Long ago, a local priest created a warded graveyard on a remote hillside. As the years passed, it gained a reputation as a spot whose defenses were powerful enough to keep undead in and tomb robbers out. Adventurers began to bring the remains of any creatures they suspected might become restless in death to the Tomb Steppe for interment, and in time they also sought aid against such creatures from the friendly priest. After his death, a brief spate of undead activity commenced, then died away once again. As the years passed, the tales of undead activity in the Tomb Steppe faded into legend, and colonists began to move into the lands nearby. The town of Night Falls was founded a short distance from the graveyard, and it grew quickly into a thriving trade center and farming community. Realizing that the Tomb Steppe was safe enough during the day, the citizens began burying their dead there rather than building new crypts on pristine farmland. Because this method of interment was cheap and easy, people from many surrounding communities brought their dead to the town as well. The business of burial brought new prosperity to Night Falls, and a guild called the Funerary House sprang up to control the trade. But it seems that the threat from the Tomb Steppe has not entirely been laid to rest. The Great Mausoleum -- the largest and finest tomb in the steppe, has been unsealed, and an apparition has been seen within. Who will go to the Tomb Steppe by night and reseal the tomb? Lest Darkness Rise is a short adventure for four 7th-level characters. In keeping with the season, it has a stronger horror theme than most D&D adventures. This scenario can be used as the climax of a series of adventures featuring its secondary characters, or it can simply be a site-based adventure that the PCs stumble across at the right moment. The scenario is set in a semi-civilized area in the far north, far from cities and churches, where winters are harsh and summers never get very hot. These inhospitable conditions have resulted in a low humanoid population. The scenario need not be set in such a wilderness; a rural farming community far from cities works just as well. The only real requirement is that the area have few settlements. The action takes place in the small town of Night Falls and a nearby necropolis of tombs, mausoleums, and graves known as the Tomb Steppe. As always, feel free to adapt the material presented here as you see fit to make it work with your campaign.
In ages past, the sorcerer Xa’arek grew to be a cruel and powerful tyrant, causing untold misery in his quest for immortality. After decades of oppression, his people revolted against him, driving the tyrannical sorcerer into the cursed lands of Marsh-Blight. Although a few of his most fanatical followers accompanied him in his exile, he was largely forgotten by history...until now. The Tomb of Xa’arek is a very dangerous dungeon crawling adventure for 5th Edition Fantasy, in which the Player Characters (PC’s) must venture into the tomb of an infamous sorcerer, recover his secrets, and get out alive! This adventure is designed for characters of 3rd level and is optimised for 4 characters of 3rd level. The adventure is setting agnostic and can easily fit into any published or homebrew world. Low level dungeon crawl with horror themes of decay and infestation. Setting agnostic Suitable for any genre of fantasy Includes prompts for roleplay
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.
Deep beneath the Isle of Dread, in a place forgotten by the world of light, an ancient, unfathomable evil festers. Within the desiccated ruin known as Golsimorga, the debased kopru servants of Demogorgon work foul rites, steeping immature shadow pearls in pits of liquid insanity. None from the world above have yet fathomed what terrors lurk beneath the Isle of Dread, nor what mad scheme roils to profane life deep within the city's gangrenous corpse. "The Lightless Depths" is the sixth chapter of the Savage Tides Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon magazine. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon magazine's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #353 of Dragon features ways to improve the PCs' vessel, the Sea Wyvern, as they take their adventures back to the seas. When the PCs journey deep under the Isle of Dread to find the source of the shadow pearls, they discover horrors beyond imagining in a haunted underground city perched on sanity's razored edge. Pgs. 28-66
Many Cannith creation forges were lost on the Day of Mourning, but a rogue artificer has uncovered one of those that pursued some of the most experimental and dangerous research during the Last War. But while seeking the forbidden knowledge in the forge, this explorer awakened a dark power that was more than she could handle, and that now threatens the region. Pgs. 4-34
The Iron King's daughter has been cursed by a demon who lurks inside a mirror locked deep in the palace dungeons. Can the characters win their freedom from those same dungeons by entering the mirror demon's horrifying, maze-like realm and finding a way to end the curse? The Demon in the Mirror is a creepy dungeon crawl adventure for 5th-level characters. It takes about 5-7 hours to complete and includes: -An otherworldly, reality-bending realm inside a magical mirror -Four new monsters: the mirror demon, ceiling creep, reflection demon, and librarian of Leng! -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -Gorgeous digital maps (with and without grid) for virtual table tops
A Mulmaster refugee named Ani Kuleimatt discovered references to a forgotten mine near the Moonsea, a mine rumored to produce an unexpected export. The adventurers are hired to locate the complex and secure its resources for the Mulmaster Diaspora.
A recent earthquake has brought forth ancient evil from beneath the waves, to terrorize a sleepy coastal town. People are disappearing. The heroes will sail to an ancient, steam-powered temple in the ocean. They'll encounter mad fishmen, deadly traps, and ancient horrors that slumbered until now.
Deep within the Kraken's Maw, a brutal maelstrom of ocean that devours ships, lies the mysterious Isle of Jade. Long forgotten in the memory of men, the island has served as a bastion for an ancient sect of female Corsairs, but their power is waning, and the threat of the outside world is at their shores in the form of a necromancer from Roslof Keep. Now a party has set out from Taux seeking the necromancer. Their course will take them directly into a conflict of high magic, ancient warrior religions, marauding fern goblins, and primordial dinosaurs. Will you take up the challenges presented by the Isle of Jade? This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules. Also available in PDF.
Descend into the depths of a tomb which has remained undisturbed for decades. However, a few weeks ago, the gears of war started turning, grinding the northern folk to dust. An undead host marches, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. A decisive strike to cut off the snake’s head might save thousands of lives! Pgs. 16-39
The Wizard’s Amulet is a short, introductory adventure for six newly created good-aligned 1st-level characters. The adventure revolves around Corian, a fledgling Sorcerer. While an apprentice, Corian discovered a letter written by a wizard named Eralion, who it is said some years ago attempted to become a lich—and failed. Accompanying the letter was a mysterious amulet with strange markings. Joined by newfound companions, Corian set off in search of Eralion’s keep and his supposedly unguarded treasure. But Corian is not alone in desiring to unlock the mystery of Eralion’s fate. Darker, more evil forces have designs on the secrets reputedly hidden with Eralion—forces willing to stop at nothing to obtain… The Wizard’s Amulet.
The people of Northwood’s Rest need help. Winter is coming, and something’s been slaughtering the livestock. Surely it must be the orcs of the Northwood! Heroes are needed to hunt them down. Will you answer the call? Welcome to Hunted! The latest adventure from the critically acclaimed platinum best-selling author Tony Petrecca. Hey, that’s me! I’ll stop with the 3rd person talk now. My last release, Killer Kobolds, was all about unadulterated, non-stop run and gun action, and quite purposefully contained absolutely no moral quandaries. Its theme was simple - Kidnapping Kobolds needed killing… now go! The result was an absolute blast, but with Hunted! I wanted to explore notably different themes. With Hunted! Exploration, investigation, and role play go hand in hand with unexpected twists and turns to present an adventure I’m quite proud of. Worry not, action hounds, as there’s plenty of combat to be had, but with Hunted! mindless murder hobo’s need not apply. Set in the frontier town of Northwood's Rest, a simple thorpe on the edge of a forest, Hunted! lends itself to easy insertion into any campaign setting and would make an excellent side quest for Storm King's Thunder. With direct tie ins to Acererak, Hunted! fits naturally within any Tales of the Yawning Portal campaign. Scaled for a party of 4-6 adventurers of levels 5-7, Hunted! can be easily tweaked to accommodate parties of lesser or greater strength. Featuring gorgeous cartography by Ennie award winner Elven Tower Cartography, beautiful art, a bevy of new creatures, new locations, several potential plot twists and a fun new magic item, Hunted! should provide six to ten hours of outstanding Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition adventuring fun.
Lo! The corpse of poor, departed Scholar Zubayr, washed up on the shores of the River of Sand, lies in the charnel house…destined to become dinner for a cult of cannibals. Though distasteful in the extreme, this isn’t your concern—except that Princess Karima Gamila, the most beautiful gnoll in Per-Bastet, has begged you to rescue her friend’s body and help discover his fate. Still unmoved to action? Know then, adventurer, that the Scholar was hot on the trail of lost treasure! If you can claim his body from the cult and decipher the clues he left behind, long-buried riches and powerful magic might be yours. But nothing is simple in this city of dark wonders: others converge on the charnel house in pursuit of wealth, vengeance, or both. Can you out-fight and outwit vile cultists, undead catfolk, a cunning werecrocodile gnoll, and the deadly secrets that lie buried beneath the River of Sand? Set in the city of Per-Bastet in the Southlands Campaign Setting, it is meant for play either as the thrilling sequel to Cat and Mouse, or as a standalone treasure hunt! Also available in Pathfinder format.
Goblins of the Malauth tribe have occupied a dwarven crypt in the Nether Mountains. When a dwarf from the hamlet of Hilltop goes missing, his brother enlists adventurers in Rauvin Vale to head up to the tomb and discover what happened to him. An introductory adventure for 1st level characters.
Kingdom of the Blind is a short adventure for four 8th-level characters. The adventure is set in a minor duchy that is fairly removed from the ruler of the land. As a result, trouble can brew in the land and the king would not know immediately. The PCs have just learned that Dephyl is alive and well and ordering blocks of granite. Meanwhile, Zhanna and Dephyl are on the third floor. If the PCs encountered the animated staircases on the first floor, the shriekers on the second floor, or triggered the trap outside Dephyl's study, the couple knows someone unwelcome is downstairs and moving up. They begin to prepare for their arrival.
A mechanical man discovers his ancestral fortress has fallen to a lunatic derro, but something worse than mad derro haunts the Clockwork Fortress' gears. This adventure is a sequel to Dungeon Issue #115's "Raiders of the Black Ice," although you need not have run that adventure to enjoy "The Clockwork Fortress." Pgs. 42-61
Do you want to run or play an adventure where characters start at level 13 instead of ending at level 13, and actually get to progress to 20 like the rules say they should? Do your players like to travel far and wide, exploring a huge unknown area? Do your players like to change their plans on a whim, and travel somewhere other than where they told you they planned to go last session? Do your players feel like fighting against an empire at odds of 20,000 to 1? Do your players want to commit occasional acts of sky piracy? Do you want an adventure that is designed to handle players using Scrying, Transport Via Plants, and Teleportation on a daily basis? If you answered yes to some of these questions, this adventure may be for you. Check out the detailed preview packet, which includes a campaign log showing how this adventure has actually played out. WARNING: FULL OF SPOILERS; VERY LONG. Against the Idol of the Sun is an epic hexcrawl campaign designed for high-level play. Adventuring parties should start at about level 13, and will likely end the campaign at level 20 with multiple Epic Boons. As a hexcrawl, there is no set adventure path that the party must follow. There is only one encounter that's even close to plot-mandatory aside from the climactic battle. Anything else can be skipped or handled in any order. The players are free to move about the map in any direction at any time, limited only by the risk of enemy action and encounters. The DM, meanwhile, is encouraged to have foes react to and actively hunt the PCs once they become a threat. Along the way, they may find and explore a number of dungeons, including a millenia-old laboratory in the grips of a time distortion, several mines that were abandoned for good reason yet may hold wealth within, and other challenges appropriate for high-level characters. This module is heavy on Exploration and Combat, but the Social aspect of D&D also is necessary as the player characters meet new peoples, work to convince them that they can make a difference, motivate them to action, and create overall plans for the NPCs and factions to follow off-screen to support the players in their main assaults. The key set piece encounters, which are optional but highly probable, involve attacking well-defended temples in the centers of enemy cities. Planning for these attacks will require paying attention to reconnaissance, timing, the use of allies, how to enter, and how to exit and break contact succesfully when dealing with enemies that fly faster than most player characters can walk. The adventure does not include artwork, and the maps are basic.
You’ve arrived at the small community of Smentz (15 locations!) to regain strength after your last adventure. While speaking with the people of the small village you catch wind of some ruins across the river that may have a mine or cache of ore and ruins to investigate. Your group is not the first who has had interest in searching but those that have ventured east have not returned. Are you ready for a bit more adventure?
A far realms themed delve into a twisted dungeon complex, filled with unique hazards, creatures and items. This adventure is designed for 4 level 6 characters and should take one or two sessions. Player and GM maps included.
A one-shot adventure of dark fantasy, tragedy, and horror... - 4-6 hour adventure for 3rd - 5th level characters. - 24 pages of an elegant, easy to read PDF. - 4 custom handouts that pair with the adventure. - 2 custom monsters. - 10+ trinkets and magic items for handing out to your players. - 6 gorgeous free battle maps that can be found here: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/434359/Map-Pack-01--The-Sorrows-of-Southsward-Keep