Under the Temple Crypt is the first in a series of site-based, Swords & Wizardry** compatible, “micro modules” that can be dropped into just about any campaign (especially a sandbox-style campaign). No underlying story-hook or rationale for exploring the site is given here. This dungeon assumes that there is a temple somewhere with a mysterious walled-in doorframe in the basement crypt. The walled-in doorframe predates the temple itself and leads to ancient subterranean structures that hint of an older civilization as well as an expansive underworld.
It all begins with a simple request (doesn’t it always?) from an old farmer. The request – protect his cattle herd from vicious wolves. Simple enough for the brave adventurers, right? But it doesn’t stay that way. Not at all. Soon, the adventuring party will find themselves in the thick of it as they solve puzzles, avoid traps, fight for their lives, and endure witty taunting. And in the end, they discover an artifact that may, or may not, be useful to them. This adventure includes a cursed shield, a new undead creature, and a new artifact. Total party experience earned is approximately 14,500.
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
This adventure takes place in the Moonsea of Faerûn. The players have been brought to Melvaunt to search for the missing scions of the city's great families. To the north, in Thar the orc tribes converge on the ruined fortress of Xul-Jarak, flocking to the banner of a charismatic warlord. There, he intends to sacrifice the scions of the great families of Melvaunt in a bloodritual to Gruumsh. The players will escape Melvaunt, search along the wilderness of Thar for the Fortress of Xul-Jarak, and then explore the dungeons of the ruined fortress and hopefully rescue the scions before they are sacrificed. There also is a Web Enhancement by Eric Cagle on the archives of wizards of the coast's website designed to scale the adventure to level 8. For example, it replaces the Owlbear with a Tyrannosaurus. This is an easy to scale adventure with much of the player's difficulty coming from intelligently avoiding problems, choosing how to approach each floor in the most tactical way, and quickly adjusting when something goes wrong. The adventure has sidebars including common orc battle cries (In Orc!), ready to use orc names, weather and random encounter table in Thar, a description of what happens if the party fails or partially succeeds, and suggested minis for each of the encounters. There is even an extended description of the bloodspear ritual, an event the party is not meant to encounter in a normal run. The appendix is detailed for all the humanoid characters including the scions and their equipment, the named villains, and variety of unnamed orcs the party will encounter. The fortress also offers an opportunity to introduce the players to the Underdark and the Zhentil Keep. There is a passage to the Underdark the players can accidentally explore, and return to later. Emissaries from Zhentil Keep have come to watch the ritual and have their own motivations. These npcs provide an opportunity for exposition and role playing at a point which otherwise might be combat heavy, acting as a valve for the first floor - helping or hurting the party with subtle magic should the difficulty be off.
A collection of five one-shot adventures for Cairn! Imperial Vault 19 A grieving widow in the forest begs you to save her baby. A hedge witch has taken the infant down into an old imperial vault where she uses the child’s Chaos tears in alchemical potions. And who knows what old treasures might still be hidden in the vault? Unless it’s not that kind of vault… Barrow of the Blood Baron Face off against vampire bats, vampire thralls, and a vampire noble, as well as a few other creatures that have clawed their way into this once-armored vault. Discover works of art, exotic wines, enchanted clothing, and filthy weapons. Negotiate with the guards and intruders alike, using clever words or whatever stake-like objects are close at hand! Tomb of the Tin Templar Encounter electric jellyfish, tinker gnomes, and the rusted corpse of the noble Sir Tristan, as well as a few other creatures that have drifted into this marvelous mechanical vault. Discover windup toys, clockwork companions, and baffling devices. Negotiate with the guards and intruders alike, using clever words or whatever rusty objects are close at hand! Priory of the Primate Priest Defy root trolls, monkey monks, and a beguiling dryad, as well as a few other creatures that have found their way into this marvelous living vault. Discover magical armor, haunted skulls, and the bonest of the apes' victims. Negotiate with the guards and intruders alike, using clever words or whatever living objects are close at hand! Fane of the Fey Fellmonger Match wits with guild goblins, pixies, and a living skin suit, as well as a few other creatures that have spirited their way into this disturbing leathery vault. Discover arcane clothing, deadly sewing tools, and a fey lord who isn't entire dead yet. Negotiate with the guards and intruders alike, using clever words or whatever sewing objects are close at hand! New PC Background: The Dungeoneer! In addition to some unusual delving gear, select one of 10 unfortunate results of a recent delve-gone-wrong, as well as one of 13 helpful boons or tools from a recent delve-gone-right.
People from all over the world travel to the oracle of the dead, the Necromanteion, to commune with the spirits of the dead. Following a ritualistic preparaton of the body and the mind, a "Seeker", as they are called, enters the Adyton, and with the help of the Prophet comes in contact with spirits. Who would your characters talk to if they found themselves in the Necromanteion? Before you can answer that, you must first save it from a demonic invasion! With the temple in chaos, and foul fiends everywhere, will our adventurers be able to save the Necromanteion?
The player characters are contracted to go on an expedition to discover the fate of a long-lost tribe of Elves (the followers of King Thiondar). This is a lengthy adventure across several locations. Roleplaying is stressed, as some encounters will be very deadly if resolved through combat.
With a bit of experience under your belts, you roll into the small town of Windomere with the hopes of catching a ferry to the larger community of Sepopolis. Your initial greeting lacked a warm glow and you quickly discover why. Apparently a river pirate with the moniker of ‘Slippery Peat’ and his cronies have been causing quite a stir in the area. You have a bit of a layover…ready to do the region a favor?
This is an incredibly deadly dungeon that will strain the limits of any party that dares to tread within. I consider this to be a challenge dungeon of sorts, and I would suggest it as a dungeon to throw at players if they ever want to run a gauntlet with new characters. This dungeons is filled to the brim with traps, puzzles, and vicious creatures. It is also quite a long dungeon - be prepared to spend at least two sessions working through the pathways of this horrifying Tomb.
A remote village/community in a conflict-ridden region of the Pomarj called Newtemple faces an invading army that mysteriously leaves it untouched. The local temple of Pelor (the sun god) appears to be the reason for this protection. The PCs are hired or tasked with investigating why the enemy forces spare the settlement—something feels off about the "protection."
The sleepy village of Raven's Lake has a secret: A terrible god lives in the depths of the settlement's namesake. The citizens of Raven's Lake know that something lives in the lake. People who go out on the lake after dark go missing far too often and frequently turn up weeks later with no memory of where they've been. The local church of St. Cuthbert has been abandoned no fewer than seven times in the last two years, each time its lone cleric packing hastily and fleeing town without a word. Adventurers who come to Raven's Lake have a habit of vanishing forever. The truth is that something does indeed live in Raven's Lake but it is far from a deity. It's an exiled aboleth by the name of Zlorthishen. Pgs. 33-36
A group of Azer were captured and brought here long ago to create a powerful weapons that ensured a long dead king’s victory in a bloody war. For some time they obeyed, churning out weapons and crafting monuments in the king’s honor, but as time went on, animosity towards the king grew stronger and stronger. The Azer betrayed the king, using the might of their “perfect” weapons to strike his men down before retreating to their forge and closing it off from the rest of the world. They have been locked a away in solitude for some time now. The entrance to this bunker has been uncovered though, and it is up to a brave group of adventurers to travel down into this place and see what they have been up to for all of these years. This dungeon has rules to modify all encounters for a group of players levels 3 through 6 and is intended for a party of four. If you have more players, feel free to adjust the difficulty up one level for each additional player or simply tune the monsters to your needs. This dungeon contains many original enemies, a unique puzzle, and an environment that is meant to inspire awe to the wonders of crafting. They are in a place of flame and metal, so a dwarf should feel at home while elves may be uncomfortable.
Vampires in service to Shar, the Mistress of Night, are somewhere in Vanrakdoom. You must locate them without drawing the attention of the other residents of this dangerous place. Part Two of the Undying Threat trilogy. A 4-6 Hour Adventure for Tier 3 Characters. Optimized For: APL 13
Dreams of the sleeping wizard seep into reality. Manifest familiars war over the fate of a remote islet. An infinite garden houses an escaped experiment. The god of purity is fooled for his blessings. Into the nightmare we go. 16 pages contain 3000+ words describing 10+ keyed areas to explore (complete the wandering monsters table), 10+ friends and foes to talk to, 10 magic items to use, and thousands of gold worth of treasure to plunder. The adventure is designed for B/X, or like-systems. It is suitable for 4 to 6 characters of levels 1 to 3. It is heavily inspired by the dungeon synth album The Sleeping Wizard by Umbría, which may serve as a soundtrack.
Hunt for a Legendary Treasure! Deep beneath a peaceful valley lies the vault of the legendary drow adventurer Larin Karr. Rumor has it Larin Karr has gone, but his vast treasure acquired from years of plundering hordes in the Underdark still remains. Can you find and loot the impenetrable vault? The Vault of Larin Karr details Quail Valley, its residents and monsters, and the twisting tunnels of the Underdark that stretch beneath it. The Vault of Larin Karr takes PCs from 4th to 9th level, during which time they fight dragons, find a missing statue for a band of renegade elves, save the village of Pembrose from scheming hobgoblins, and explore the Underdark and its many dungeons - including the legendary Vault itself! Contains new monsters and magic items! 2003 ENnie Award Silver Winner: Best Adventure
The heroes arrive at the eponymous Keep on the Borderlands, a fortress on the edge of civilization built to stave off the chaos and evil of the wilderness. Using it as a home base, a party can make forays into the surrounding wilderness, encountering monster and marauder alike. The centerpiece of the adventure is certainly the CAVES OF CHAOS, a network of tunnels and caverns found in the walls of a nearby but isolated ravine. It is here that hordes of evil humanoids have made their home. Through combat and negotiation, the players can try to explore and map out these caves, perhaps with the aim of accumulating valuable treasure or even cleansing the land of evil creatures. However, even the Caves are not all they seem. Beyond the goblins and kobolds lurk dark horrors: cults dedicated to fiendish chaos and a Minotaur's enchanted labyrinth await the unprepared adventurer. But for the hero who is brave, clever, and fortunate in equal and sufficient measure, great treasures and glory await in the Caves of Chaos that lie beyond the Keep on the Borderlands! TSR 9034
A Ravaged Land... Villains that really are larger than life... A time for heroes... A decade ago, the land of Geoff was overrun by a horde of giants, ogres, and evil humanoids, its people either slain, enslaved, or driven into exile. Now at last the tide has turned. The time to free the people of Geoff from their servitude to the giantish tyrants has come! But don't forget to watch your step when you confront the true masters behind the giant Clans! Contains the full text of three classic adventures by Gary Gygax: G1, Steading of the Hill Giant Chief; G2, The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl; and G3, Hall of the Fire GIant King. Details Eighteen new encounter sites in the war-torn land of Geoff, linked together to form a grand campaign. Provides dozens of hours of gameplay as the heroes struggle to free an entire country from the grasp of giant overlords. TSR 11413
Kalakeri: The Forbidden Temple is a gothic horror adventure for 4-5 characters of 7-8th level. It can be played over the course of 8 hours for a one-shot, but works better when played slowly over the course of two games. This is the third part of the Carnival of Lost Souls campaign. It can also be played as a standalone adventure. Kalakeri: The Forbidden Temple features: Exploration of the ancient Greater Vochalam temple with a powerful eidolon guardian. Lots of dangers and rival explorers are waiting for the characters, among them the priests of Osybus and Firan Zal’Honan himself! Intense social encounters with the leaders of major forces of Kalakeri: Ramya, Arijani and Reeva, and the possibility to align with them. Random encounter table for Kalakeri travels, and mechanic for quick resolution of random combat encounters. New custom monsters to make combat encounters truly memorable and exciting. High-quality maps, also available in universal vtt format. Check out previous adventures in the series: Lamordia: The Hardest of Hearts and Dementlieu: Dance with the Devil! And look out for the next adventure in the Carnival of Lost Souls series: Valachan: Hunter’s Moon! It will be released in the next month. Once all four adventures are out, we will also release a special Campaign Guide, which will explain in detail how to best set up and play the campaign. However, if you want to start your campaign right now, don’t worry - we have included a short appendix at the end of each adventure that will explain the basics! Disclaimer: We are a team of writers from Ukraine, so the unprovoked war and senseless aggression of the terrorist state of russia influenced our initial timelines significantly. However, we are now as safe as we can ever be under the constant threat of missile strikes, and determined to finish the whole series! And after that - who knows, maybe even more cool adventures will follow ;) Made in Ukraine
The Zhentarim ask the party to investigate what happened in one their most important underdark outposts. If the party accepts, they'll have to deal with maddening darkness, grimlocks, an insane kenku assassin and unpredictable mixtures of potions. A short, fun dungeon romp that is easily adapted to other settings and other patrons. The combination of utter darkness and a villain based on sound makes for fun shenanigans on the side of the DM. Feasible as a one shot for an efficient party. Two tendays ago, Zhentarim agents were to transport a shipment of rare potions between their Underdark outpost and the surface world. The shipment has yet to arrive, and the outpost is not responding to any sending spells. Growing worried, the outpost’s overseer sends a group of hireswords to investigate and return it to Zhentarim hands. This particular adventure deals with the delusions of madness of Fraz Urb'luu. It also features Muurmic, the mad kenku first described in the December 2015 issue of Dragon+.
Save the village of Millvein! Prevent a war with the drow! In this 3-4 hour adventure for 4-5 characters of 2nd level, travel to a small chitine lair to prevent them from destroying the small village of Millvein and inciting a war between the surface and the drow. Includes: A 3-4 hour adventure for 2nd level characters Map of the village of Millvein 2 DM maps Stat blocks for all monsters the players might encounter. See where the adventure began in Into the Underdark - Part 1 A Family Affair The adventure continues in Into the Underdark - Part 3 They Call It A Mine