Weeds trail the water. The sandbar just off the shore shifts. A reptile rumble, a splash. Now a gaping maw. A roar. Claws splintering wood. The boat capsizes. You are in the river, now. He is the Bachelor: a pale crocodile, as long as five men lying end to end. He swallows hunters, families, trading skiffs. Prospectors fear to go out. Witches mutter. They say he causes landslips. They say he is a god, a curse -- an old, old sin, staining the river. They say he has been killed, before. He is pulling you under. Lorn Song of the Bachelor is a 48-page riverine adventure and dungeon crawl module, inspired by the crocodile stories of Southeast Asia -- particularly Sarawak. It features: Tragedy, a bloody curse, and a love gone very sour Open-ended factional interplay between local villagers, a foreign merchant Company, and a giant supernatural crocodile -- and its motivating spirits Multiple random tables, including: magical fabrics woven by god-possessed craftspersons; trinkets of a now-fallen Monkey Empire; medicinal herbs and animals 19 new creatures, including: mind-controlling catfish; golems made of teeth; a pregnant tiger spirit Wilderness travel up an enchanted river An extraplanar dungeon complex that can change the surrounding environment A morally complex treatment of colonialism, within the framework of an adventure module A giant crocodile who really wants to eat you
Trouble Cubed is a is a pseudo-adventure with three interesting gelatinous cube encounters. These three encounters are structured in a way that they can be used together as one adventure, or each individually dropped into any adventure from EL5 to 7. The encounters vary the cube's encounter situation significantly, and the tactics needed to deal with them, such as by trapping a character with a portcullis between a cube and a pit trap, placing a cube half down a pit trap, and having the cube accidentally ingest a beneficial potion (such as spider climb). Pgs. 29-30
The necromancer Tal Lorvas has unearthed an underground tomb that dates back to the height of the ancient tiefling empire. Lorvas has been terrorizing the surrounding lands with his vile experiments, and now he hopes to find a ring, hidden in the tomb, that is tied to a ritual he wants to perform by the rise of the next full moon. The PCs must enter the tomb of Empress Nemeia, deal with the servants of the necromancer, and confront Tal Lorvas before he can claim the ancient relic and move one step closer to ultimate power over the undead. Pgs. 36-41
An immense urban sandbox and eastern fantasy noir mega adventure for D&D 5E that takes 4–6 characters from 3rd through 12th level! An enmity between the Gekido, Hakaisuru, Kirai, and Namida clans has persisted for ages, the wounds from the Battle of Broken Spears torn open every few years by border skirmishes and trade disputes. Seeking to win the minds of the people by a grand gesture during these dark times, Emperor Hitoshi Masuto has arranged an alliance between the quarreling noble families—20 brides and grooms have been chosen to wed in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the decisive final battle in the rebellion against more than a century of foreign occupation. Imperial Matchmaker Weddings Decree Whether the adventurers seek honor and glory by protecting these fiancees or choose to line their pockets by ensuring the unions never come to pass, opportunity knocks at their door as the bengoshi of several clans sift through the mercenaries and spellswords that walk the streets of Sanbaoshi. To rise above the chaff in the capital of the Imperial Prefecture the PCs must be willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals and survive among their cutthroat competition, the corrupting Mists of Akuma, and any designs of the monstrous forces keen to strike a foothold anew in Soburin. What's to be found in Imperial Matchmaker? Statistics for over 120 monsters and NPCs! No matter where the party goes or who they interact with GMs will quickly be able to provide skill bonuses, hit points, and everything else they might need to populate the world, creating a dynamic and seamless environment around the adventurers. Over 40 maps including an insane 2-page isometric illustration of Sanbaosh by Indi Martin! The urban sandbox where most of the mega adventure takes place has a staggering amount of cartography to make certain GMs are never hard-pressed when figures are needed. 147 pages of material focused on the capital of the Imperial Prefecture! With NPCs and maps galore the detail poured into Sanbaoshi make its chapter a book unto itself, making this an outstanding addition to any GM's collection (whether running the mega adventure or not). New magic items including the sheathe ring and black glass dagger, as well as innovative rules for Absentee & Memorial cards! New character options! Put your allies (or pet) into a frenzy with the College of the Maddening Flute, use a deadly bladed brush to turn painting into reality as a Genjitsugaka fighter, look upon the Kami when making a pact to gain a spiritual companion, or become a warlock of Ancestors to pierce through the veil of time. A unique adventure unlike any you've played before! There are 10 high profile matrimonies set to take place in this gigantic module but so very much more awaiting the PCs as they walk the streets of Sanbaoshi: specialized sidequests for the Mists of Akuma Iconics, unexpected trials like Nobukai Bamboo Grove, and virtually endless intrigues amongst the gangs, criminal organizations, noble clans, and other folk that make their homes in the capital of the Imperial Prefecture.
The corrupt town guard of the Styes refuse to help when a mysterious monster begins to slaughter the residents of Hopen'er Asylum, an old decrepit mental aslyum. A call is put out for any adventurers willing to defeat this mosnter and save Hopen'er before it falls any further into madness... From the author of Murder on the Primewater Pleasure comes The Horrors Beneath Hopen'er Asylum. If you enjoyed that adventure then you will love this! This horror adventure takes place in and below Hopen'er Asylum. Originally designed to serve as an introduction to the location known as The Styes frorm the Ghosts of Saltmarsh campaign book, this adventure can be easily transferred to any setting (advice is given on how to do this). The characters will explore an abandoned underground wing of the mental asylum, before delving into a forgotten cave system to face an unknown enemy, a Dubh. The adventure is designed for 6th - 7th level characters and takes anywhere between 4 - 6 hours to finish. The adventure contains full colour maps, as well as VTT versions of the maps.
The wizard Abracadamus hid the Forever Stone in the darkest depths of a failing mine, coerced monsters into serving as guardians, and rigged the dungeon with traps galore. Then he died, as all good wizards do. Many heroes have fallen prey to the Forever Stone’s lure of immortality. To date, only one stalwart band has plunged into the Mines of Madness and lived to tell the tale. You think you’re better than them? You think you got what it takes to grab life by the stones and conquer the dungeon that won the 2012 Gygaxian Award* for Bonecrushing Awesomeness? We seriously doubt it, but go ahead . . . prove us wrong! Mines of Madness is a Very Special D&D® Next Adventure written for PAX East 2013 and designed for four 3rd-level characters.
In Feast of Goblyns, a party of adventurers is mysteriously transported from the lands they know to a dark and dangerous demiplane known as Ravenloft. Trapped in this realm of terror, they must use all their skills to escape the manipulations of one of Ravenloft's most powerful lords as they attempt to seek out the accursed Crown of Soldiers. If all goes well, they just might live long enough to escape this dread land and return to their homes. Also of note: As the first published adventure, is bundled with a DM screen for running games in Ravenloft. TSR 9298
Welcome to the Cage, friend. You'll want to watch your back in Sigil - it seems every cutter here's got a way to peel a clueless basher, and you're no exception. Besides, there's something happening down in the Hive that's got the factions in an uproar, and word is you're the cutter to look into it. Barmies and bubbers have been waking up in the Dead Book, but they haven't been staying there. They've been returning to Sigil with minds restored, telling tales of the Eternal Boundary. But the air's turning foul here in the Cage, and there'll be blood spilled soon if someone doesn't learn the dark of things, an quick! The Eternal Boundary is a Planescape adventure for a party of four to six characters of 1st to 5th levels. Players are introduced to the city of Sigil - the Cage, as some call it. Inside this crossroads to the planes, a sinister plot unfolds, leading the heroes into the most dangerous and desperate part of town - the ramshackle slum known as the Hive. Do your player characters have what it takes to confront the Eternal Boundary - and pass beyond?
A handful of would-be adventurers gathers to explore an ancient tomb, eager to trade their discoveries for a ticket to a better life. What they find within presages the advent of the Age of Worms, an era of darkness, decay, and writhing doom. "The Whispering Cairn" is the first installment of the Age of Worms Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures, several "Backdrop" articles to help Dungeon masters run the series, and a handful of poster maps of key locations. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Worm Food" articles, a series that provides additional materials to help players survive this campaign. Pgs. 14-47
The dragonmen have taken Solace. Its beautiful tree houses lie black and battered amid the stumps of great vallenwood trees. Kapak Draconians, armed with poisoned weapons, enforce a brutal martial law on the survivors. And Solace is only one outpost: the dragon armies control the plains. Only the elven kingdom of Qualinesti stands unconquered. The rest of the plainsmen suffer the most: a long slave caravan hauls hundreds of them to the fortress prison of Pax Tharkas. "Dragons of Flame" is the second in TSR's series of Dragonlance adventures for use with the AD&D game system. Your players will adventure in the world of Krynn and visit strange places such as Qualinost or the Sla-Mori, encountering bizarre draconians and disgusting Aghar. They can play the modules as a set of separate adventures or as a great quest that spans the entire Dragonlance story. Art by Jeff Easley. TSR 9132
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.
Deep under the ruins of Maure Castle lie the Chambers of Antiquities, vaults designed by ancient wizards to store magic items even they didn't quite understand. A continuation of last year's hit "Maure Castle." This adventure is set under the infamous ruins of Maure Castle, a monolithic edifice of night-black granite built by a powerful family of wizards. The Maures sealed themselves into the dungeons below their castle long ago, and today these dungeons have become one of the most infamous adventuring sites in the land. Although estimates have placed the number of monster-infested and trap-haunted dungeon levels below Maure Castle at 17, there may in fact be even more. This adventure presents one of those dungeon levels in detail. Pgs. 76-101
Two centuries past, the dwarven smith Durgeddin the Black carved a secret stronghold from the caverns riddling a hill known as the Stone Tooth. Laboring ceaselessly in their halls under the mountain, Durgeddin’s clan forged enchanted weapons for use in their vendetta against the orcs that had driven them out of their old homes. Durgeddin and his followers are long dead, but the dwarf-hold is not empty. Deadly peril waits in the caverns beneath the Stone Tooth, as well as Durgeddin’s hidden armory of matchless weaponry. The Forge of Fury is a dungeon crawl, or site-based adventure, describing the ruined stronghold of Khundrukar. The characters come to the Stone Tooth in search of a hidden cache of Durgeddin’s superior blades. They find the old stronghold inhabited by a number of dangerous monsters.
A missing mage... A ruthless band of kidnappers... A sinister conspiracy... Night Below, the first epic campaign adventure for the AD&D game, is designed to take the player characters from 1st level to 10th level and beyond. The PCs start as beginning adventures on a routine courier mission who soon become drawn into combating a sinister plot that menaces the pleasant land of Haranshire.
For as far back in time as the tales of history stretch, the area bordering what is now the Lands of Launewt has been a foreboding, practically impenetrable forest. When the lords who ruled the various borderlands united to form the Council of Launewt a century ago, the forest was in the same physical condition as it is now: thick, dark, and expansive, said to be so dense at the center that sunlight pervaded the foliage only on the brightest days. Pgs. 41-56
A deadly storm shipwrecks the passengers and crew of the Jenivere upon infamous Smuggler’s Shiv, an island off the coast of the jungle realm of Sargava. If they’re to have any hope of escaping the notorious pirates’ graveyard, the survivors will need to band together to outwit the isle’s strange beasts and legendary menaces. But can the PCs unite the swift-to-squabble castaways, especially when several seem to have mysterious goals of their own? And does Smuggler’s Shiv hide secrets even deadlier than its desperate denizens? This is part one of the Pathfinder Adventure Path "Serpent's Skull", but can be played as a standalone adventure that lasts approximately 10 four-five hour sessions. Great for first time dungeon masters. This is not a seafaring adventure. The PCs are shipwrecked on an island for the entire duration. This adventure ends with (hopefully) the PCs finding a way off the island (reaching level 3). It is therefore a great starting adventure with a definitive conclusion. After this module, you can continue with part two or change into your own homebrew.
Kalzok the Minotaur pirate discovered an old smuggler's hold on a tiny island in the Nelanther Isles, not far from Nemessor. The island sits amid a dangerous archipelago encircled with scores of hidden shoals that is avoided by all but the most daring or foolish navigators. The area's waters are notorious for claiming the ships of unwary sea captains who tried to steer through the gauntlet of hidden reefs. This offering includes an overview of Kalzok's island along with the details of Kalzok's hidden lair.
Hi! I am pleased to present the official English-language release of the Italian best-selling adventure: La Seconda Alba Nera – The Second Black Dawn! If anyone is looking for a good starter adventure for 5th edition but wants something a bit grittier and darker may I recommend it. The Second Black Dawn is coming ... The king is missing. Hordes of undead spread across the kingdom like a plague. Outlaws attack and pillage defenseless villages. A party of adventurers is called upon to explore the region and investigate the mysterious disappearance of the king. Main Features: - A compelling, dark adventure estimated to last over 30 hours of gameplay and bring the characters from 1st to 5th level. - Five new monsters and one new weapon - Random encounters designed specifically to integrate with the tone of the adventure. - A list of music suitable for use as a soundtrack to accompany the adventure, to engage the players and emphasize the adventure's atmosphere. - Four pre-generated characters usable for the adventure. - Hypertext links in both the index and the text and bookmarks included. - An optimized PDF also available in a printer-friendly version. Find out what is bringing the kingdom to its knees... before it’s too late! Thanks to Marco Fossati for the translation and Simon Collins for the English-language editing. Any questions, please ask!
The Thrice-Damned House of Thrune wants to seal the Inferno Gate, an uncontrolled portal to Hell, and the villainous adventurers are called to accomplish the task. To acquire the components and perform the ritual, they must first face down a hellspawn thieves' guild, the Hellknight Order of the Pike, and the knights of the Glorious Reclamation and their celestial allies. But before they can complete the ritual, the characters may be forced to examine their options—is closing the gate the best plan for the future? Will the villains obey their orders to close the gate to Hell—or might they make a deal with a devil for control of the portal? Or will they only become the latest in a long line of sacrifices to the Inferno Gate?
The crown of the kobold king will be anointed in blood. Five children from the town of Falcon’s Hollow have gone missing, dragged off into ruins underneath a cursed dwarven monastery. Soon they will be sacrificed to the crown, all to the glory of the twisted King of the Kobolds. If they are to be saved from this gruesome fate, brave heroes must follow their trail to the monastery and plumb the depths of its trap-laden and monster-infested halls.