From time out of mind, the standing stones known as the Circle of Cahervaniel have stood lonely vigil on a grassy hilltop. Sheepherders once moved their flocks over the hill and through the circle, sometimes resting in the cool shadows cast by the ancient stones. Everything changed when a stone finger fell, revealing a fissure in the earth. Now, dark shadows caress the circle after the sun sets. Creatures out of nightmare dance upon the hillside at night. Many swear that a unicorn of deepest ebony now hunts all upon two legs who draw near, while stunted creatures scurry in the shadows, abducting sheep from their sheds and drawing them down below ground for food. After the disappearance of a sheperd, fear grows stronger in neighboring villages. Who will brave the black hollow of the ancient Circle of Cahervaniel? Heroes of stern mettle must descend into the cavity and explore the ancient spaces existing there. Product History "The Shattered Circle" (1999), by Bruce R. Cordell, is a generic adventure for AD&D 2e. It was published in January 1999. Origins: Another Generic. After Wizards of the Coast began publishing D&D, their first year and a half of generic adventures were all classic revivals: returns to RPGA tournaments, to classic adventures, and to Dungeon scenarios. Even "A Paladin in Hell" (1998) was a return in its own way, to the demons and devils that TSR had become afraid of. Wizards was staking out new ground by reclaiming the past. "The Shattered Circle" (1999) was the first generic Wizards adventure that was simply a generic adventure, with no deeper origins and no hidden motives. Artifacts of Note. the foundingstone and the harp Euphonious are both one-off named magic items. However, it's sword Icerazor that's the most interesting. It's said to have grown from a shard of Frostrazor — a sword that would only appear ten months later in Return to White Plume Mountain (1999). There, it's listed as one of Keraptis' four implements of power, alongside Wave, Blackrazor, and Whelm — meaning that Icerazor (and this adventure) are just one step removed from White Plume Mountain itself. Monsters of Note: Chitine. It's somewhat curious, given the Greyhawk and Neverness connections, to note that the chitine debuted in MC11: "Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix" (1991). The spider-humanoids have generally been a Realms creature, featuring in bestiaries and histories for that setting. However, they also received a more generic "Ecology of the Chitine" in Dragon #223 (November 1995), which introduced the choldrith, or chitine priestess. This is their major adventure appearance. When asked about pronouncing their name Cordell says that he "can't be 100% sure of the original designer's pronunciation", but he prefers "KI-TEEN". About the Creators. By 1999, Cordell was one of D&D's most prolific writers. He'd previously authored many slightly related adventures, such as The Gates of Firestorm Peak(1996) and the sahuagin (1997) and illithid (1998) Monstrous Arcana adventure trilogies. This conversion guide allows DMs to run the original module with 5th Edition rules. To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of The Shattered Circle, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in Digital format at the DMs Guild. This adventure is a generic adventure, not specifically based in any existing setting. Suggestions are given in the conversion guide to place the adventure in the Forgotten Realms.
Not even memories of past glory live on in the gentle hills around the village of Kusnir. Today its people have more concern for commonplace things, like the harvest, trade, and the threat of death in the night! Kusnir is beset by a skulk. The attentions of such a creature are a curse on any community. Streets and alleys which ring to the voices of children by day become fearful, shadowy places by night. Men go abroad armed and in groups, while women and children stay behind locked doors and even there are not safe. But life goes on. The lot of the peasant is always hard, what cannot be prevented must be endured and, of course, things could be worse. Much worse. The skulk has begun to visit the village more and more often. Sometimes it kills, yet just as often it spares a victim, leaving clear signs of what it might have done had it wished. Its visits are now marked by strange and illegible symbols scrawled in blood on the walls of the buildings. The people are worried, helpless, and desperate. Desperate enough to welcome adventurers. UK2: "The Sentinel" (1983) is the second UK-series adventure, the fifth TSR UK adventure overall, the first solo effort by Morris, and the first half of the two-part Adlerweg series (whew!). It was run as a tournament at the GamesFair '83 Open, then published later in 1983. TSR 9101
The lost city of Archaia - an ancient ruin sunken into the earth - lies deep in the badlands. In recent years, caravans from Eastdale have come under attack from orcs, goblins, and worse. Some say these blood-thirsty warbands have made lairs in the deep caves and ruins. Sill others say the ancient halls are filled with magnificent treasures left by the Archaians. Are you brave (or foolish) enough to delve The Forbidden Caverns of Archaia? The Forbidden Caverns of Archaia (FCoA) is a 296-page classic megadungeon for use with any old school fantasy role-playing game. The pages of Forbidden Caverns are crammed full with new material, maps, amazing art (including special surprizes by former TSR artists), as well as an amazing colour cover art by Ex-TSR artist Erol Otus that matches Barrowmaze Complete as a sister-book. The Forbidden Caverns of Archaia will keep your players on their toes and your campaign going strong for years. FCoA is brought to you by the Old School Renaissance (so don’t forget your 10’ pole).
Vaylek the reclusive hydromancer did not often leave his seaside tower. Now he is missing. What strange and magical secrets lie within? What deadly perils and grotesque creatures might call that tower home? The mysteries of his tower await the brave and resourceful! This 5e ocean-themed adventure is intended for player levels 1-3 and contains: 6 levels of maps and exploration A floor filled with aquariums containing new and wonderous sea creatures A secret lab 6 new monsters--including Frankenlobster, Saltwater ooze, Sea gobblers, and Sharkdogs! Wandering monster tables and descriptions of what the monsters are doing New magic items An overland map An optional adventure setting
After hunting for the Pirates of Ebor along the coastline, you witness a strange event. A great colossus is seen as you travel along the coastline and you are informed that it is the “Artifact at Gegios”. As you put into port, you make inquiries and decide to investigate further, after all, an artifact is usually useful! Is your party strong enough to uncover the truth of this legend?
Beneath Castle Bergfried lies the vault of the grief-struck Baron – heavily infested with a crystalline virus from the past. Here an adventure party must choose between rival forces that seek to explore the vault and decide the future of the Inside World. ‘Vault of the Mad Baron’ is the second installment in a series of three modules in the Inner World. It can be played as a stand-alone adventure or be added as a small barony to an ongoing campaign. The scenario can be used with Swords & Wizardry or any other early variant of game rules and is suitable for PCs level 2-5. Inside you will find: A 60+ page old-school module with a layout optimized for fast and easy interfacing. An adaptable barony complete with town, castle and dungeon. Unique districts with encounters and sights. 6 major factions fully detailed with headquarter, plans, and missions for the PCs. Detailed description of a castle and associated dungeon levels. Downloadable maps for both players and the Referee. Locations allowing the PCs to travel to another era within the setting. Unique new creatures and magic items.
Stories of misfortune are often exaggerated, especially when they have been retold many times. For that reason, most people aren't taking seriously the claim that a sea monster living along the coast is eating whole ships full of sailors and swallowing entire families. But there's no denying a few facts -- the town of Lochfell is losing its citizens to a sea monster (one that walks on water no less), someone is stealing that same town's dead, and ships are beginning to choose other ports for unloading their goods. Such a scenario could doom the residents of the small port town to either a monster's gullet or the poorhouse. No one seems to know whether the town's two ongoing problems are connected, but the sea monster never leaves behind a corpse to bury. Is it collecting bodies for some dark purpose? Or did some more powerful evil creature create the sea monster to do its dirty work? Someone in Lochfell knows the answer, and it's up to the PCs to find it out. Lochfell’s Secret is a short D&D adventure for four 15th level player characters (PCs). The story is set in and around the port town of Lochfell. You can place the action in any section of your campaign world where a coastal town on a bay might exist. If there is a small town that the PCs visited in a past adventure but haven’t returned to in quite a while, so much the better. As always, feel free to adapt the material presented here as you see fit to make it work with your campaign.
Within the pages of this book, you will find three mini-dungeons, all with a common theme. They are all set in dangerous and exciting cave systems. Not only will you be able to drag and drop these mini-dungeons as you need, but this book will also provide a suggested campaign structure and tie-ins to each of them for those witty Dungeon Masters who wish to run them all together. 1. Lizard Folk Tunnels - APL2 to APL5 A daring rescue mission to save two young children from the grasps of a tribe of lizardfolk who's evil intentions are to sacrifice their captives to their evil god. 2. The Cavern of One-Eye - APL4 to APL7 A cave system riddled with orcs as described in Volo's Guide to Monsters. Players will need to think on their feet in this one. 3. The Lair of Frostingbite - APL5 to APL8 Snow-oxen are being stolen from the farmers of Sleet-Town, tracks lead into the ancient and abandoned mine shaft within a nearby mountain. Killer Kobolds, Quaggoth slaves and a ferocious White Dragon await. Published by P.B. Publishing
Uncover the curious tale... When the party are shipwrecked they take shelter in an old forgotten cottage. They soon find themselves uncovering the mysterious death. One thing is for sure, they are not alone... Back to the sea is a 3-5 hour one shot, recommended for Level 3-4 adventurers. It offers a refreshing and different look at Ghosts in D&D. Contains 3 beautiful original digitally illustrated Maps. Unique Monsters and interesting combat scenario. Encourages player creativity and problem solving. Screen reader version.
30 Ravenloft adventures inspired by various domains of dread, including Gothic Earth, that can be played as a single campaign! Dreams of Solitude is a collection of thirty exciting adventures that can either be played as a campaign, run as a one-shot, or have pieces taken out to supplement your current home game! You'll meet your match against Atarte, the evil master of dreams, who will task you to defend ancient fortresses from the undead, explore a terrifying maze, fight in the trenches of world war 1 or even a karaoke contest with werewolves! It's SO much fun, and you'll be able to go back for more adventures, again and again! Adventures summary: Demon's Isle: Explore a watery cave and find your way to the Pirate Demon Zekel! Airic's Forest: Survive a forest ruled by werewolves while you try to find the cure for lycanthropy! Fractured City: Enter a glitchy uncompleted illusory town and try to find the "Butcher" that roams the dark alleys. The Heinfroth Heist: Enter Dr. Heinfroth's asylum and steal his journal without becoming his test subject! Tomb of the Hentempet the Red Queen: Face Hentempet the red queen inside her Pharaoh tomb! Graveyard Of invitation: Enter a cursed graveyard and follow the clues to find the reason why the undead have risen! Fey Blood Merchant: Help the Vistani child escape his Rakshasha master before he returns! Horrors in Chateaufaux: Play the role of the Gendarmerie guards and find out who creates chaos in the roads of Dementlieu! On the Run: Explore an ancient tomb and escape the curse that you have unleashed! Vampire Escort Child: Can you help this poor child leave this jail meant for monsters? Defend the Keep!: Command your own military force to defend a keep against waves of undead! Lena's Pets: Explore the heidius laboratory of Frantisek Markov's student and escape before you become body parts for her next experiment! Lava trip: Who would want to be inside an ACTIVE VOLCANO? RUN! Escape Rooms: Find the way to escape before time runs out! How investigative are you? Singing Showdown: Karaoke competition with werewolves??? Labyrinthine Horror: Can you escape the labyrinth before the Vampiric Minotaur catches you? Teety's Hunt for Lulo: Find Teety's elusive love in an enchanted forest of pain! Monster Lab: Create your own Flesh Golem and make sure you are a good parent! Through fire and steel: Run through the No-man's-land while enemy planes and tanks bombard you and assassinate the enemy general! Don't forget to dodge the bullets! Drowning in Filth: Will you manage to escape before you drown in filth? Wilted Roses: Explore the forests of Sithicus and find the Black Rose Effigy! Shyclin’s Circus: An encounter inspired by the Carnival. The joke's on you! Among Us: Can you find shelter in a small cabin found in the woods? The Free Trader, Mist Runner: Avoid the enemy pirate ship at all cost while trying to reach the port with your own ship! The Curious Case of the Man Who Drowned in Air: Solve a detective's case in Victorian era London! Night at the Museum: Protect the museum's artifacts from invisible adversaries! Raid the Shadow: Lay siege on a castle controlled by the undead! Who could be its ruler? Journey to the Center: Control a mechanical worm of Kwalish and drill to the center of the earth to mine mithril! Journey Through Barovia: Visit Barovia's most famous places while trying to solve riddles or die trying! Choose Nothing: Solve a Death Slaad's riddle or get mad! The Final Dream: Tackle Atarte and their illusions in an environment that continiously alters between all of the dream-adventures! Only few can take on a Darklord and live to tell the tale! Published by Mistfactor Press
When you wander the wilderness you run into the strangest things. Nestled in the middle of a few mountains in a volcanic basin is a strange temple structure. This is the final resting place of the legendary warlord Khan Sing. A hero among the plainsmen, this ruler was believed to have grabbed power with the assistance of a magic weapon known as the “Blood Mace”. Will the party’s investigation find this mysterious artifact?
Intrepid explorer Reslin Kine garnered a modest reputation and fortune for himself throughout his years adventuring. When he learned he'd die of an incurable illness before his first child would be born, Reslin hired the best workers and wizards he could find to create a vault to protect his son's inheritance. Reslin kept a journal of his efforts, logging the information necessary for his heir to find the vault and claim its treasures. Whatever came of Reslin Kine, his family, or his treasure is now the stuff of stories. Through whatever circumstance, the party has managed to get their hands on a few tattered pages of Reslin’s journal. The cryptic entries noted there contain clues to finding his vault, and the treasure which awaits inside!
Lord Falcon’s nest holds a new brood of evil. Falcon’s Peak is an AD&D® game adventure for 5-8 characters of 1st-3rd level. The party should include a thief and at least one experienced cleric; a ranger would also be of help. The use of stealth and silvered or magical weapons is advised.
Adventuring in the Principality of Lockerbie continues with Issue in the Canyon. Your party has enjoyed the advantages of being considered a hero but as the days’ progress, it is back to normal in Gormell. After having a bit of ale at the local tavern you notice a wagon caravan has arrived in town and the people are abuzz over their arrival. Noticing that some of employees are a little beat up, you find yourself in the sheriff’s office being told of a brazen, humanoid attack on the merchants. Looks like you just found a job opportunity!
The ancient world of Harth withers beneath its dying sun…but it’s not dead yet. The land is still riddled with villages in danger, cultists in caves, angels gone mad, eldritch horrors making strange deals, raging dragons, bandits in the woods, and cruel monsters lurking in every shadow. These 13 adventures span a wide variety of locations, environments, creatures, and genres. They are meant for use as quick-play sessions or one-shots, or to be dropped into campaigns as side-quests. These are linear dungeons and mini-quests full of interactivity and strangeness, encouraging exploration, risk-taking, and creative combat. ADVENTURE TYPE: One-Shot / Low Level / Combat / Exploration / Village / Wilderness / City / Subterranean / Dungeon Delve DESIGN NOTES These 13 adventures are intended for low-level characters around Level 3 Overall, these adventures tend to be linear dungeon delves in caves or single buildings 93 unique encounter locations 69 original magic items 71 original monsters (with 28 illustrations) 13 maps/diagrams Each adventure runs 2-4 hours in length
Four doors of mystery appear in the Cage. They lead to four adventures, if a basher has the dark of them. "These aren't doors in the traditional sense, cutter, but they're portals just the same. They appear for a short time every 500 years, popping up in different parts of Sigil. Each hides a mystery that's waiting to be solved, and together they just might hold the key to a secret of the multiverse. All a body's got to do is tumble to the right keys, open the doors, and face down the Unknown." - Estavan, merchant lord Doors to the Unknown is a collection of four Planescape adventures that can be played separately or as a mini-campaign. When four doors appear in the Cage, the barmies crawl out of the shadows, and the heroes get drawn into events that could have consequences for the entire multiverse. Each door leads to a different plane and a different deadly challenge for the player characters. Together they offer a way to stop an ancient menace before it strikes again.
A wealthy sea-trader hires the PCs to solve a pirate problem and recover stolen supplies. Almost 100 pirates have made base in a treacherous cove. When the PCs arrive, most of the pirates are at sea on a mission. A large host of pirates remain in the base and force PCs to be creative with their approach, as a direct attack would be met with an overwhelming swarm of pirates. Unknown to the player's as they scheme is that the ship will soon return with its massive crew. The treasure cave is guarded by the dead sailors foolish enough to try and steal from the captain, who is the only one who can enter the cave safely. Players must be creative to deal with the pirates in the base and the approaching ship while still securing the plundered supplies in the treasure cave.
The village of Hammerston is the site of a quick meal stop for a single PC and they quickly discover that the people are highly superstitious. A mage booms into the Kingfisher Tavern and reports his apprentice was chased while returning from collecting some items. The apprentice refuses to return to the cemetery where he was attacked and the mage, seeing your adventurer garb seeks your assistance.
When one of the Lords of Waterdeep asks you to root out a threat to the city, you respond to the call. Prepare for a foray into Undermountain. Part One of the Vampire Hunt trilogy.
A very big problem from a very small source. Pay the toll or feed the troll' seems pretty obvious. Too bad that it isn't. A tricky gnome has used illusions to fleece anyone crossing a bridge, posing as a fearsome troll. To direct more traffic across his bridge, he has also set fire to the Great Bridge downstream. The players find the Great Bridge burned and follow this detour. At the bridge, the players will fight with the illusory troll. After a few rounds, it flees back to the gnome's lair under the bridge, and the players will need to deal with a combination of the gnome and his traps if they investigate. Pgs. 22,23 & 69