The ground-breaking introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons that served as a DM aid in the first D&D Basic Set, released by TSR in 1977. This set included a 48-page rulebook covering the first three levels of play, and was skillfully edited by Dr. J. Eric Holmes from the original 1974 D&D rules written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The original set included an exemplary dungeon level, but it was a loose collection of examples and not geared toward starting characters. Holmes advanced this concept by writing a new thematic dungeon with a strong backstory, creating an adventure that has remained a fan favorite over the decades. Officially, its only title is "Sample Dungeon" but colloquially it goes by various names based on Zenopus, the doomed wizard who built the dungeon under his tower
Revolt of the Gladiators! The corrupt Thyatian senator, Helenites Osteropolus, his latest scheme smashed by the adventurers and their gladiator allies, hatches a new plot to destroy the influence of the Order of the Sands (even, perhaps, to attack the Emperor himself!) Yet greater dangers lie ahead. If his plot succeeds, it will remove the guardians that protect the city from the creatures that lurk in the caverns and catacombs below. Can the players block his gambit? Will the wheel of justice grind small, or will the greasy palm of political corruption reach out and save the senator once again? You decide, in the chaotic swirl of the Thyatian capital's politics. This module is designed especially for the DM who wants to sharpen his interactive skills. Recommended for four to six characters, levels 3-4 Includes map of a realistic catacomb complex below Thyatis City Unique role playing climax tests players' integrity and skill New information on the military Legions of Thyatis This module is a stand-alone sequel to DDA1 Arena of Thyatis. TSR 9296
You have been chosen. Throughout the land, the omens of some cataclysmic change are clear for all to see. The flowers are blooming out of season, fish fall like rain, and a blue moon hangs in the night sky. Yet the danger is not of this land, nor even this world. Far away in the infinite planes lies Aelos, a world of peril. A world where time itself has been corrupted and where chaos reigns. Even the mighty Immortals who watch over the planes are powerless to help Aelos. Hope rests in you alone. Come then, journey through the swirling Nexus, to a world beyond the stars. You have been chosen, and Eternity beckons! TSR 9158
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
Swamp creatures! They surround you now as you move slowly through the gurgling muck. How will you reach Quagmire now? Each day, the hungry sea swallows more of the ancient port city. A fierce fever ravages its people, and now - these foul monsters! Their beady eyes glimmer from deep within the tangled vines. Are these the creatures that have blockaded the city, turning away the ships that are the city's lifeline? Are these the scum that are starving the people of Quagmire, threatening an entire race with extinction? These creeps? Let's clean this jungle out! Quagmire includes a large-scale map that expands the D&D world and introduces new areas to explore. The adventure also includes new magic items and a special, expanded monsters section. Hurry! Hoist your colors, saddle your horse - go, before the city by the sea becomes the city beneath the sea! TSR 9081
Sent on a desperate mission into an unknown land, you must seek out the one called "the Master" and his Temple of Death. There is little time to waste, as you must act before the Master's armies destroy your homelands. But to complete your task, you must battle fearsome guardians, travel through a hostile kingdom, and discover the secret of the master. Can you survive his defenses and win? This module contains referee's notes, background, maps and detailed keys. It is the second adventure in the two-part Desert Nomads series begun in X4, Master of the Desert Nomads, but it can stand on its own as a seperate adventure. Wheter you play Temple of Death by itself or as part of a series, the adventure will offer you hours of excitement and fun! TSR 9069
HEAR YE, HERE YE! THE BLACK KNIGHT WILL HOST A TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE! The Black Knight is a mighty warrior. Even though he acts a lot like a bandit, they say he keeps his word. The Black Knight usually raids local towns, but now he is sending out invitations. He offers a tournament, a contest of honor, to all comers. But why would the Black Knight hold a contest? Maybe something more is going on. There is only one way to find out! This module is the first entry-level adventure written especially for a DUNGEON MASTER and a single player. Recommended for one fighter, cleric, dwarf, or elf of levels 1-3 (An option allows for using more characters if you wish). TSR 9387
Anandak, a red dragon, has taken over an abandoned dwarven stronghold as his lair. He has also assembled together a rough confederation of monsters to act as his bodyguard. Anandak is preparing to enter into an alliance with the Black Prince, the March Lord Draven. The plan is for Anandak's monster allies to terrorize the lands north and east of Knacker Knob while the Black Prince, on pretext of marching to the aid of Knacker Knob, take control of Knacker Knob and the surrounding region. An emissary from the Black Prince, Lord Gonzaga, is currently in the dungeon, and he is in possession of papers that might reveal the Black Prince's treasonous plot. The lair is horribly overcrowded because monsters of all tribes and gangs are gathered to take counsel with the red dragon. Monsters are sleeping in the hallways because there is so little room, and the antagonism between races is at flash point. The PCs may be able to fan these resentments into intermonster battles. League of the Red Serpent is the third dragon's lair to conquer. Part of TSR 1073 The Dragon's Den
An emissary from the dwarven community of Hearth-Home approaches the player characters, beseeching them to aid the dwarves in finding a powerful mage who might bring disaster upon not only their mountain fortress, but all of the Thunder Rift! Escape from Thunder Rift adventure leads the heroes into a dark dungeon where they may discover a gate between the valley of Thunder Rift and the World of Mystara. Packaged with a DM screen. TSR 9437
Not long age, a magical vortex released into the lands of Thunder Rift a strange and haunted ship from another time and place. A cursed ship, bad luck for those who see it. The party never wanted to see the ship, much less board it. However, the mystical astrolabe they found must have had great power?at least enough to send them here. Too bad it's missing, now. Will the heroes find a way off the haunted ship, or are they doomed to sail strange seas forever? TSR 9436
Five exciting short adventures to make your Basic campaign come alive! The Clearing of Castle Caldwell - A local merchant has recently purchased a small castle... but when he tried to move in, he discovered that the castle was already inhabited! Dungeons of Terror - A strange trapdoor in the floor of Castle Caldwell leads to a terrifying challenge! The Abduction of Princess Sylvia - On the eve of her wedding, the beautiful princess has been kidnapped! Can you save her in time? The Great Escape - Imprisoned in an enemy fortress, without armor or weapons, your situation seems hopeless. Yet there may be a way to freedom... The Sanctuary of Elwyn the Ardent - A mystical chime of great power has been stolen - but by whom? In the wrong hands, the chime can cause untold harm! But can you find and defeat this mysterious and powerful creature? TSR 9143
In the canyon of Thunder Rift, in the village of Kleine, goblins have always been a nuisance, but the natives have dealt with them and continued an otherwise peaceful existence. Now, a valuable magical item, called the scepter of truth, has disappeared! The ingenuity of the crime bears the mark of the goblins' leader, the Master Thief Raven. The scepter must be recovered, but there is no one in Kleine with the strength and courage to penetrate Raven's trap-laden hide-out, deep in goblin territory. A party of stout adventurers might survive the mission, but they will have to be quick, smart, and especially careful. This module has been created especially for the inexperienced Dungeon Master and players who are interested in the exploration of dungeons and ruins. TSR 9350
The Lost City is a low-level adventure, in which the only hope of the PCs' survival can be found in a ruined city slowly rising out of the sands. The adventure is set inside a huge step pyramid, with the lower pyramid only sketched out and the city itself described with a list of the major areas and a map. The adventure’s main villain is Zargon, a giant one-eyed monster and his minions. The entire double pyramid, not including the city, contains over 100 rooms. The module is designed to give novice Dungeon Masters experience fleshing out adventures and is only partially complete. Later TSR material hints that this adventure possibly takes place in Mystara, but the material is largely setting-neutral. TSR #9049
He wanted a scabbard - but got the shaft. If the book is to believed, there's a magical sword - completely unguarded! - ripe for the taking. This short adventure starts with the players finding a diary describing the final resting place of Hrothgar and his powerful intelligent sword. In a quest for the sword, the players investigate a small cavern system and find the sword in a gelatinous cube. Pgs. 32-37
The king requests your presence in the honorable kingdom of Norwold. If you're worthy, you may be appointed lord of a dominion filled with friendly villages, sturdy fortresses, and raging band of monsters. Raging bands of monsters? Well, yes, and you may have to lead your forces into a war or two. But you'll be ready for the challenge. You'll be ready for treacherous spies who conspire to steal you land. You'll be ready for a foul band of giants that raids your dominions. And you'll be ready for the inevitable clash of empires, the outcome of which may alter the fate of millions. You'll be ready! Won't you? Test of the Warlords includes a complete campaign setting, several new NPCs, and dungeon and wilderness encounters, and guidelines for running a war between empires. TSR 9117
If the drought doesn't get you, the goblins will. The river has mysteriously run dry and the farmers' crops are in peril. Locals are convinced a nearby tribe of goblins are responsible, and have offered a reward to anyone brave enough to sort it out. While they were correct about the goblins causing the drought, they were wrong about the reason. The chief of the goblin tribe is an enthusiastic fisher and a particular fish, Salvel the Talking Trout has continually eluded him. This adventure has a humourous tone and emphasises role-playing and negotiating. Pgs. 8-21 & 49
The Well of Souls. . . That's what Zugzul babe the Afridhi call the evil artifact that he had taught them to make. They must call it the Well of Souls, and they must carry it before them into every battle? and they would be mighty. Thus said the god of the Afridhi, Zugzul the One. So the Afridhi did as they were bade. Seeking the volcano called the Hill of the Hammer in the far Barrens of Karsh, they built in its heart a great forge. There, as Zugzul had promised, efreet came to help them make the mighty artifact. There, amid vile, unholy rites, they bound the souls of men into its very substance, and, for the red-handed work that must surely follow hard upon its completion. Many were the men who guarded the Hill of the Hammer during the days of making? for their foes in hated Blackmoor would try to unmake that which they had wrought. Yet, it was not men that would keep the Well of Souls from destruction, but a prophecy? that the artifact would be unmade only by the hand of one as yet unborn! TSR 9205
This module is especially for a party of elven PCs, level 8+. The Feadiel clan's Tree of Life is dying. As the bravest and strongest elves in the clan, you must undertake the challenge of the elders: seek out the source of the disease and destroy it. If you fail, the Tree of Life will surely perish, and all your family with it. The quest is great and you may die on the journey, never to find the cause of the disease. The journey will take you to the deepest part of ancient Selinar, Elvenhome, to find the guarded grave of the first Treekeeper... TSR 9166
"It shines in the night. Ogres run in terror of it. It kills by sight and by touch. It never stops hunting - and it's hunting for you." Vengeance denied in life is reborn in death. Druida Glanadyl, a female elf adventurer, seeks aid from the PCs in avenging the mysterious deaths of her family members. The horror that haunts Elfswood can be attributed to a spirit (odic) of a vengeful cleric, Irkthorn Balin. Pgs. 16-28 & 64
Part 1 of an Expert-level quest into a hostile wilderness. This adventure takes place in the Known World of the D&D game, as outlined throughout the D&D game rule books and modules. The DM may find it useful to consult the Companion and Masters Sets, as well as most of the X-series of Expert Set modules. D&D Expert Set module X9, The Savage Coast, would be especially helpful, as Tortles of the Purple Sage could easily serve and continue that module's direction and plot like, adding a previously undescribed area (the Great Northway) to the Known World. The DM may also place the areas and events of this adventure within an existing campaign setting, as long as the geographical areas of the campaign match those set forth here. Pgs. 40-62