For centuries, Aelmor Monastery near the port town of Sestone was a safe haven for scholars, monks, and pilgrims seeking enlightenment, its renowned library home to an enormous collection of ancient manuscripts, tomes, and peculiar writings. After suffering a devastating attack at the hands of a possessed monastery elder, Aelmor fell into ruin, its troubled past forgotten. When villagers start disappearing and turn up horribly mutated days later, fear takes a grip of Sestone. What sinister forces are at work? And to what end? The Claws of Madness is a standalone adventure carefully designed for a group of 1st-level heroes, including new monsters, magic items, and a thrilling story arc. Edited by Michele Carter (co-editor of the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook), this dungeon crawl combines the best elements of classic adventures with fresh new exciting avenues. The story in this book also provides the perfect base for an epic, long-running campaign suitable for higher-level characters, in which the heroes unravel the dark mystery of the mythical Hand of Narkul . . . Published by LoreSmyth SmiteWorks.
The adventures in Dalentown continue in The Darkness Beneath Dalentown. Workers in the town’s sewers have stumbled upon the long abandoned halls of the dwarves that once settled beneath this region. What they’ve found is a haunted library. What they’ve woken is something far more sinister! The Darkness Beneath Dalentown features hordes of oozes, undead, and demons festering for years in an ancient dwarven mining stronghold. Now, they are slowly working their way to the surface, and the folk of Dalentown are in dire peril!
The ground-breaking introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons that served as a DM aid in the first D&D Basic Set, released by TSR in 1977. This set included a 48-page rulebook covering the first three levels of play, and was skillfully edited by Dr. J. Eric Holmes from the original 1974 D&D rules written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The original set included an exemplary dungeon level, but it was a loose collection of examples and not geared toward starting characters. Holmes advanced this concept by writing a new thematic dungeon with a strong backstory, creating an adventure that has remained a fan favorite over the decades. Officially, its only title is "Sample Dungeon" but colloquially it goes by various names based on Zenopus, the doomed wizard who built the dungeon under his tower
Riverton is in Peril! Chaos has reared its ugly head in the troubled town of Riverton! You and some new friends have left home to seek your fame and fortune. Brace yourselves, opportunity is about to hit you right between the eyes! The time has come to show you were made for better things than scratching out an existence on some hardscrabble farm, or slaving away in the hold of some perfumed and effete Peer of the Realm. Grab your sword, don your armor, ready your magic wand; adventure awaits!
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!
The Ivory Scimitar now has a choice, continue on into the azure glow that leads to Mithelvarn's Dungeon or retrace their steps and investigate the source of the sounds they heard on the way in. Inside the unknown region is a massive forge, home to mad Kin who has been crafting weapons and armor that are delivered to his 'god', although in reality they are transported into Mithelvarn's Dungeon. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.
The mighty dragon Oroshar lies dead, as does the barbarian king who slew him. Yet the dragon's spirit does not rest quietly. His wrath lingers in one of the teeth lodged in the dead king's corpse, awaiting only the caress of the funeral pyre to awaken into something far worse than a dragon of flesh and bone. A D&D adventure for 7th-level characters.
"The Warlock's Crypt" is a fext and noctiny lair suitable for four 9th-level characters. This adventure can be completed in a single session. An ancient warlock king known as the King in Silver, whose patron was Death itself, knew he was growing old and would soon die. The aging king pledged the souls of his two sons, the Black Prince and the Red Prince, to Death in exchange for his own eternal life. As the final worlds of the pledge pass his lips, the old king collapsed to the ground, dead. Elsewhere in the castle, the two young princes died suddenly in their sleep. All three were interred in the royal crypt within a nearby burial mound. ultimately, the king got what he asked for - he and his suns were returned to life as fext in the service of Death itself. When the fext awoke and climbed out of their coffins, they were confused because it seemed they were trapped within the small royal crypt. Then, the King in Silver discovered a secret door leading to a hidden stone stair that descended into a complex of ancient tunnels and chambers. At the far end of the complex, the fext discovered a second set of ancient stone stairs leading up through a shaft to a hidden exit on the surface. The three fext now lurk within the lower chambers, doing their patron's dark bidding. When commanded, they creep forth from the crypt to spread death during the dark of night.
Something stirs in the dark heart of the Warwood, and in response something stirs in the stars. A simple encounter with bandits on the road leads the PCs to a frightening place where even dreams are deadly. Cultists seek to free the soul of a terrible entity from beyond the stars. The PCs must retrieve the soul vessel of a long-dead evil paladin to stop cultists’ plan from coming to fruition. Pgs. 60-92
In this adventure, designed to last for a 3-4 hour session, the player characters encounter (or are directed to) a mysterious object in the mountains: A strange, silvery disc around one hundred feet across. If they make it past the deadly laser turrets and the very hungry sole survivor who lurks inside the only viable entry, they can explore the derelict craft. They will find several magic items, including a solar-powered laser pistol, as well as evidence of the ship's dead masters: The brain-eating illithid. But with technology comes other ways to stay alive over long periods of time, and the greatest danger is accessed by pushing the only lit button in the entire ship...
The Premature Burial is the first in a series of four interconnected stories that recall the themes and atmosphere of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror. Baldur's Gate, year 1492 DR, a dark and terrifying sect works secretly in the slums with the aim of punishing all those who have long oppressed, marginalized and killed the city's poorest and weakest citizens. The patriars, unaware of anything, are the cult's main targets, and a magical plague is about to fall on them that can cause a veritable slaughter. The characters will find themselves caught up in these dangerous events and will be drawn into a spiral of horror, blood and madness that will strain their bodies and souls. The Prior who leads the mysterious cult has "a special plan" in mind for them and will do anything to achieve his goal. Players will be forced more than once to question their morals and make difficult choices in a scenario of complex social conflicts, personal revenge stories and tremendous machinations. What repercussions would the cult's plan have if it were carried out? And what would happen instead if it were averted and the patriars continued to run the city as they always have? Shadows as black as night once again loom over Baldur's Gate, and this time they may change its face forever. - Adventure: story lasting 4 to 8 hours for characters ranging in level from 4 to 6 - Setting: adventure set in the famous city of Baldur's Gate but easily adaptable to any setting - Narrative: detailed descriptions and an emphasis on story immersiveness - Roleplay: in-depth characterization of NPCs with biographies, descriptions of their personalities and their physical appearance - Bestiary: 3 new customizable opponents with the mechanics "Affixes," which can add an extra degree of complexity to confrontations, and " Weak spots," which grant a strategic advantage to characters who manage to discover them - Magic: obscure and unknown spells used by cultists to carry out their plans - Layout: designed to make it easier for DMs to browse information, featuring special attention to color coding and visual immediacy of text boxes - Maps: 3 maps available in high resolution, VTT and printer-friendly versions - PDF: available in high-quality, interactive, printer-friendly print versions - Playlist: a collection of songs selected by the authors to create the right atmosphere during game sessions
In a world where water is more precious than gold, you've found an oasis - but you cannot drink a drop! The adventurers, crossing the desert, encounter a sandstorm that uncovers part of an ancient ruin of an unknown type. Green grass, an unusual and astonishing sight on Athas, magically sprouts around the ancient structure. An irresistible treasure lies inside, a source of pure water... Pgs. 26-34
For over a hundred years, Skyhold Tower has floated harmlessly above the lands of Faerun. But now it is plumeting toward the earth - directly at Neverwinter! Our heroes have been urgently recruited to enter the tower and avert disaster - but can they uncover the shocking secret of Skyhold Tower before it's too late?
With your fame building in the Great Plains of Dorack you have received word of an abandoned temple that has been showing signs of life. Years ago the followers of the old deity Sobek built a temple to honor him. The cult died out after a successful raid by Plainsmen who looted the complex after killing off the monks who inhabited it. A few days after the temple sacking the chieftain responsible for the attack fell ill and died of a mysterious disease. As it was believed a curse befell the warlord, the area was abandoned and considered taboo. Lately strange lights have been seen near the old temple and a giant stone alligator has been spotted in the area. The Plainsmen cannot go to the area as the old taboo is still in place and have asked your party to investigate.
Now that the ruined pyramid tombs of the ancient emperor-gods of Osirion are finally open to exploration, the race is on to plumb their depths and rescue their priceless treasures. Entombed with the Pharaohs is a desert adventure written by Michael Kortes that pits players against rival adventurers bent on getting to the treasure first as well as the vicious monsters and lethal traps set to stop them from their plunder. Ancient secrets and wealth beyond imagination await you in the pharaohs' tombs—will you be the first to find them?
A mad venture across the fourth dimension. Hang onto your helmets in this topsy-turvy dungeon. Be warned that the accidental release of the Evil One (described in the text) could have devestating consequences on the PCs, not to mention the local campaign area. The DM should consider alternatives to the Evil One's powers if they are felt to be too destructive. Pgs. 32-39
Warchief Grog Bloodloaf has sounded the horn of war. Elf scum have stolen orc lands and the tasty halfling herds. For generations the Maggotsmasher Clan has watched and waited from the icy caves of the frozen mountains but that wait is over. Warchief Bloodloaf needs only the totem of leadership, the Dragon Crown of Durge Maggotsmasher, to unite the clans and begin his war. Five misfits have answered the call to brave the Caves of Throllorat and return with the crown. With a little luck, these five maggots will kill a few of the beasts within Throllorat before dying, making it easier for real warriors to complete the quest. The Misfit Maggot Five is a comdedic adventure where five rejects from the Maggotsmasher Clan are called upon to retrieve the famed Dragon Crown of Durge Maggotsmasher from the dreaded caves of Throllorat. Each of the characters are fully developed with their own unique personality that will give any Dungeons and Dragons group hours of laughs! The Misfit Maggot Five is a 5th edition comedy adventure for 2nd level monstrous humanoid characters. Published by The Pickled Dragon Press
The Terror of Screeching Hill is an adventure designed for a party of four level 1-3 characters. Introduce your friends to Dungeons & Dragons or take a break from your current campaign and save the town of Stonehollow in this early level one-shot! To the villagers of Stonehollow, the flight of bats warns of an impending disaster. Earthquakes, which riddle the small mining town, often follow this omen causing cave-ins and trapping miners underground. Thankfully, the ground hasn't shaken in weeks. However, every night at sunset, a colony of bats fly over the town as a haunting cry echoes over Screeching Hill, a mound on the southern outskirts of the village. Villagers have begun to go missing, including the town's doctors Simon and Kirk Bartok, and some have suffered terrible wounds after being attacked by a relentless creature out of the darkness. With no doctors to treat the wounded and the expectation of more attacks, the villagers of Stonehollow turn to you for help. Will you investigate the terror of Screeching Hill and save the town from its reoccurring nightmare? Included: - A 16 page one-shot designed for level 1-3 characters - Unique maps - Two player handouts - A simplified document compatible with screenreaders
"You opened the chest? You shouldn't have opened the chest! You are magically transported to a ruined temple surrounded by vast desert. A dragon, driven mad by the slaying of her mate and brood, lies between you and a wish-granting treasure that could mean your salvation, or spell your doom…"
Bugbear Fight Pit is a mini-adventure with a single main encounter that follow the Bugbear Jeeshank tricking the players into a trap with the challenge of single combat to stop his activities. If the players fall for it, they will be faced with a large number of ranged attacks, and additional clever tactics and use of the terrain. Pgs. 15-17