Beasts in the Blizzard After offending that wizard last night, you awake feeling a strange chill in your bones. Perhaps it’s just a figment of your imagination, a physical manifestation of paranoia. As you rise from your bed and look out the window, you think perhaps not.
A new, expanded, OSR-ised, prettified edition of Joseph R. Lewis’ Ragged Hollow Nightmare which was rated among The Best by Tenfootpole. Joseph Lewis hit a perfect balance between the classics of dungeonverse fantasy and the whimsy of the folk tales we love so much (as testified by our Folklore Bestiary. we released last year), adding a dash of dreamworld strangeness and a pinch of body horror to spice up his brew. We did our best to respect his recipe when adding our extra material (about 30 pages of it). We worked with Joe and Li-An (the perfect artist to give life to spooky Ragged Hollow and its strange surroundings) to make the best module we could: a solid introduction to old-school gaming for both players and gamemasters. And for the veterans among us, it also makes an excellent, full-fledged campaign starter. Nightmare over Ragged Hollow is a sandbox adventure centred around a quaint town at the edge of the kingdom. But however quiet life in Ragged Hollow is, the town lies between places where you shouldn’t be traveling alone. Places like Gloam Wood (“A witch or two lurk there!”), the Bleak Mountains (“I’m told there are bugbears…”) and their infamous Mount Mourn (“Home, they say, to cursed Dwarven ruins”), not to forget the Wailing Hills (“Bandits on every road!”). There’s even a haunted house by the river (“That mad inventor riddled it with traps!”). But only when an impenetrable dome of golden light materialises around the Temple of Halcyon (“Hey, my kids go to school there!”) do things really get out of hand. Some selfless heroes (or, failing that, a bunch of greedy ne’er-do-wells) should really get involved. One town with three adventure mini-sites Three small dungeons One 50-room dungeon Three hexes with 16 detailed locations Two groups of potential allies or rivals Sixteen pre-generated characters One deadly countdown! Written for the Old-School Essentials (OSE) rule system
With several adventures under your belts your party arrives at the small settlement of Goshen seeking a warm bed and full bellies. As you begin to satisfy both you hear rumors of some overdue mining Dwarves. These miners have been quite consistent about coming to town to move their gemstones to market and with recent sightings of humanoids the townspeople are concerned. Is your party ready for a well-being check?
BLACKTIDE COVE THE CULT OF THE FISH-MEN From the Ship's Log of the Sprite: "...I can hear them fish-men. All the time with their chanting and hissing and whatnot. There's some kind of religion going on here, down below. We can't understand what they say, but it's something God-like, sure as spray on the foc'sle." A century ago, during the Spellplague, pirates hid a treasure at a shrine in a remote area of Impiltur's coast. Can the heroes claim it from that which lurks there? Blacktide Cove is a 4-6 hour adventure for 6 characters of 6th to 8th level set on the Sea of Fallen Stars! Set on the coast of Impiltur along the Easting Reach, Blacktide Cove can be placed anywhere there's a stretch of lonely coastline and the possibility of pirates. Blacktide Cove is 32 pages of adventure for you and your table! Includes a handy index, cartography by Dyson Logos, new magic items, and full-color player handouts - including exclusive art from Patrick E Pullen! Includes print-friendly version!
In the town of Easthaven, a group of adventurers is tasked on a routine mission to resupply an expedition to the Reghed Glacier. But everything is not quite as it seems, and it's not long before the chronographer's misfortunes become apparent.
A cave-in at the dwarven mine exposed a passage into the eerie, alien world that lies deep below the surface. Monsters poured out of the darkness and killed many before the surviving miners made it back into the light. Now they seek brave adventurers to face the dangers down in the dark depths. As a one shot or the first adventure of a new campaign, The Eyeless in the Dark carries new and experienced players away from the light of the ordinary surface world and down into the fantastical dark depths where here there be monsters. Chock full of adventure, as well as design notes for Dungeon Masters that will help novice and veteran DMs provide their players with an exciting and memorable game night, and leave them eager for the next session. Use this adventure in combination with the Integrated Hill Encounters and/or the Forest and Grasslands to create an open world sandbox of adventures that can fill many sessions of a campaign.
The Nexus spore is an intriguing Underdark adventure that can be sewn into any subterranean setting. This one-shot production was designed with long campaigns in mind, for when you want to break up the narrative to keep things fresh and interesting. This short adventure is ideal for players of level 5-7, although, much like the length of the adventure, it is easy to adjust. The adventure fits well into a single long session, or 2-3 short sessions. It comes complete with maps, stat blocks, boxed descriptions and a rare magic item.
For the most part, the town of Ockney’s Hold has always been a peaceful place—bordering on boring. The most interesting things going on in this frontier mining settlement include the annual livestock fair, the cost of spirits at its various inns, and speculation fueled by those same spirits as to what foul things are being dumped into the river by the ore refinery. Recently, however, the usually placid Baron Reinson has begun to act erratically, ignoring most of his counselors, giving more responsibility to his equally erratic chamberlain, and replacing key figures in Ockney’s Hold with outsiders. With no clear answers as to what might be behind the baron’s strange behavior, his last loyal counselor seeks out a band of adventurers to help. Will these brave heroes be able to get to the bottom of a widening conspiracy? And can they expose the terrible and unseen forces manipulating the baron in time to save Ockney’s Hold? Published by Gamehole Publishing.
Bringing Diablo II to the tabletop. The legendary Diablo and Diablo II computer games come to life with the release of the tabletop Diablo II: To Hell & Back roleplaying adventure. All a player needs is the Dungeons & Dragons(r) Player's Handbook (0786915501-8/00) to accompany the Diablo II game. Every level and all 4 acts of the computer game are represented in the tabletop mega-adventure, which will also include 64 pages of monsters, information for levels 1-30, and over 60 maps!
"Ribbons of blood dance through the air, tracing wide crimson arcs before fraying into thousands upon thousands of bright red droplets. The cheerful tavern atmosphere evaporates in a moment, rent apart by screams and cries. A woman with grey hair stands near the bar, grasping at the dagger in her throat with fingers made slippery by blood. She sways and collapses. More screams. A man stands before her. He is holding the hilt of the dagger, but lets it slip from a gory hand as the woman falls. He freezes for a moment, then spins and sprints away, knocking aside people as he goes. A young, flaxen-haired woman at the back of the tavern cries out, “Stop him! Stop him!” as he approaches the entrance – the entrance where you and your comrades are standing. What do you do?" A lonely outsider murders a popular village local before a room full of witnesses. But could he be innocent? The Lurker Beneath Red Larch is a 4-6 hour adventure for characters of 3rd-4th level. It is full of roleplaying, problem solving and challenging combat encounters.
One reason why they call it "the dead of winter." A year ago, a white dragon came out of the mountains north of Polarton, attacking trappers, driving off game, and marauding as it pleased. The dragon is seriously affecting the financial stability of the town. Therefore, the town council has placed a bounty on the dragon. This is a short arctic adventure. Pgs. 15-19
Under the gods' vigilant gaze, shadows stir in the depths. A hermit hunter found an alien jewel in the woods. Since then, he began to have dreams about strange "gods" and became obsessed with them. Little did he know, these “old gods” of his are an ancient evil buried deep in the underground that now reign in the forest! 'Hidden Gods of the Woods' is a system-agnostic one-page dungeon about the exploration of a secret cave dominated by bizarre aliens. Hidden beneath an abandoned cottage, players will unveil the story of a human hunter insanely in love with creatures from another world. Play to discover what the hell is going on there!
A new D&D adventure for first-level characters. Scourge of the Howling Horde is a D&D adventure for first-level characters that pits heroes against a menacing tribe of goblins and their monstrous allies. It showcases a new encounter format designed to help Dungeon Masters run memorable encounters more easily. It also includes sidebars that contain useful advice such as differences when running the adventure for new players or for seasoned players.
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
You wake up in a pitch-dark cavern... The stench of bodies fills your nostrils. The crack of bone and the sound of teeth rending flesh are the only sound you hear. Something is feeding nearby...something you can't see. We Eat in the Dark is a deadly adventure for 3rd or 4th level characters. Navigate the caves of the Darkshard Abattoir, where light sources are muted and creatures hid invisibly in the dark. Fight for your life against troglodytes empowered by a mysterious artifact and other cavern hazards. Includes an appendix for limited starting gear for a more lethal challenge. A perfect murder-happy one-shot for your players to question your friendship.
A tribe of evil norkers led by a human illusionist threaten the town of Nolivari. The heroes must brave the wilderness, find Grakhirt's lair, and defeat him to ensure the safety of the local villagers. A straightforward dungeon crawl against lots of norkers! When do you get to see those guys in an adventure? Lots of monsters from the AD&D Monster Manual II as well. This adventure features a little bait-and-switch; the titular bad guy Grakhirt is assumed to be a norker, or gnoll, or some other monstrous humanoid, but is in fact a human illusionist/assassin! Note: The adventure doesn't feature caves AND a dungeon, but since the caves are treated like a dungeon with doors and numbered rooms, this is listed as a dungeon adventure as well. Pgs. 28-37
The Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path continues with “Sword of Valor,” by RPG Superstar Neil Spicer. The PCs, now invested with righteous mythic power, are poised to become the greatest heroes of this seemingly endless war against the demons of the Worldwound… provided they can succeed at their first mission. The citadel city of Drezen was once a symbol of the First Crusade’s triumph against the Worldwound, yet when a larger horde of demons attacked, they shattered Drezen’s defenses and captured both the citadel and the crusaders’ symbol of power. Can the PCs help lead an army north to reclaim Drezen and recover this potent relic, or are they marching their comrades and followers to a gruesome demise?
Beneath the roots of a silver elm, there lies a sidereal prison… Vaz’kin’rai is a one-session adventure for the 5th Edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game, which sees 1st level heroes venture beneath the village of Dur to uncover the secrets of a mysterious cosmic vault. What will the heroes find within? And what price might they pay for uncovering it? Featuring: Two bespoke creature statblocks, including a Paragon Creature! Four new magic items! Five premade characters suitable for playing through Vaz’kin’rai! A host of original artwork by Izzy Collins, Emma Durno, and Robin Baxter! A fully supported hook, as well as suggestions for others and how to develop the storylines and themes the adventure introduces into a larger game! A selection of free companion Sonoria – audio ambiences and sound effects you can use to bring the adventure to life sonically! Vaz’kin’rai comes embedded in an original campaign setting, but is self-contained enough that it can be sited easily in most other campaign settings with minimal effort. A selection of deities and lineage origins are also provided in the appendices to help fit characters within Vaz’kin’rai’s setting as presented. Go forth, and see what lurks within the vault of Vaz’kin’rai… Published by Animancer
Chasing pirates can be a dicey business especially with an ocean storm bearing down upon you. As you give chase to Captain Longstockings and her crippled ship, she wanders into a cove...TRAPPED! This criminal cleanup is almost complete...
"The first raid on our village happened a little over 3 months ago. We awoke in the morning to discover that the Cooper family's house at the edge of town had been sacked in the entire family was missing," croaks Obed, the village elder. "We mounted a search party, but found no trace of them." The old man lifts his gaze to the west woods. "After the third such attack, we sent a messenger to seek aid from one of the larger towns nearby. He never returned." He turns back to face your party and continues, "We had no idea who or what was attacking our village... Until last week. Creatures in black robes drifted out of the woods to the west and began setting houses on fire. Then, they seized four of our bravest men and carried them, screaming, into the mists." Obed throws his mug of ale into the fire, suddenly angry, "The only creature capable of this evil is the Barrow King, who lives in the burial mounds to the west. But I swear, we have done nothing to focus his anger upon us, nothing!" Warily, the elder stands, leaning heavily on his walking stick. Slowly, he lifts it, pointing at each one of you in turn. "If it is the Barrow King, God help us!"