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 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
A short adventuring interlude focusing more on encountering something unusual, rather than fighting anything. The PCs come across a tree and a pool inhabited by elves. The nearby brook fizzes with "energy gas" that grants a temporary HP boost. The players can explore, but there are no real "answers" just a weird thing they found on the way from somewhere to somewhere else. Rated for between 1 and 4 characters, this could easily be run for solo play, but it is short and a little weird. There are roleplaying opportunities with the elves, but there's scant data here, the elves are flighty and capricious. Pgs. 38-41
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
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
Gray Mountain lies deep in the lush elven forest. The temple there was a haven of meditation and learning - until taken over by an evil cleric known as the Rahib. Far under the mountain, he paces before the temple's great altar. A brown-robed servant rushes in and falls to his knees, trembling at the sight of the Rahib's black panther. "Rahib, adventurers came to the village as the sun rose - the strangers now protect Rahasia." A scowl crosses the Rahib's face. "I must have Rahasia! Attack again tonight." As the servant scurries away, a deep growl rises from the giant cat. Gripping the panther's leash, the Rahib paces again, speaking out loud. "We must dispose of these strangers quickly; the secret beneath the temple will not wait much longer." Note: the setting is unspecified, but certain tie-ins, like the wines, prefigure Ravenloft. See: https://twitter.com/chrisperkinsdnd/status/703751906703749120 TSR #9115
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
Agents for the Mayor of Kleine have discovered the stronghold of the Red Hand goblins deep within the Burning Hills. They have also discovered that the goblins are forming an alliance with local hobgoblin and bugbear tribes to sweep the humans out of Thunder Rift forever. The PCs must reach the lair before the hobgoblin and bugbear agents return to their own tribes. if the envoys do not return, the tribes will assume that the goblins murdered them and attack the goblins instead of the human settlements. In this way, the humans of Thunder Rift gain some unexpected allies against the Red Hand goblins. This is the most dangerous and demanding of the three adventures in this set. It is recommended that you play it after Red Hand Trail and Trouble Below. However, it can stand alone as an adventure in its own right if you wish. Part of TSR 1076 The Goblin's Lair
Introductory module for the Hollow World setting. First Adventure in the Blood Brethren Trilogy. Into the Depths! Under the ruins of Barleycorn Monastery, a tunnel leads one thousand miles downward. Through it, a rescue mission into the Broken Lands turns much stranger. Much more Serious. For the trail leads to the Hollow World. Launch your D&D game players into fabulous lost-worlds adventure across the Hollow World! Travel the Azcan Empire. Explore the secret labyrinth of the Great Pyramid in Chitlacan. Fly to the core of the world and enter the Smoking Mirror, before the monstrous Prince Kano enacts his devastating scheme - a scheme called: NIGHTWAIL! Nightwail is the first adventure for the D&D Hollow World Campaign Set. (The Hollow World boxed set is required to play.) This 64-page adventure fits easily into your existing campaign, either as a stand-alone adventure or as part of the continent-spanning Blood Brethren trilogy. These three linked modules can be played in any order - but the adventure starts here! Easily adaptable to the AD&D game! TSR 9303
Something is rotten in Rhoona... When the grotesque god, Cretia, casts his ugly shadow over the town, strange things start happening. First, Duke Stephen vanishes. Then bizarre proclamations begin coming out of the Ducal Palace... Dwarves are outlawed... taxes must be paid in beer... horses must be ridden backwards. Soon the entire town is in an uproar and a Dwarven army is marching on Rhoona. This is the situation when you and your part of valiant adventurers arrive in the suffering town. There you find... A ragged beggar who prowls the streets offering cryptic advice. A mysterious black-garbed cleric planning treachery. A trusted soldier plotting his master's overthrow. A sinister jewel casting its evil emanations over the town. You and your party are Rhoona's only hope. Only YOU can unravel the dark mystery that plagues the town and save Rhoona from...the Curse of Xanathon. TSR 9056
It's party time in Thyatis... And simply everyone is going to the magnificent Villa Osteropolus, home of the wealthy old senator, Helenites. Raucous fun, exotic food, and even advanced betting on the upcoming Arena games are expected. Even adventurers just in from the outlands may meet the powerful here. So don your festive togas, for in Thyatis City there are important connections to be made and deeds to be done, duels to be fought and fame to be won. (But beware, oh Adventurer! The politics of Thyatis can be as labyrinthine as mazes beneath the Coliseum...) This module is designed especially for the DM who wants to sharpen his interactive skills. Presenting the detailed layout of a Thyatian noble's mansion and maps of the multi-level Coliseum of Thyatis. Four four to six characters, levels 2-3 Brief guide to Thyatis legal system New optional class, the Rake Fast unarmed combat system, including disarming attacks Special appendix on creating Thyatian names Featuring the DM's Guide to Winging It TSR 9284
The day has been long and hard and, as night falls, you gratefully surrender to the soft, silent blackness of well-earned sleep. Then the dream comes. You are seated on a throne in a cavern where the sun has never shone; where no voice has ever spoken. Yet you are not alone. Through the darkness, silent figures are moving. Blacker than black... formless yet menacing... advancing towards you from every side... You fell their touch; icy claws plucking at your skin and hair, lifting the throne and carrying you helpless on a journey from darkness into further darkness, from silence into deeper silence. You scream, and a million anguished, reedy voices answer your call. Suddenly you awake... ... and the dream is real. A module printed exclusively in the United Kingdom by TSR UK. Using the 1986 National Garden Festival as its theme, this module was sold both at that festival, and at the 1986 Games Day RPG convention at the Royal Horticultural Society Hall in London (hosted by Games Workshop that Saturday, September 27th). It was briefly mentioned in White Dwarf magazine 82, page 49.
One of the original D&D classics, "The Isle of Dread" is a hex crawl wilderness adventure. It focuses on surviving primitive beasts, dinosaurs, and pirates while uncovering the mystery of the island's inland city, where a great treasure awaits. From the cover: "This module contains maps and background material for the Isle, fifteen new monsters, and suggestions for further adventures. In addition, The Isle of Dread contains a map and background information for a large continent, and eleven smaller maps for encounters on the island itself. In this module, players will push their way through dark jungles and treacherous swamps to discover the lost plateau, and the final secrets of - the Isle of Dread!" TSR 9043
The valley of Haven was a peaceful land. Its crops were abundant, its citizens prosperous. Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Humans lived together in harmony. Hidden away in the heart of the Thunder Mountains, Haven was a safe place to live. The rivers were sweet and pure; the weather was pleasant and warm. Something terrible has come to pass in Haven - terrified refugees speak of a fabulous ruby uncovered in the mountains and a catastrophe that befell the palace. Whatever the cause, Haven now lies in chaos. Raiding bands of orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins terrorize the countryside. The disaster happened so suddenly that the citizens are confused and helpless. Without their leaders, who are trapped in the palace, they have no courage to fight back. The situation has become desperate. TSR 9044
In a dark cell, Rollo Bargamnn, merchant of Thyatis, turns away in disgust from his evil, green-skinned prisoner; capturing this wretch cost a ship and sixty gallant men. Then his heart hardens once more, and he resumes the interrogation. Here, perhaps, he may find an answer to the question that haunts him. What new evil is casting its shadow over the storm-swept eastern reaches of the Sea of Dread? The trading routes are no longer safe. The attacks of the green-skinned "Orcs-of-the-Sea" and the mysterious "Ship-bane" now go unchecked. Once their raids were random, but the influence of some unseen master has made them into an organized menace. Soon the questioning will be over; Rollo will know enough to track the threat to its lair. Then he will need a band of hardy adventurers brave enough to take on the task. You perhaps? TSR 9127 (Graeme Morris's name is spelled 'Grame' on the cover of this module)
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
Part of TSR 1076 The Goblin's Lair
The heroes arrive at the eponymous Keep on the Borderlands, a fortress on the edge of civilization built to stave off the chaos and evil of the wilderness. Using it as a home base, a party can make forays into the surrounding wilderness, encountering monster and marauder alike. The centerpiece of the adventure is certainly the CAVES OF CHAOS, a network of tunnels and caverns found in the walls of a nearby but isolated ravine. It is here that hordes of evil humanoids have made their home. Through combat and negotiation, the players can try to explore and map out these caves, perhaps with the aim of accumulating valuable treasure or even cleansing the land of evil creatures. However, even the Caves are not all they seem. Beyond the goblins and kobolds lurk dark horrors: cults dedicated to fiendish chaos and a Minotaur's enchanted labyrinth await the unprepared adventurer. But for the hero who is brave, clever, and fortunate in equal and sufficient measure, great treasures and glory await in the Caves of Chaos that lie beyond the Keep on the Borderlands! TSR 9034
Green Death... That's what old hands call the Great Dismal Swamp. For centuries, this tangled maze of sluggish watercourses, stagnant ponds, and festering marshes has defended Blackmoor's southwestern frontier. Large armies and smaller parties have disappeared altogether inside its vast, dripping, claustrophobic corridors. Among those who have dropped from sigh in this arboral hell is young Rissa Aleford, one of Blackmoor's most important leaders. Carried off to the sinister City of the Fron, she is now being held by the eccentric Monks of the Swamp. By making the baroness captive, the deranged monks have serioulsy weakened Blackmoor at a time when enemies already threaten it from all sides. Yet, even as the Froggies gloat, the king of Blackmoor dispatches a small band of bold adventures to the rescue. Deep into the Great Dismal Swamp they must go - far from sunlight and sanity - there to seek and save the swamp, there to find the Temple of the Frog. TSR 9175
New Magic? That's what the flying egg has. New magic unlike any ever encountered in Blackmoor. New magic of a type that could give the fledgling kingdom an important edge in the wars that are brewing on its borders. There are only a few minor problems. Like the fact that the magician who piloted the metal egg to one of Blackmoor's sworn enemies, the monks of evil and eccentric Order of the Frog, are also interested in the magic represented by the egg. And, most important, the fact that the egg came from the distant and dangerous City of the Gods. Set amist the blistered salt flats of the Valley or the Ancients, the City of the Gods is a strange and deadly metal metropolis whose powerful guardians do not welcome intruders. Yet it is to this place of deadly menace that Blackmoor's leaders now send a daring expedition? to bargain for aid in the coming wars? or to steal the magic of the gods. TSR 9191