A little cave-borne adventure about harvesting valuable cysts from a sleeping creature, trying not to be killed by the horribly mutated infectious things that already tried that, and helping a wizard who recently lost all his friends and just wants to get his spellbook back. For use with your fantasy RPG of choice. How would I use this thing? -As a terrible one-shot without consequences! -Drop "Find the wizard Felix Longworm cowering by stones and a mournful tree" into your mountainous random encounter table of choice, and pull this out when the fates decide. -If the cave is ignored something else will eventually be birthed out of it, so you get free campaign fodder if your players shake their heads and say "nope". Apart from the adventure it also contains a glorious suit of cursed armour, horrific explosives, four new spells, an adorable cut-out map for your players to put together as they explore, and some pretty neat light tracking mechanics, so there's that.
Do you dare delve into the depths of an ancient demon's prison? Designed to be a fun 5E challenge-dungeon. Delve into a cave where an ancient evil was once sealed away... but be wary, as over the ages, the seals upon the Demon have begun to weaken... This is the one-shot featured in my larger adventure, Tower of the Chronomancer, but more polished and slightly expanded to allow it to stand on its own. (Originally it was the Tower's "6th floor.") I'm making this Pay What You Want, hoping people will enjoy this content -- and maybe seek the larger adventures I've already written. The Cave. Mostly hidden behind a nondescript hill in a crowded wood, forgotten by almost everyone not of the nearest town, and even they have forgotten why the cave was originally created. What it contains -- what it seals in. Marked only by a broken, rotten sign, now it's viewed as a prank spot. Sometimes it's a hideout for unsuspecting bandits. Generally, it's a place no one goes on purpose due to the lingering "wrongness" that any who enter seem to feel. Any that pass through the perfectly-rectangular entrance will find that it's much more than meets the eye. Especially if they are able to find their way down to the Trials! The Story. Long ago, a shapeshifting demon called "Umbraeus, the Defiler" sought dominion over the world. It clawed its way out of the Hells and took control of the region through a mixture of trickery (empowering people it could use) and destruction (raining fire, destroying crops and rivals, etc.). Umbraeus reigned for many years... until it was betrayed by a rival, which allowed a group of adventurers and mages to defeat and trap it in a magical green gemstone. The gem was then buried deep underground, protected by a set of Trials that allowed only those pure of heart and capable of handling its influence to visit it. But a long time has passed. The seals that held Umbraeus at bay have begun to weaken. And the demon has found a way to crack the gemstone. Its malevolent influence has begun to seep out into the world above. If nothing is done, it may manage to fully escape! Includes: A 5e one-shot adventure for 5th-6th level adventurers (4-6 hours long) Combat, roleplaying, puzzles, discovery, randomness, and loot! A chalenging demon encounter with variable difficulty levels 6 original enemy statblocks, including an evil shadow-boss 2 original magic items. Keywords You Can Expect: High fantasy, cave dungeon, combat, evil demon, shadow dragon, puzzles, discovery, randomness, gelatinous cubes, constructs, moral quandries, and lots of loot.
"As you approach, the miners themselves appear from their hidey-holes around the ruined camp. They are haggard and hollow-eyed, barely able to lift the picks and shovels they've clearly been using as weapons. They are unwashed, muddy and stinking - they look little different to the undead that they have been fighting. Shrouded in damp blankets and shivering, they stare at you silently, even disbelievingly. There is only one left among them who appears to have a little iron left in his spine. He tightens his grip on his pick and steps forward. 'Are you here to help?'" Some doors should never be opened... A group of miners uncover a dark secret and find themselves fighting for their lives as the dead walk again. Can the party rescue the survivors and stop an ancient evil before it spreads across the land? Doorway to Darkness is a 3-5 hour adventure for characters of 2nd-3rd level. It features roleplaying, traps and horrifying combat encounters...
"Ambush at Boxcar Rocks" is a two hour adventure for character level 1-3 (3-6 players) but is easily adapted to challenge higher level PCs by adjusting the spawn rate and the spawn limit. It features one hand-drawn, color map. It can be run as a brutal oneshot gauntlet or a quick side quest to pad the players purses. Deep within the labyrinth of massive, glacier deposited rocks there is a natural cave once used for interring the dead. Now the bones of the pit within stir because of a foolish neophyte. A listless, blood thirsty horde tramples toward daylight and nothing will remain in their wake...
Yesterday, young Tobias went to investigate an old tomb by himself. Everyone told him it was a bad idea. Everyone was right. Today, you and your companions awaken to a town in chaos. Why is the temple sealed behind a divine shield? Why are children and worshippers trapped within? How do we get inside? What did Tobias do?! Ragged Hollow is a full-service starting town, full of classic creatures and challenges all updated and brought together for newbies and nostalgia-lovers alike. There are goblins and witches in the woods, a house full of traps, a basement of vermin, kobolds in a cave, bandits on the road, riddling ravens, a 50-room temple dungeon, nursery-rhyme monsters, living nightmares, Lovecraftian horrors, and tons of unique items to find. This is a mystery with lots of relevant side-quests around the town. The heroes can investigate the situation, get into the temple, save the innocents, and stop the monsters. And get some loot! ADVENTURE TYPE: Medium Dungeon / Town / Wilderness Adventure DESIGN NOTES This adventure is intended for characters levels 1 to 4. It includes several wilderness areas (forest, hills, mountain), a bustling town, several local mini-dungeons, and one 50-room temple dungeon. Each area contains various encounters and unique items. There are many opportunities for combat, but it is possible for players to explore most areas and complete many interactions without any combat at all, depending on their choices. INCLUDES: Story hooks, dialogue prompts, random encounters, stat blocks, original creatures and treasures, and maps. KEYWORDS: town, village, forest, goblins, goblin market, witches, hags, hills, bandits, ogres, mountain, kobolds, caves, dwarves, temple, clerics, nightmares, demons, riddles, traps, ghosts, fairy tales, Lovecraft, mutant
The sleepy little town of Scharokhova has gone from dreary to depressing and dangerous. Shortly after a strange man in a hooded cloak came to town one evening, visiting the posh manor home of the local noble family, the Petrovas, a fog descended upon the valley where the town lies. What’s more, all manners of beasts, from rats to bats to wolves, are attacking the townsfolk, or destroying their supplies. And that fog! Anyone that tries to leave escape the town through the fog finds their mind too addled to make it through. And those that made it the furthest were set upon by beasts, beasts that seemed to try to keep the villagers from leaving town. Now, the townsfolk’s only hope rests with a group of outsiders who made it to the village through the mist, and now find themselves stuck in town, just like the residents have been. Eliminate the beasts threatening the townsfolk! Explore Petrova Manor and discover the secret that has caused this curse to descend upon Scharokhova! Finally, free the town from the grip of evil, and perhaps even bring Gorak, the last of the Petrova line, back from darkness into the light!
The party approaches the Dwarven Kingdom of Narol'Duun, where things are far different than in your typical dwarven empire. The first major difference is that Narol'Duun is split into three distinct categories of dwarven tribes based on the main type of ore that they mine and refine. The dwarves take on characteristics of these ores - the Cobalt Dwarves having a tinge of blue to their hair, the Copper Dwarves having tough skin and beards of shining reddish-brown, and the skin of the Iron Dwarves is a deep grey in color. These dwarves engage in trade and drink, but the one thing that they are sure to never do is breed outside of their respective tribes. To be found in a relationship with a dwarf of another tribe is to be exiled to the surface - a punishment worse than death for most of these dwarves. On this particular adventure, the party finds themselves caught up in a case of forbidden love between a royal member of the Cobalt Dwarf family - Nadom Glintstone - and a simple merchant woman from the Copper Dwarf tribe by the name of Lajeera Copperfist. They have been doing their best to keep their love a secret for they both know the risks, but the Cobalt King, Norgith Glintstone, has suspicions and is deeply afraid of the damage such a scandal could have on his family's reputation. He doesn't want to draw any attention to the situation, so it is difficult to find a dwarf of his own tribe that could look into it further, so when the party comes along he sees it as a perfect opportunity. He will hire the party to look into the situation with Nadom, offering grand rewards in exchange for the truth if they can provide proof. The party will be torn between multiple threads of possibility in this adventure – telling Norgith the truth about his son's affair with Lajeera, helping Lajeera to permanently change her form to that of a Cobalt Dwarf so they can be together, or perhaps even trying to end the tribalistic ways of the dwarven kingdoms all together. This is a heavily role-playing based adventure, perfect for those who would rather talk their way through a difficult situation than cut their way through it, but there is still some combat along the way depending on the party’s choices. This story will decide if love can win out against all odds or if the temptation of coin is greater than the happiness of others.
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!
The Hag's Hexes is a 66 page guide designed by Dungeon Masters Guild luminaries like JVC Parry and Janek Sielicki alongside rising stars and old stalwarts like Matt Butler, Matthew Gravelyn, and Tim Bannock. It was created with one thing in mind: to make hags more than the sum of their (often meager) Challenge ratings, giving them the mechanics, roleplay potential, and weird magic that can inspire campaigns, lay low kings and warlords, and potentially ensnare unwary Player Characters into campaign-changing curses or long-term bargains that force them into terrible moral quandaries! Split into five chapters, the authors have provided everything a DM needs to terrify their players for years to come. The Bestiary features over a dozen monsters; some are new hags, some are their minions or even their mobile lairs, and one of them -- the Shaitan AKA Desert Hag -- was featured in Monsters of the Guild! Bargains & Curses is a chapter filled with ideas that can kick-start campaigns, threaten valued NPCs, or put Player Characters' very existence and morality at stake. Chapter 3 includes two dozen items of wonderment, weirdness, and dread, ranging from fairy tale-inspired items of whimsy to terribly cursed items of horror. Chapter 4 is titled "Filthy, Vile & Downright Dirty" and provides dozens of roleplaying tips to make hags come alive, new mechanics inspired by and expanding on Volo's Guide to Monsters (coven spell lists, aunties, grandmothers, alternative coven members), and ends with useful combat tactics for each of the hags from the Monster Manual and Volo's Guide, as well as tactics for covens. Finally, Chapter 5 presents five encounter groups (with sub-encounters) to give you quick story seeds and monster lists that you can put together in minutes to create a single encounter or to inspire a full campaign, and ends with three full-length adventures -- each with 3-5 encounters -- that showcase many of the new monsters, rules, magic items, and so on that appeared in earlier chapters. Each of these adventures comes with an encounter map meant to act as inspiration for hag lairs, and they include useful mechanical ideas for terrain effects and descriptive keywords listed directly on the map for added inspiration and easy customization! Designed by Tim Bannock. Written by Matt Butler, JVC Parry, Janek Sielicki, and Tim Bannock. Edited by Matthew Gravelyn and Tim Bannock. Cover Art by Elena Naylor. Cartography by Tim Bannock using Inkwell Ideas' Dungeonographer (Dungeonographer is copyright Inkwell Ideas). Layout & Graphic Elements by Elena Naylor with Tim Bannock. Interior Art by Arcana Games, Bruno Balixa, David Lewis Johnson, Dean Spencer, Earl Geier, Filip Gutowski, Jacob E. Blackmon, Joyce Maureira, Petr Kratochvil, Jayaraj Paul, Brian Brinlee, and Wizards of the Coast.
Each year the Emperor holds a competition to select a new Adamantine Chef. When a challenger emerges from outside Kara-Tur, the current Adamantine Chef aims to win before the first dish is served. The challenger turns to heroes in this desperate hour! This adventure pairs action with humor. The menu includes high-flying martial arts action, wild animal hunts, shopping, haiku, and, of course, a food fight! Dish this out as fast food for a fun game night, or use the included tie-ins as extra flavor for an ongoing campaign. Delicious! A Forgotten Realms culinary adventure, featuring: - Tie-ins to the Tyranny of Dragons, Elemental Evil, and Rage of Demons storyline adventures or your own home campaign - Two new monsters - Innovative encounters offering your players unique roleplay and combat experiences - Links to the adventure The Five Deadly Shadows, extending play - A food fight with special food-weapon rules!
The tritons have arrested the keeper of Skyhorn Lighthouse for unleashing vile, bug-like abominations into the sea. When a lone triton comes to the characters and asks their help in exonerating the keeper, will the heroes rise to the challenge and confront the dangers lurking in the deep? The Corruption of Skyhorn Lighthouse is a 5-7 hour adventure for 8th-level characters. You can run The Corruption of Skyhorn Lighthouse as a standalone adventure or as a follow-up to The Secrets of Skyhorn Lighthouse, a free 5th-level adventure downloaded over 100,000 times with 350+ five-star reviews! Inside the The Corruption of Skyhorn Lighthouse, you'll find: -Three new monsters that prowl the ocean depths -A goblin submarine, a darkmantle sea captain, and a marid with a pet starfish grove -The Arcane Library's signature format to make running the adventure effortless -Combat cards for monsters, PCs, and special treasure -Gorgeous maps designed for easy use with Virtual Table Tops
Three months ago the township of Durgon’s Rest exiled Elia Fenfrost for practicing witchcraft. Now as the first harvest approaches there are signs that something is amiss. The crops are failing, local farm animals are becoming sick with disease, and all of the food stores have gone foul. The town’s folk suspect that the accursed blight is the work of Elia - exacting her revenge for casting her out into the wild. The PCs are the villager’s last hope, but can they find Elia and end the evil curse that has been laid upon the town before all comes to ruin?
Baron Rajiram’s forces have secured the Nelanther Isles and have scoured the Sword Coast for treasures. Now they have begun to explore a mysterious island that recently just popped into existence nearby. SEER seems to believe that an aboleth artifact is their goal. It is up to the adventurers, in competition with the baron, as well as aboleths, the Kraken Society, and the mysterious caretaker of the island, to locate the Eye of Xxiphu and avert catastrophic disaster. A Four-Hour Adventure for 17th-20th Level Characters. Optimized for five 17th-level characters.
Hanging out in the city of Acre has gotten mundane and the old adventuring itch is flaring up. Your fruitless search for jobs quickly changes as a farmer locates you. He indicates that he has a minor farming problem with a land shark that the party can deal with. Once this job is completed, the party is approached by more opportunities!
Through seven gates lie seven realms. In seven realms stand seven guardians. With seven guardians lie seven symbols. From seven symbols comes one key. Alpahaks the Dark desires that key, by which he plans to release death and chaos into the realms of man. Your party may be all that stands between life and death. Will you heed the lunatic ravings of a dying madman? Travel to the top of Guardian Mesa, and enter the Septahenge. Gather the mystic symbols, create they key, and defeat the Carnifex, before it's too late... TSR 9174
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!
OP5 – Corsair Cove is a short scenario involving the recently discovered lair of a pirate ship. With raids becoming a huge problem, the local magistrate has enlisted your group’s assistance to resolve the issue. The hidden lair has been found and you are being sent directly into this hidden cave along the cliffside to deal with them. Only a lightning raid stands the best chance of solving the problem.
Berryridge is beset by bandits, the woods nearby have always caused issues, but these recent bandits are something else. Something or someone with actual intelligence is leading them now. Worse, even the bandits seem to dislike their new leadership, not deserting out of fear alone. The lord's men are weeks away and the town is unsure how much longer they can keep the bandits out of their homes. It's up to you to find out exactly what happened and stop the bandits before they can start taking something other than valuables... Draw Steel! In this unofficial 1st-level adventure for the TTRPG Draw Steel, you meet with the small town of Berryridge. Currently under siege by banditry. However, these bandits are getting desperate, find out who or what is driving them to take more and more risks. This product contains: - A short and sweet adventure for a 1st-level party. - A flexible storyline that can fit into any campaign - 2 custom monsters - 3 maps specially designed for this Draw Steel adventure, with a separate map showing suggested enemy placements. - Custom characters and negotiations.
For centuries, the volcano now called Mount Zulgar was the battlefield of a conflict between red dragons and frost giants. The final battle saw the extinction of the dragons and only a handful of living giants. The dwarves of the Frostblood clan used this opportunity to drive out the giants and take the mountain as their own for its rich deposits of gold. 100 have passed, and now the volcano bubbles to life once more, bringing with it all manner of fiery creatures. Miners have been killed, and implike monsters assault the citizens of the mountain. The master of the goldsmith's guild has called upon your party to snuff out the Fire in the Frostblood Mine. Fire in the Frostblood Mine is a 4-5 hour adventure for 4 3rd-level characters. It can be used as either a one-shot or as part of an ongoing campaign. This module includes a single-session adventure to introduce your players to the strange creatures of the inner planes, maps of the two levels of Frostblood Mine, and a unique sentient magic item.
The gnome village of Clefton is built on the sides of a deep gorge, their homes built safely into the gorge walls. But for the past two nights Clefton has suffered the attacks of sightless creatures that crawl down the walls and steal away the gnomes’ loved ones. It’s up to the PCs to follow the creatures’ trail back to The Draigesgyrn Caves and put an end to their threat. As the PCs explore the unusual cave complex, they may discover the caves are the empty husk of a colossal dragon, buried many years ago beneath a landslide. In the depths of these caves they encounter the dread spirit of the dragon rider and an entrance to the Underdark. Will they seal the entrance or will they begin a new adventure deep underground? The Draigesgyrn Caves is a D&D 5th Edition adventure suitable for four to five PCs of 5th level and estimated to take 4-6 hours. The adventure could be set in any mountainous area. In the Forgotten Realms, it might be set in the Fairheight Range on the Moonshae Isles. The end of the adventure introduces an option to begin an Underdark adventure or campaign. Includes: A map of the dragon husk caves by EB Moreno Two new monsters for 5th edition – the ghoulish ooze and a grimlock shaman Four new magic items