"Sometimes bugs are just bugs, and sometimes they are organized into a hive mind that is just as smart as humans. Ants are just that. In battle, the ants become a horde of raging combatants that form a blur on all sides. While ants are typically peaceful, they respond to a threat against the hive with a scale of violence that’s almost impossible to imagine. Utterly devoted to duty, ants never retreat from a confrontation—even in the face of certain death. Their engagements are brief and brutal. Working in teams, ants grab enemies, holding them in place until one of the warriors rips into the captive’s body, leaving it smashed and oozing." "Of Ants and Men begins as a quest to recover (e.g., steal) eggs from a giant anthill near the town of Endhome." "This adventure is designed for characters of levels 4 to 8." "The adventure can also be played (perhaps more effectively) by smaller groups. In response to many requests from our fans, the main encounters are designed to work well with groups of two to three characters of levels 6 to 8. Even a solo adventurer could do reasonably well, if the individual character had very good climbing, trap finding, and stealth skills. Druids, barbarians, and rogues will fare best in cases where the groups are limited in size." "While there’s plenty of opportunity for combat here, characters who think through a situation before drawing their swords are likely to do best. Hacking one’s way through is likely to result in character deaths."
The duchy of Velen is a bastion of law and order in an otherwise untamed land. Its ruler, Duke Calchais, holds his citizens and visitors to his city to a high standard of conduct. When Velen's harbormaster is murdered, the duke enlists the aid of adventurers to see that justice is served. Was the harbormaster a victim of larceny gone awry, or is something more sinister afoot in Velen? Murder in Velen is a 4-hour standalone adventure set in and around the port city of Velen, which is located in the peninsula nation of the same name in southwestern Faerûn. Velen is designed for a party of five 10th-level player characters, but it can easily be scaled by adding or removing creatures.
A Four to Six Hour Adventure for 11th-16th Level Characters in Dungeons and Dragons 5E The Adult Green Dragon Valturnax has attacked the nearby village of Hartsvale, threatening to destroy them completely if they do not submit to his rule by nightfall. To save the town, adventurers must ascend the mountain by climbing through the caves housing the dragon’s minions and face him in his lair – and they need to do so before the sun sets. This adventure is meant to be quite challenging. Enemies know the adventurers are coming and have had time to prepare, and they do so intelligently. This adventure draws some inspiration from Tucker's kobolds. As an added bonus, this adventure is available completely for free.
With land trade threatened, the city of Melvaunt is relying on sea trade to get goods into and out of the city. An island rises out of the Moonsea just outside of Melvaunt Harbor, and initial exploration indicates the island is a threat. The origins and nature of the island must be ascertained before trade is shut down completely. The characters explore a mysterious island and help 'living souls' disrupt a ritual being performed by cultists of Cyric. Part Three of the Misaligned Trilogy
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.
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 Raven Queen’s servants often seek out mighty allies. One of these is the black dragon Quetzallus, who resides in a deep cavern on the Shadowfell guarding a stream of souls flowing into the Raven Queen’s realm. But a death knight named Raxikarthus, betrayed by the Raven Queen in life, now seeks to enslave this dragon for his own purposes. He madly believes that he can stand against the Raven Queen, and seeks allies of all stripes—even her own servants—to do so. The death knight has found a pathway into the Shadowfell thought closed by mortals. Beneath a decayed keep, the undead dragonborn has reopened this portal and led his forces into the Shadowfell itself. The PCs are called in to beard the death knight in his lair. They find it abandoned, but discover a strange passage in the lower reaches. Pgs. 162-167
The party is enlisted to assist the Righteous Host, an army formed as a last resort to defend the world against the monsters of Elemental Evil. The host is greatly outnumbered. Its leaders send the party on a series of missions, each of which will give the Righteous Host an edge in the great battle to come. This epic adventure ends with the final push against the forces of Elemental Evil in the Meadows, and the outcome is informed by how effective the party is in their missions... and whether they are willing to risk putting themselves in the front lines. If the Righteous Host loses, players may decide to travel to Hommlet or other nearby towns to defend them. Whether the host is successful or not, players can decide to follow many different plot threads: exploring the Temple of Elemental Evil, finding the lich Kell the Eldest's lair and destroying his phylactory, or following the will of Bitbaern's Shield and discovering historical sites that were previously lost. Pgs. 44-69
Book 4 in the Iron Gods campaign: A great threat is rising in Silver Mount, but a precious item belonging to a mysterious entity called Casandalee has yet to be found. With the Dominion of the Black still an ever-present danger, players must navigate a dangerous canyon, the Scar of the Spider, in hopes of learning more about their enemies, and to accomplish their mission.
Old fog giants never die - they just slowly fade away. The House of the Brothers is an AD&D® game scenario for 3-6 characters of levels 6-10. Parties composed of less-experienced players should have higher levels, while seasoned players may be able to handle this adventure with lower-level characters. This scenario is designed to fit into the WORLD OF GREYHAWK™ Fantasy Setting. It takes place in hex M5-127 on the WORLD OF GREYHAWK boxed-set maps, three hexes north of Loftwick in The Yeomanry, on the border of the Jotens mountain range. If desired, this encounter may be used to expand a campaign using the supermodule GDQ 1-7 Queen of the Spiders, or it may stand alone. Of course, the scenario can be easily adjusted to fit into nearly any campaign world. The entire adventure may be dropped into a single evening's play. Pgs. 26-31
The jungle has opened up and revealed her secrets—now is the time to act upon them. All signs point to a long-abandoned city as the source of the undead contagion, and so you have been called upon to venture within and put an end to it once and for all. Are you up to the task? Part Three of The Rot from Within Trilogy.
The Ghost Tribe of Orcs were driven from their home under Wyvern Tor by some terrible evil. They marched to Phandalin and attacked only to be defeated. Then, the heroes journeyed to the orc’s former settlement beneath Wyvern Tor and found the source of the orc’s sardonyx and the umber hulk that drove the orcs out. Now, the party has to go deeper to deal with the terror from the Underdark that caused all of this excitement.
An unknown force is inciting the people and creatures of the idyllic Greenwood to commit horrific acts of murder and carnage. Can the adventurers quell the towering rage of the rampaging Horseman? Part Thirteen of Misty Fortunes and Empty Hearts.
A sequel to the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure for 5th and 6th level characters. An ancient forgotten evil threatens the Sword Coast once again! Our party of intrepid adventurers returns to Phandalin and Wave Echo Cave for what is at first glance a rescue and exploration mission. Prospectors for the Rockseeker mining concern have disappeared deep inside the flooded caverns that give the cave its name. The peril extends much deeper than mere lost explorers though, as the party stumbles upon an ancient, long-forgotten struggle between good and evil. Inexplicable cultists hide in ambush at every turn. A risky raft ride through treacherous underground waterways leads to an ominous discovery. Ancient ruins tell a story of the terrors of the night and a noble alliance sworn to fight them. A search for a powerful weapon of light leads the party on a mind-blowing, sky-high ascent into the unknown. Then, a whirlwind of danger: A rumbling volcano. Legions of undead. A desperate battle for the survival of the region. This adventure was designed as part of “The Next Adventure” Design Jam at the DMs Guild. It works best for a party that has just completed the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure, but it can easily be inserted into any campaign. It is designed for a party of four to six 5th or 6th level characters and, based on playtesting, will take an average of about 3 sessions to complete.
Near the Southern end of the Border Hills between Gortelburg and Havendale is an area rumored to be the home of a Minotaur. Recent reports have begun to surface in Havendale of the surrounding farms and villages that a huge Minotaur has begun to disrupt life in the area. The governing board of Havendale has offered a bounty on the beast to anyone who can track it, kill it, and return proof of its demise. Quite a few parties of adventurers have taken up the task but none have returned for the reward.
A few weeks ago, a neogi flying ship met with misfortune in a furious thunderstorm as it was setting out on a long journey. Heavily damaged, it crashed on an isolated rocky beach. Several neogi and their slaves were killed or injured in the crash, but five of the small monsters survived, along with four umber hulks and a handful of other useful slaves. Under the leadership of the sorcerer Neex Hist, the neogi are working to repair their ship so they can continue their interrupted voyage. In the meantime, they have set up camp in a large sea save close by the site of the shipwreck. While the repairs continue, the neogi and their minions are scouring the area for anything of interest - there's no point in leaving potentially valuable merchandise in the vicinity of the crash site, after all. Pgs. 101-106 Suitable for lvls 6-8 in 5e, using 5e stats.
With your first set of adventures firmly under your belt you are relaxing and basking in the glory of a job well done. While at the local tavern imbibing in some well-earned spirits, a commotion can be heard outside. As you step outside the villagers are pampering two children who apparently just rode into town on a very sweaty and tired pony. An arrow is sticking out of the mount’s flank. As the animal is removed the townspeople pepper the children with questions as both are obviously afraid. It would appear the drinks will have to wait.
A duergar mining expedition has led to a curious find - the entrance to the mythical Forge of Creation, where the first dwarves supposedly created the tools that brought civilization to the world. Their discovery has not gone unnoticed though, as their toiling within the forge has activated a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire, drawing the attention of the efreeti Camus, Eyes of Midnight. The PCs are caught in a clash between the efreeti sultan and the meddlesome duergar, and must survive threats from each faction and the dangers that lurk within the forge itself!
A 20-page adventure for OSE Save the wizard! A sunken cathedral on a quiet mountain lake hides a long forgotten temple to Mathanoga, God of Knowledge and wizardry. Abandoned by Man for centuries , but protected by the legend of man-eating fishmen lurking in it. Or until a few weeks ago the young wizad Elric embarked on its expedition. With help from the accademy of Greykeep he found the temple and began to explore it, hoping to uncover its ancient magical secrets. Now the wizard is missing and the accademy has put a bounty on its head: its weight in silver to whoever will find him and bring him home alive and well. Find magical secrets! Deep inside the temple are stashed many magical items, all sacred to the fishmen dwelling there, all worth dying for. Save Elric and the treasures will be yours! The Sunken Temple is an expert level Old School Essentials adventure for a party of 1-4 players. Perfect for a one shot or a random encounter in an hex crawl.
Hot on the trail of Selise Teshwave and Baron Rajiram, the adventurers must enter newly exposed mountain excavations in the Galena mountains. Swift action must be taken to prevent the Baron from obtaining a powerful weapon from this ruin. Meanwhile, the mysterious Teshwave siblings, Abigail and Char, are hot on the trail of their older sister. This is Adventurer's League legal adventure set near the Galena Mountains. This module first premiered at Carnagecon 2018. Part Two of the Storm Series.