Summoned from across the multiverse, a small group of heroes must enter an ancient pyramid and prevent the Elder God Nyarlathotep's return to power. A Lovecraft-themed oneshot.
Play Tonight! Echoes Under Fort Thunder is the first of a collection of plug-and-play combat encounters for your 1st-Echelon Draw Steel campaign. These encounters are not strictly contextualized in any narrative. They are not adventures themselves, nor are they carved from any over-arching adventure. They're adventure-agnostic, so that you can just plug them into your own adventures and PLAY! Two encounters are enclosed. Each encounter consists of: - A map ready for use in VTT - A reference map for the Director - Some number of victory point conditions and mechanics of the encounter - Three monster tables (one for each level) for parties of 2-6 heroes. - Tips for monster tactics at each level In This Set: 001A: Secure Fort Thunder - Siege the fort against either goblins, gnolls, or time raiders! 001B: Silence the Echoes - Close the portal to Arcadia underneath the fort while battling both the undead knights and the invading creatures from all corners of the strange realm!
This dual offering is a true solo (no DM needed), as well as, the same dungeon for a PC/DM setting. The adventure is for new players at the lowest level of experience. It is centered on a recent discovery of an old dungeon that belonged to an arcane wizard. With no one to rely on, is your PC ready for a dangerous delve?
"More than five hundred years ago, clans of dwarves and gnomes made an agreement known as the Phandelver’s Pact, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave. In addition to its mineral wealth, the mine contained great magical power. Human spellcasters allied themselves with the dwarves and gnomes to channel and bind that energy into a great forge (called the Forge of Spells), where magic items could be crafted. Times were good, and the nearby human town of Phandalin (pronounced fan-duh-lin) prospered as well. But then disaster struck when orcs swept through the North and laid waste to all in their path. A powerful force of orcs reinforced by evil mercenary wizards attacked wave echo cave to seize its riches and magic treasures. Human wizards fought alongside their dwarf and gnome allies to defend the Forge of Spells, and the ensuing spell battle destroyed much of the cavern. Few survived the cave-ins and tremors, and the location of Wave Echo Cave was lost. For centuries, rumours of buried riches have attracted treasure seekers and opportunists to the area around Phandalin, but no one has ever succeeded in locating the lost mine. In recent years, people have resettled the area. Phandalin is now a rough-and-tumble frontier town. More important, the Rockseeker brothers - a trio of dwarves - have discovered the entrance to Wave Echo Cave, and they intend to reopen the mines. Unfortunately for the Rockseekers, they are not the only ones interested in Wave Echo Cave. A mysterious villain known as the Black Spider controls a network of bandit gangs and goblin tribes in the area, and his agents have followed the Rockseekers to their prize. Now the Black Spider wants Wave Echo Cave for himself, and he is taking steps to make sure no one else knows where it is." Extra Info from AL.com users: by @marcellarius. "There are a variety of locations in this adventure: the town of Phandalin, a gang hideout, a ruined keep in the forest, a destroyed village, and Wave Echo Cave (a dungeon crawl). The adventure is written in a sandbox style and relies on the players to choose their path. Phandalin offers several side-quests which could serve as hooks for continuing adventures. The premade characters have ties in their backgrounds to NPCs and locations. If you're not using these you'll need to consider other ways to introduce key NPCs."
Follow a crazy halfling into a vampire’s castle. Kingdom in the Swamp is an AD&D adventure for higher-level characters; 6th to 9th level would be suitable. While it is necessary to have strong combatant characters and at least one cleric, it is more important that the players be ready to find solutions beyond the sword or spell book. Adventure Background A few days ago, Candor Pletten, a halfling thief known more for his urban exploits, returned from a journey to the southern jungles and rain forests (or so he says). Few people have believed him in the past -- usually they have been too busy taking inventory of their possessions to even listen to him — but some are guessing that he may actually be telling the truth (certainly, he’s got a good story). Candor left town a couple of months ago with some other adventurers, but has come back alone. Most tavern patrons are of the opinion that he took his companions’ purses and ran, but why would he come back to town? And why, then, aren’t his former companions hot on his trail? Candor may be a thief, but he’s not a murderer. He even gets nauseated by cockfighting. Maybe the halfling's tale is worth hearing...
Social conflict and negotiations, combat, random encounters, treasure, and dungeon delving — all the elements of a classic D&D adventure in 4 hours. Don’t be put off by the 80+ pages! Half of it is maps and character sheets! Goblin Trouble is a short adventure for four 1st level characters. Written for the Dungeon Masters who are running their very first game, it is full of useful advice and tips on how to prepare for the sessions and how to run the game, easing everyone into the game mechanics along the way More advanced Dungeon Masters and players have the option to use extra options for most encounters that make the game a bit more challenging and fun. In the adventure, the party visits a small village in the Green Forest. There they learn about nasty goblins that terrorize anyone who enters too far into the forest... Is the party up to the challenge? This adventure is also a perfect choice for Dungeon Masters who are looking to expand Lost Mines of Phandelver. With this purchase you’ll get: A beautifully-illustrated 4-hour adventure in PDF format Four unique color maps in both Player and DM versions. All the maps are available as separate files, so they’re easily imported into Roll20 or another VTT. A special Adventure Tracking Sheet that helps you prepare for the game and track your progress 12 ready-to-play, slightly simplified 1st-level characters with backstories so you and your players can immediately jump into the adventure! The players also get a short guide that helps them choose the perfect hero for them. Goblin trouble must be solved. Time to set off on a grand adventure! Would you like to know what the supplement looks like inside? Click the preview under the cover picture above!
A famous relic hunter seeks adventurers to help her find caches of treasure hidden by the now-defeated followers of the Cult of the Dragon. Her maps and notes may lead the way to great wealth—or a terrible death. And do other parties have designs on the treasure as well?
Bracing for a terrible winter, the adventurers find themselves snow-locked in the desolate Archbarony of Blackmoor. Will they venture into the treacherous Land of Black Ice to rescue an enslaved people? Be sure to check out the sequel "The Clockwork Fortress" in Dungeon magazine #126. Pgs. 16-35
The country of Rhyl has been beset nearly every night for many years by a large, terrible creature that flies out from the mountains near the city of Asereht. Nearly a year ago the creature broke through the wall of King Namreh’s castle and carried off the king’s son, Prince Laechim, along with a large amount of the royal treasure. After the creature’s raid on the castle, King Namreh ordered his army to search the mountains and discover Astylis’ complex. The soldiers made two forays into the mountain wilderness, but each time were harassed and eventually driven back by goblin raiders. Since the failure of the second assault, the king has taken to commissioning small parties of mercenaries and adventurers, sending them into the mountains with promises of great reward upon the completion of the rescue mission. For reasons which the king has never found out, none of these rescue parties has ever returned to Asereht. Your party is now attempting to be the first. Pgs. 37-44
A 12-page adventure for OSE CONTAIN THE UNDEAD! Between jagged peaks hides a small dagger shaped temple. Inside live the followers of Polsin, half-elf god of vengeance. They spend their days plotting and obsessing over those that wronged them, but at night they tend their great cemetery. A few weeks ago a new adept stole the cemetery key and opened Polsin's tomb to steal his dagger. He died in the attempt, but now the graveyard's denizens have risen from the dead and treathen the outside world. Take the dagger! Face the tomb's defences and retrieve the lost dagger of Polsin, a legendary weapon capable of defeating any kind of undead and bring peace to the cemetery. Polsin's Dagger is a low level Old School Essentials adventure for a party of 1-4 players. Perfect for a one shot or a random encounter in an hex crawl.
"A curse has spread through Darkroot Forest! Plants are attacking people, and the very air seems poisonous once you travel deep within the woods. Your group has decided to investigate this area, and rumors have it that the abandoned town of Faeriewell is where this disease started spreading. Or maybe the people of a nearby settlement asked for your help? or perhaps a noble Lord that just inherited the land hired you to clear out his new forest? This part is really up to you." The Curse of Faeriewell is an adventure for a level 5 party that you can easily drop into a campaign or play as a standalone one-shot. It will last between 3 and 5 hours. It is setting agnostic, but best at home in a Fantasy world. This adventure can serve as an interlude from your main campaign, a sidequest or simply as a one shot.
Local villagers whisper of a mysterious place deep in the marsh - a place shrouded in mist and dotted with barrow mounds, ruined columns, and standing stones. The tomb-robbers who explore beneath the mounds - or rather the few who return - tell tales of labyrinthine passages, magnificent grave goods, and terrifying creatures waiting in the dark. Are you brave (or foolish) enough to enter Barrowmaze? Barrowmaze Complete (BMC) is a classic megadungeon for use with any old school fantasy role-playing game. BMC includes everything in Barrowmaze I and II in the same book in addition to new material, art, layout, and cover art by Ex-TSR artist Erol Otus. Barrowmaze Complete will keep your players on their toes and your campaign going strong. BMC is brought to you by the Old School Renaissance (so don’t forget your 10’ pole). This edition includes art by the aforementioned TSR artists Erol Otus, as well as Tim Truman, Jim Holloway. New old-school artists include Peter Pagano, Cory Hamel, Stefan Poag, Zhu Bajie, Stephan Thompson, and others.
Everyone in the city eagerly anticipates The Arena's opening at the end of every month. This month, an unexpected change to the lineup just days before is rife with rumours! The most feared and respected gladiator in history, Imhullu, the Dragon of Marduk, has issued a challenge to an unknown rival—a fight to the death on charges of heresy. Rumours of insults and slander are spreading throughout the Great Market, though the truth remains inscrutable. The crowds gathered outside The Arena are beyond belief; people must have come from every dimension. Gaining entrance to The Arena is going to be next to impossible. Also, you don't have a ticket! Fortunately for you, you haven't spent your youth in a particularly productive manner! Centred around a gigantic arena full of gladiators, your adventurers must brave the depths of The Pits evading and fighting strange, horrifying creatures, in order to gain entrance. Once inside, they must hold strong against social and political pressures in the hopes of finding a seat in time to watch the main event! But have they gotten themselves caught up in secrets best left alone? There’s only one way to find out!
What elder evils lurk in the depths of the freezing mountain ruins? Find out in The Stoneheart Ruin! The adventure features: An adventure set in a desolate, wintry mountain landscape. 16 pages full of intrigue and mystery, containing full color maps, plus 2 unique monster stat blocks. Provides a great introduction to Mind Flayer lore and mythos for Tier 1 players. Can easily be set in the Spine of the World for use in Rime of the Frostmaiden. Let your characters test their mettle as they climb and face the ancient dangers lurking in the cracks of The Stoneheart Ruin! “I have no explanation for any of these finds. We heard disturbing noises coming from further within the mountain; thunderous and growling.” Excerpt from a pamphlet, signed: “Koralia Meadring, Anthropologist Extraordinaire” Koralia needs you to investigate her most recent discovery: a ruined cavern deep in the mountains. Her small team of academics did a cursory walk-through and think they've found a big breakthrough! However, they left in a hurry after being frightened by the horrors they heard coming from deeper in the mountain. They escaped and found one of their team was missing - a goliath named Marek. You must climb the mountains and locate the ruin, make certain that it is safe for study by Koralia’s team, and if possible, find and rescue Marek, whose fate is uncertain. Made during the November 2020 RPG Writer's Workshop.
The town of Somber Hill is a quiet settlement in the foothills of a mountain range. A few days travel from the nearest city, the people of Somber Hill are a humble and self-reliant bunch. Unbeknownst to its people, the small town hides a sinister secret, some of the residents of Somber Hill belong to a cult that worships a long dead entity. Known only as The Dark One by their followers, this ancient being once called Old Somber Hill home. Their dark master is entombed in the catacombs beneath the town, and the cult hopes to resurrect their master with a blood sacrifice. The Crypt of Somber Hill is a Setting Neutral adventure and thus can be easily included in any existing story-line with minor alterations and adjustments or outright slotted into any existing campaign setting.
Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner—and you are invited. Spans levels 1-10.
Goblins have returned to the area of Westgate, seeking an ancient magical item constructed for their foul kind. In their search, the goblins attack an imperial convoy secretly disguised as a merchant’s wagon. The knowledge that goblins are near must be kept quiet from the public, thus a small band of adventurers is required to seek out the creatures and the stolen magic item, deep inside the warrens of the great goblin chief! But the adventure does not end there...
The adventure text was written by a neural network (Talk to Transformer) and compiled by a human editor. It is surprisingly usable. The adventure is centered upon the dangerous and thoroughly weird Tomb of the Daughter, the burial place and temple of an ancient Goddess. Explore several rooms connected by teleport systems, fight strange creatures, and perhaps thwart a demon summoning.
A half-marilith, half-medusa druidess lich known as the Hate Blossom lairs in this dungeon, having been run out of mortal society and shunned by demonkind. She possesses the petrified-yet-still-living body of Melenkir, the first human arch-mage and the single creature to remember a ritual that may save the realm from an extraplanar threat. Only slaying Hate Blossom or convincing her to lift the curse will revive Melenkir. Published by Defy Danger and Save Verses Death
The interrogation of the rogue wizard, Askalan, by the magocracy of Bemmea exposed his creation of unstable magical artifacts built in a ruined ley-line conduit. This Leystone, built by the mages of Vael Turog, had been dormant for centuries until Askalan discovered a way to power it. Now, after his untimely death, the Leystone's unstable power continues to grow at the edge of the Western Wastes. The magocracy hires the characters to find the awakened Leystone, uncover the mystery of this growing power, and return the source of the power to Bemmea for study.