Vecna Lives is a high level adventure that pits players against the lich and almost demi-god Vecna. Although based in Greyhawk, the adventure is easily adaptable to Ravenloft and Planescape. This adventure is meant to kill characters. If you are a DM who cannot bring himself to kill a player’s prized character or one who can be pressured to “give a guy a break,” you must be extra strong when running Vecna Lives! For centuries, Vecna-archmage, despotic tyrant, the most fearsome of all liches-has been nothing but fearful legend to the honest folk of Greyhawk. Once the supreme master of all undead sorcerers, even today his Hand and Eye are object of immense power. Now something evil is stirring in the lands around Greyhawk. The Hand and Eye of Vecna have been found-and Vecna wants them back. TSR 9309
The hidden masters of the Ebon Triad have something special planned for the culmination of the Champion’s Games: a foul ritual designed to transform the arena into a stage of enormous carnage to honor their dark overgod. To stop them, the PCs must explore the dark complex of the arena’s master, and destroy his pet monster before it’s too late. An Age of Worms Adventure Path Adventure for 9th level characters. "The Champion's Belt" is the fifth 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. Check out issue #337 of Dragon for guidelines on what they can purchase in the Free City. Pgs. 30-62
While at times cliché there are few adventures better than an old fashioned trek into the ruins of a deserted castle. This adventure pits a new adventurer against the decades old remains of a hilltop castle that is “haunted”. The old keep was the site of a mighty battle years before that swayed the power in the area but now it is the crumbling remains of the once powerful Baron Sancrist. While the old fortress is supposed to be deserted the area farmers and villagers swear they have seen the dead walk the parapets in the moonlight. Well you wanted adventure….here it comes!
For as long as men remember, the Lord of Evil Amphibians carried out unspeakable rites in his squatting temples situated far from civilization. Tales of human sacrifice, squirming servants, and rich but loathsome treasures were whispered of his followers. Now, unexpectedly, his servants have seemingly vanished, leaving behind their fanes to molder in the marshes. A brave band of adventurers gathers to explore one such tabernacle, eager to discover what riches—and terrors—the Lord of Evil Amphibians has left behind…
Beginning in the prison of the Castellan of Whitecliff, this campaign arc takes the players from level one to four, presented as a sandbox area in a lonely and gritty peninsula full of villains and opportunities for the players to explore. Much like Stonehell, but for regional play. Published by Coldlight Press
Giants have been raiding the lands of men in large bands, with giants of different sorts in these marauding groups. Death and destruction have been laid heavily upon every place these monsters have visited. This has caused great anger in high places, for life and property loss means failure of the vows of noble rulers to protect the life and goods of each and every subject -- and possible lean times for the rulers as well as the ruled. Therefore, a party of the bravest and most powerful adventurers has been assembled and given the charge to punish the miscreant giants. This module contains background information, referee's notes, two level maps, and exploration matrix keys. It provides a complete module for play of ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and it can be used alone or as the first of a three-part expedition adventure which also employs DUNGEON MODULE G2 (GLACIAL RIFT OF THE FROST GIANT JARL) and DUNGEON MODULE G3 (HALL OF THE FIRE GIANT KING). TSR 9016
The dungeon is essentially a large puzzle built around the premise of time travel. Many PC interactions are a direct result of the party dealing with the actions of their past or future selves. This adventure is designed for a fifth level party, to be played in a single session. It features a large full color map, artwork, NPC roleplaying tips, and two new magic items. Julinda the gnome mage has always been a bit off. She is a chronomancer who has become obsessed with achieving the reliable and reproducible technology of time travel, in the interest of returning to select parts of history and influencing their outcome to her pleasing; perhaps to avert a war, or to head off the enslavement of her people, or prevent the death of a loved one. Those who know her were aware of her ambitions, and now worry that they are coming to fruition, as she hasn't been seen in several months. And so, they have implored the PCs to seek her out...
Don't Get Burned! Follow a half-forgotten legend to treasures untold and a fiery doom. Pgs. 30-41
The Cult of the Dragon leads the charge in an unholy crusade to bring Tiamat back to the Realms, and the situation grows more perilous for good people with each passing moment. The battle becomes increasingly political as opportunities to gather allies and gain advantage present themselves, all centered in Waterdeep. Continuation of Hoard of the Dragon Queen.
People keep asking for "beginner" dungeons. Everyone can name "classic" dungeons - Tomb of Horrors, Barrier Peaks, Ravenloft, etc. - but in order for those adventures to make sense, there needs to be some sort of introduction. It's like all the adventures we have are Bach concertos. People keep writing amazing works of staggering genius, but someone needs to write a book on how to play the piano. I had the same questions, and since I couldn't find anything satisfactory, I decided to write the kind of dungeon I would have loved to find. I wanted to write the best basic OSR dungeon for beginners that I could, and I also wanted to show the design process. If you like this dungeon, please share it, tell people about it, print copies and leave them lying around local game stores, or email this post to friends who have "always wanted to try D&D but don't know where to start". The entire thing is and always will be free.
Are there actually vampires in Undermountain? The Baron of Blood demands that you find out! Part Two of the Vampire Hunt trilogy.
Your foe seeks to unlock the Iron Door beneath the Peaks of Flame and open the way for the Eater of the World. You must find your way through the maze of tunnels and stop them, or it will be the end of all things. Part Four of the Broken Chains Series.
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!
Blue Alley lies hidden in the heart of Waterdeep. Built by a secretive wizard, it is a magic maze full of tricks, traps, strange monsters, and rich treasure. Countless adventurers have ventured inside to test their bravery and skill, yet few have returned. And now it is your turn… Blue Alley is a 3-4 hour Dungeons & Dragons adventure for characters of 1st to 4th level. It expands upon the material presented in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, but can be played on its own or as part of any D&D campaign.
*THIS IS A D&D NEXT/5E PLAYTEST ADVENTURE* Imani, a Turmishan wizard and former adventurer, seeks the aid of heroes to infiltrate Dretchroyaster’s lair and recover the Diamond Staff of Chomylla—the key to powerful magic and wisdom locked away for thousands of years. In addition to his own sagely interest in the lore of lost Uvaeren, Imani recognizes the dangers of such powerful magic falling into evil hands. The dracolich has secured the staff in his lair’s cen- tral chamber, using ancient wards of protection that can be bypassed only by four artifact-idols once belong- ing to a cult of Bhaal. Each group of adventurers enters the dungeon through a different section of the dun- geon—a forgotten temple of Bhaal, a vast underground lake, a troglodyte village, or Dretchroyaster’s vaults. Dretchroyaster’s lair is no simple set of caverns and ancient ruins. It sits atop a source of great power and energy, which the dracolich and his Cult of the Dragon allies hope to use to unlock the secrets of the staff. Only by undertaking a unified assault against Dretchroyas- ter’s lair can the adventurers hope to recover the Diamond Staff and survive the dracolich’s fury. The adventurers must make their way through the lair and recover the Bhaalite idols that will help unlock the Diamond Staff, all the while dealing with the lair’s creatures and avoiding the dracolich as he pur- sues intruders. Entering the Chamber of the Diamond Staff, the heroes must overcome its magical wards and claim the staff before being slain by the dracolich and his servants.
Stop evil cultists of the Crushing Wave. The party rescues a member of the Brotherhood of the Cloak in Mulmaster (local mage guild); Drayson Fivestar. Drayson asks them to investigate the murder of his colleague. After some urban investigation, the investigation leads to a former guard tower of the Zhentarim, now occupied by elemental cultists. The tower was submerged in mud, but recently uncovered. The party faces of with the cultists. (Large page count, but feasible as a one shot after some editing, will probably take two sessions at most)
Putting a Krampus in the Holiday is a tongue in cheek adventure for a group of low level PCs. This scenario takes place during the Filbar holiday of “Giftus” a ten day celebration that culminates in a gift exchange. This year’s holiday is threatened when a jolly Gnome finds a few items that turn a happy holiday into a potential nightmare! A short little adventure that can be played after your own holiday celebration!
In the town of Gafolweed, the market is in disarray: toppled barrows and collapsed tents spill their contents onto the muddy ground. Merchants and locals flee the scene as you arrive. In the midst of the destruction stands a muscular, green-skinned humanoid—an orc! Three bodies lie near his feet, the victims of his bloody axe. He turns to you, a vivid red tattoo of a bleeding eye prominent on his brow. The orcs are gathering in numbers unseen in many generations and make war upon the people of the Borderlands. The cause of this deadly conflict is entwined with the history of the unholy mark that all the orcs now bear. Will your fellowship of budding heroes be able to quell the Wrath of the Orc God?
From time out of mind, the standing stones known as the Circle of Cahervaniel have stood lonely vigil on a grassy hilltop. Sheepherders once moved their flocks over the hill and through the circle, sometimes resting in the cool shadows cast by the ancient stones. Everything changed when a stone finger fell, revealing a fissure in the earth. Now, dark shadows caress the circle after the sun sets. Creatures out of nightmare dance upon the hillside at night. Many swear that a unicorn of deepest ebony now hunts all upon two legs who draw near, while stunted creatures scurry in the shadows, abducting sheep from their sheds and drawing them down below ground for food. After the disappearance of a sheperd, fear grows stronger in neighboring villages. Who will brave the black hollow of the ancient Circle of Cahervaniel? Heroes of stern mettle must descend into the cavity and explore the ancient spaces existing there. Product History "The Shattered Circle" (1999), by Bruce R. Cordell, is a generic adventure for AD&D 2e. It was published in January 1999. Origins: Another Generic. After Wizards of the Coast began publishing D&D, their first year and a half of generic adventures were all classic revivals: returns to RPGA tournaments, to classic adventures, and to Dungeon scenarios. Even "A Paladin in Hell" (1998) was a return in its own way, to the demons and devils that TSR had become afraid of. Wizards was staking out new ground by reclaiming the past. "The Shattered Circle" (1999) was the first generic Wizards adventure that was simply a generic adventure, with no deeper origins and no hidden motives. Artifacts of Note. the foundingstone and the harp Euphonious are both one-off named magic items. However, it's sword Icerazor that's the most interesting. It's said to have grown from a shard of Frostrazor — a sword that would only appear ten months later in Return to White Plume Mountain (1999). There, it's listed as one of Keraptis' four implements of power, alongside Wave, Blackrazor, and Whelm — meaning that Icerazor (and this adventure) are just one step removed from White Plume Mountain itself. Monsters of Note: Chitine. It's somewhat curious, given the Greyhawk and Neverness connections, to note that the chitine debuted in MC11: "Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix" (1991). The spider-humanoids have generally been a Realms creature, featuring in bestiaries and histories for that setting. However, they also received a more generic "Ecology of the Chitine" in Dragon #223 (November 1995), which introduced the choldrith, or chitine priestess. This is their major adventure appearance. When asked about pronouncing their name Cordell says that he "can't be 100% sure of the original designer's pronunciation", but he prefers "KI-TEEN". About the Creators. By 1999, Cordell was one of D&D's most prolific writers. He'd previously authored many slightly related adventures, such as The Gates of Firestorm Peak(1996) and the sahuagin (1997) and illithid (1998) Monstrous Arcana adventure trilogies. This conversion guide allows DMs to run the original module with 5th Edition rules. To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of The Shattered Circle, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in Digital format at the DMs Guild. This adventure is a generic adventure, not specifically based in any existing setting. Suggestions are given in the conversion guide to place the adventure in the Forgotten Realms.
Silently, ponderously, they float through the Astral Plane, mammoth isles of rock adrift in an endless sea of silver. Once they were gods. Now they're little more than debris, petrified husks of fading belief and forgotten prayer. Yet for many, their memories linger, their dreams live on - and for some, those dreams are terrifying nightmares of vengeance, and conquest, and death. n the first, the heroes are drawn into an epic quest to uncover the secrest behind the retuns of an infamous AD&D villain long thought dead. In the second, the city of Sigil threatens to explode in a faction war for control of an old church and a mysterious force lurking within it. Dead Gods also features a Monstrous Compendium entry for a brand new fiend, full color illustrations to bring scenes alive for players, and a poster sheet of maps for the Dungeon Master. Dead Gods builds on story elements first explored in the Planescape adventure anthology The Great Modron March, though that product is not required to use this one.