan that traditionally opposed him has disappeared, and still the armies advance. He must be stopped. If that's not enough motivation, it is well-known that his castle is full of magical items and great riches... but also great danger. If you've ever wanted D&D and Castlevania to meet, look no further. This adventure is exactly what you wanted. Every area of the castle poses different and unique challenges to keep the party engaged and on their toes. Written for the DM as a ready-to-run adventure, it is designed for four to six characters. The adventure starts at level 3 at the outer defenses of the castle, and ends with the party advancing to level 13 after defeating Dracula in an epic battle. The adventure includes documentation to help even a new DM succed, including suggestions for how to run each of the area "boss" monsters in combat. There are approximately 50 new enemies and over 3 dozen new magical items. It also comes with a list of suggested music for many areas of the castle, and a 25-page campaign log recounting an actual tabletop play-through of this adventure from the DM's perspective.
Undermountain: The Caverns of the Many-Legged is an adventure detailing a hidden mini-level for Dungeon of the Mad Mage for characters of levels 12-13. It uses some of the story and lore of that book, but it can be incorporated or dropped into any setting or homebrew campaign. In a hidden part of Undermountain, former slaves feed their fat, monstrous queen who is fixated on revenge. A broken drow house has finally found a place to call home – only to become abominations. And a massive beast slithers, hunting for anything to satiate its hunger and quell its madness. Welcome to the Caverns of the Many-Legged. Which side, if any, will adventurers choose as they explore this hidden mini-level for Dungeon of the Mad Mage? In this adventure, you will find: a mini-level that can be easily incorporated into Dungeon of the Mad Mage a vivid cast of unique monsters and NPCs, including chitine warriors, a choldrith queen, a spellcasting draegloth, a mad yuan-ti anathema, and others (stat blocks provided for all creatures not in the Monster Manual) locations that could be used or adapted elsewhere, such as a chitine colony and a drider-controlled drow fortress a combination of roleplay, exploration, and combat encounters
His holiness has summoned you to the great temple and asks a favor of you. He has explained that national spies have tracked down the notorious pirate/criminal, Molon Labe, has pulled into the port of Taco Del Toro. As an enemy of the state, the religious leader demands that he be taken alive. He has obtained a privateer to take you to the city known to be frequented by pirates and their ilk in order to catch the individual. He warns you that nothing good survives in the island city and to watch your back as you make your way through the mean streets!
Fight the Monster in its Den … If You Dare! Book of Lairs brings you 24 great monster lairs for 5th edition! Each of these exciting and unusual battlegrounds comes with a complete short adventure, including a hook, area hazards, tactics, and treasures. Stage your 5th Edition fights in unforgettable locations like: Alchemist’s Guildhall Necromancer’s Cistern Clockwork Tower Den of the Rotten Kings Lost Halls of Everforge A Pirate Cove Crypt of the Warlock Citadel of the Void Dragon A Dark Grove Lost Fane of the Serpents Branches of Yggdrasil Tomb of the Scorpion Prince Sky Stairs of Beldestan Imperial Ghoul Outpost Umbral Vampire Lair And 10 more! Designed by some of the top names in the RPG industry, Book of Lairs is sure to add an aura of wonder and mystery to your game! Book of Lairs uses standard monsters as well as surprising new creatures from Tome of Beasts, and both monster books are required for maximum playability.
The Premature Burial is the first in a series of four interconnected stories that recall the themes and atmosphere of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror. Baldur's Gate, year 1492 DR, a dark and terrifying sect works secretly in the slums with the aim of punishing all those who have long oppressed, marginalized and killed the city's poorest and weakest citizens. The patriars, unaware of anything, are the cult's main targets, and a magical plague is about to fall on them that can cause a veritable slaughter. The characters will find themselves caught up in these dangerous events and will be drawn into a spiral of horror, blood and madness that will strain their bodies and souls. The Prior who leads the mysterious cult has "a special plan" in mind for them and will do anything to achieve his goal. Players will be forced more than once to question their morals and make difficult choices in a scenario of complex social conflicts, personal revenge stories and tremendous machinations. What repercussions would the cult's plan have if it were carried out? And what would happen instead if it were averted and the patriars continued to run the city as they always have? Shadows as black as night once again loom over Baldur's Gate, and this time they may change its face forever. - Adventure: story lasting 4 to 8 hours for characters ranging in level from 4 to 6 - Setting: adventure set in the famous city of Baldur's Gate but easily adaptable to any setting - Narrative: detailed descriptions and an emphasis on story immersiveness - Roleplay: in-depth characterization of NPCs with biographies, descriptions of their personalities and their physical appearance - Bestiary: 3 new customizable opponents with the mechanics "Affixes," which can add an extra degree of complexity to confrontations, and " Weak spots," which grant a strategic advantage to characters who manage to discover them - Magic: obscure and unknown spells used by cultists to carry out their plans - Layout: designed to make it easier for DMs to browse information, featuring special attention to color coding and visual immediacy of text boxes - Maps: 3 maps available in high resolution, VTT and printer-friendly versions - PDF: available in high-quality, interactive, printer-friendly print versions - Playlist: a collection of songs selected by the authors to create the right atmosphere during game sessions
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟒 of the Tower of Bondage “The Middle Tower” introduces Olive Slime and Slime Creatures from notable 1e AD&D fame as well as another of Aumvor’s tortured servants. In this adventure you will go deeper into the tower and find: ● 26 encounters ● More enslaved wraiths ● More traps ● More slime ● More phylacteries ● More danger Discover the Undying One’s library and find tools needed to defeat him, if your players are to escape the tower alive. This release also includes a side view of the tower to better understand the layout of the dungeons. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝟐𝟎, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧: Roll20 Map Pack for Roll20, featuring plain maps for players, without the secret doors and other goodies marked. Coming very SOON. Look for it on DM’s Guild.
In this adventure, set in the Albadian wilderness, the party will be in contact with a nomadic Orc tribe, whose leader asks for help on dealing with an old and powerful Blade beast named Vófour. This one-shot features 2 new magic items and 1 new stat block for a more powerful Blade beast. Scarred Lands setting
The Ghost Tribe of Orcs have been driven from their home under Wyvern Tor by some terrible evil and have traveled to the top of the hill overlooking Phandalin where they camped last night. Their chief, driven mad by unknown horrors, prepares to attack the city and claim it as his new home. The heroes, who raced to the town ahead of the orc tribe, spend the night helping to prepare defenses and rest when they can. Can the heroes help defend the town or will the orcs wipe out the inhabitants of Phandalin? Once the town is safe, how will the PCs handle a moral dilemma? Orcs Invade Phandalin is the second of four parts in the After Lost Mine series. It will play out the invasion of Phandalin using the new mass combat rules from Unearthed Arcana. Part III will be the trip to the orc’s former cave settlement and then into the darkness beneath. Part IV will have the party deal with the terror from the Underdark that drove the orcs out.
A spirit is attacking a town — no one knows why, but they’re determined to be rid of her. The adventuring party is recruited to investigate. However, what appears to be a simple haunting turns into a story of justice. Pgs. 43-59
Welcome to the town of Talos, where things are fairly peaceful aside from the ritualistic sacrifices that have been occurring lately. Have a lovely dinner that ends with your party being trapped in a cellar, bound and one member short. The clock is ticking to see if they can solve the mystery of the cult and find their missing companion before it is too late.
The corrupt town guard of the Styes refuse to help when a mysterious monster begins to slaughter the residents of Hopen'er Asylum, an old decrepit mental aslyum. A call is put out for any adventurers willing to defeat this mosnter and save Hopen'er before it falls any further into madness... From the author of Murder on the Primewater Pleasure comes The Horrors Beneath Hopen'er Asylum. If you enjoyed that adventure then you will love this! This horror adventure takes place in and below Hopen'er Asylum. Originally designed to serve as an introduction to the location known as The Styes frorm the Ghosts of Saltmarsh campaign book, this adventure can be easily transferred to any setting (advice is given on how to do this). The characters will explore an abandoned underground wing of the mental asylum, before delving into a forgotten cave system to face an unknown enemy, a Dubh. The adventure is designed for 6th - 7th level characters and takes anywhere between 4 - 6 hours to finish. The adventure contains full colour maps, as well as VTT versions of the maps.
As winter releases its grip on the region surrounding the town of Phlan, secrets are revealed within Glumpen Swamp. Strange landscapes and sigils have been found beneath the mud, and the wildlife around the swamp has become greatly agitated. At times a spectral figure can be seen in the distance, only to disappear upon approach. Can you discover what is happening in the muck and gloom?
This week’s encounter is April Showers and Foul Flowers, a combat encounter that could also become a puzzle for the druids and rangers in your party. While the characters travel through a beautiful meadow, smelling the scents of flowers and earth after a rain, the flowers at their feet spring to life and attack, threatening to entangle and devour them! These foul flowers were animated by the foul magic of a dark sorceress who infused the rain itself with her evil. The characters could fight back against the sorceress and her army of animated plants, or they could try to undo her spell and save the flowers—and the nymph that guards them.
Zhentarim traders. Shadowy figures roaming the fields near Hillsfar. How do these all relate? Everything traces back to the recently unearthed grave-barrows. Rescuing a caravan from undead attackers, the adventurers learn of an ancient danger. An Adventurer's League Four-Hour Adventure for 5th-10th Level Characters.
Mystery in the Moonsea! Disappearing shipments, missing alchemists—and proven musical acts whose rehearsals sound terrible! Instead of showing off Thentia to potential trading partners and giving the locals something to celebrate, the pall over this year’s Magic and Gold Festival threatens to drive business to Melvaunt and give the locals a reason to riot. Combat optional but possible. Role-playing opportunities abound.
An oasis exploration and lava-filled obsidian dungeon crawl for 4-5 players of 5th to 6th level. Battle elemental evils, save captured sandworms, claim unique elemental magic items. A malevolent and ancient elemental lies imprisoned within a lava-filled obsidian cavern. Explore the hidden passages before his shackles break and havoc is unleashed upon the nearby oasis! 10 pages of oasis exploration and lava-filled dungeon peril! Statblocks for the life-cycle of desert sandworms, plus three unique elemental magic items like "Summer's Bane" - an armlet of compacted ice that grants the wielder a magical bow, and the "Embershard" - a dagger made from the jawbone of a red dragon that imbues the wielder with elemental magics. Run the adventure your way - drop the PCs off at the dungeon entrance and explore the perlious cavern, or let them cavort in the oasis before uncovering the lingering threat. We hope you enjoy the desert oasis and obsidian-carved dungeon crawl from the Heart of Arcana.