Deep in the swamp, villagers claim something unnatural is happening at a large manor on the edge of town. A suspicious owner whose wife died years ago is attempting something dark and terrible, and it's up to the party to stop him. The true fun of this adventure lies in the house itself, which is filled with hidden references and homages to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, with the author himself filling the role as the suspicious home owner.
Please come right in. What can we get started for you? We’re so sorry about that noisy eyesore across the street. I assure you, steps are being taken to solve that little nuisance. Oh yes. Steps are being taken. We have some lovely new teas in from far-away lands. Very mild but oh so delicious. And our cook just took some gorgeous biscuits out of the oven. I’ll bring you some to nibble. Now I need to run down to the basement for some more linens. I won’t be gone long, but my girls will take care of you while I’m away. And I’ll get that racket across the street taken care of. Yes, I most certainly will. Miss Teree runs a elegant teahouse in the upscale part of the city. But when a kobold, Sug, buys the inn across the street, her sales plummet. But then Sug starts finding rats in his basement, and they somehow manage to kill his bouncer. Sug suspects Miss Teree has something to do with his bouncers death, but he needs help figuring out how.
Under the gods' vigilant gaze, shadows stir in the depths. A hermit hunter found an alien jewel in the woods. Since then, he began to have dreams about strange "gods" and became obsessed with them. Little did he know, these “old gods” of his are an ancient evil buried deep in the underground that now reign in the forest! 'Hidden Gods of the Woods' is a system-agnostic one-page dungeon about the exploration of a secret cave dominated by bizarre aliens. Hidden beneath an abandoned cottage, players will unveil the story of a human hunter insanely in love with creatures from another world. Play to discover what the hell is going on there!
“The Lamia’s Heart”: Your party are contracted by the nascent master of an unsanctioned thieves’ guild. To earn his favour, you must steal a singular gem from the mansion of a prominent merchant. Purloining this gem, however, may raise the ire of the city’s official thieves’ guild; notwithstanding, the reward is significant.
Welcome to Cirria’s Gambit, a four- to six-hour adventure for 2nd-4th level characters, designed for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition! This adventure invites you and your players to a fiendishly fun party with revengeful devils, a succubus who just wants to go back to hell, snobbish nobles, intoxicated socialites and one really irritated banshee! Cirria wants to go to hell! There is only one tiny problem: her mistress Glasya, archdevil of the sixth layer, has banished her for insubordination. So, what’s a succubus to do in Cirria’s place? Take over a local noble family and organize a grand feast like this boring plane has never seen before to channel the emotional energy of her guests into a ritual to open a portal, of course! Isn’t it obvious? Cirria’s plan only had one tiny unaccounted for issue: Lady Kaera, matron of the noble house Cirria targeted, is a banshee. Cirria found a momentary solution – but that will only hold so long as no intrepid group of adventurers disrupts it… This adventure can be run as a one-shot or inserted into an on-going campaign. The theme fits Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus particularly well!
The manor of Willowby Hall is under siege by a giant, enraged at the theft of his magical goose. The band of thieves has taken shelter within the manor's crumbling walls, cowering with their ill-gotten poultry as the building shakes itself apart. But something else is stirring. The giant's rampage is slowly awakening a Death Knight from its black slumber, and once it rises it will call on the bones of the manor's old residents to drive out the intruders. Will the party loot the manor of its ancient relics, or succumb to the blades of its skeletal guardians? Who will make off with the goose and its golden eggs? Will anyone survive the giant's onslaught? The only way to find out...is to play.
A great evil force descended on the town of Phlan years ago. The townspeople were all either killed or driven away, and Phlan became (literally) a ghost town. Fifty years later, the survivors are ready to reclaim their town. But they need a band of strong and brave adventurers to lead the fight-they need you. Ruins of Adventure is a set of connected short adventures written by James Ward, David "Zeb" Cook, Steve Winter and Mike Breault-four names familiar to all AD&D game fans. It uses the same setting, locations and characters as the classic computer game Pool of Radiance by Strategic Simulations, Inc. In fact, many of the scenarios here in Ruins of Adventure will provide important clues to the successful completion of Pool of Radiance. TSR 9238
A haunted house, a missing person, and a hint of wild fey magic. In the kingdom of Norland in the Moonshae Isles, King Keethan rules by the will of Torm the True, though in Glen Dourn folk still hold true to the old ways—a dense and layered folklore of monsters and tales to frighten children. It is to this remote valley that Keethan bids you make haste to seek out signs of his beloved cousin, Lady Sorcha Hannigard. Sorcha vanished on her wedding day three years ago, sending her groom and neighbours alike into mourning. But where can she have gone? The only remaining clues to this mystery lie in her abandoned mansion home, where powers less wholesome have now taken up residence. The Dread Coven will not give up what they know so easily, although they will strike a bargain if you’re willing to pay the price in pain.
“A curse has hit Baron Ananias Galvan, the result of his son Philipe’s bad deeds. The young nobleman dishonored the beautiful daughter of Lady Josefa, the beautiful Joana, and did not commit to the girl. The Lady Josefa, a woman of knowledge of magic and necromancy, cursed the nobleman’s son and all his servants. Philipe was turned into an undead, and his property cursed. Baron Ananias hires heroes to invade the place and break the spell to bring the nobleman’s son back to his normal condition. However, for this to happen, it is necessary to face a horde of Zombies and unknown dangers. There are rumors that the property where Philipe lives is the secret to breaking this spell, but it is said that Lady Josefa didn’t only place Zombies on the site. Skeletons of dead people attack the unwary and there is a rumor that even a lich is present on such a property. Is this true, or is it the exaggeration of scared peasants?” Cursed House is a “One Shot” style adventure, one that you can play in an afternoon or fit into your larger campaign. This adventure is designed for up to 4 players from level 1 to 3. We recommend using the DCC, OSE, BX books or the old D&D books. Have Fun!
Six murders in a single night! A major city in the Forgotten Realms is rocked by a series of gruesomely bizarre deaths of notable citizens. What mysterious murderer could have slain six people in different corners of the city? Why did the criminal leave a playing card at each scene? Could a high-stakes card game that happened ten years ago explain the goings-on? And, most importantly, is the goddess of misfortune personally involved?
Mr. P has a job for you. You must investigate three robberies that took place in Waterdeep in the past few days, and connect them to whoever is responsible. All clues lead you to a certain mansion, but it is certain that the raid will not be easy, as they are always watching, always one step ahead... Who's watching you ask? What do you mean? No one is watching.
The door to the Abyss can be opened with good intentions. An act of mercy released a creature of unspeakable evil. Now, only you have a chance to stop it. A vrock has been trapped inside a stone circle outside the village of Sundown. This stone circle remained untouched for thousands of years, until an unwitting mage decided to depetrify one of the standing stones that he mistakenly thought was a helpless farmer. This released the vrock, who killed the mage and has been trying to regain enough power to plane shift back to its home. This module primarily is based on investigation and problem solving, with a final fight with the vrock at the end. Roleplaying should be emphasized. The town of Sundown is fleshed out with NPCs and stores for player exploration. Pgs. 4-16
A derelict raft drifts into Mulmaster’s harbor carrying a young woman. Delirious with hunger, the only words she seems able to speak so far have been “ash and fire.” The only other clue to her identity is an ornate tattoo. Is the woman insane, or is something nefarious at play?
The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale is the script of a play written in Common. It is split up into three acts, telling the story of a heroic bard before he becomes corrupted by evil. A wizard named Ryllia Liadon donated the book to Candlekeep as an entrance gift. She didn't tell the Avowed that the book contains the secret to accessing Wisteria Vale, a magical demiplane created by the Harpers to imprison a bard named Arrant Quill until they could free him from the influence of an evil artifact. The book has been hidden in the Candlekeep archives for three years, but the Harpers have finally discovered a cure for Quill's corruption, and the time has come to visit Wisteria Vale once more.
"House of Reeds and Whispers" is the lair of a pair of red hags, suitable for four characters of 8th level. This adventure can be completed in one session. Two red hag sisters recently exsanguinated an eccentric collector named Nahl Fry and took up residence in his swamp-side home. Liori and Ijith were seeking an artifact from the ancient city of Talitheos, the sunken stronghold of the red hags. They found the artifact, a pair of knitting needles made from blood-infused coral. in Nahl Fry's collection. The sisters yearn to understand how the artifact works, and so they are testing its dark powers against a nearby hamlet. They have knitted rapidly growing crimson reeds that funnel the blood of fauna and farm animals back to the house. The hamlet's leader, Galnas, hires the PC's to investigate. The party must press through the reeds, defeat the sisters' guardians, face the hags, and end the reedy infestation.
The Lady Marinto’s father is embroiled in political turmoil in his home nation. So he spirited his daughter away and the PCs are asked to guard her for a time. But just who, or what, is after her…and why? A four-hour adventure for 4th level characters set in the Forgotten Realms, featuring elements from far-off Kara-tur.
The Nerastrim Manor on the hill once belonged to a wealthy family with great influence in the region; that is until Nathaniel Nerastrim's wife, Helen, decided she was through with the oppression of her rich husband, made a deal with a demon, and took a butcher's cleaver to everyone in the house. In the years since the massacre, the house has remained untouched. The spirit of Helen is still trapped within the house and repels the attempts of any who would cast her out. In this horror-themed adventure, your players have but a single candle to safeguard them against Helen's persisting wrath . . . will it burn long enough for the party to explore the manor and finally send the malevolent spirit of Helen on her way?
The Final Stand of the Fallen Leaf is a companion adventure made to go along with the events unfolding in Folio #17 (WS4 Samurai's Fall). It contains the information needed to run a side adventure that will finish off the Distant Turtle City story line with the final defeat of the Fallen Leaf Ninja Clan. Distant Turtle City is now free, at least in the aspect of the curse, but a dark power still lives near the old city graveyard, and that power will surely continue to rebuild and spread if not expunged once and for all. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.
When elf noble Caracticus Swordstar approaches the party with a fetch quest, it seems simple enough. But the item he seeks was brought deep within the forest, stashed in a long-forgotten mansion, and guarded by a sentimental banshee. The party must navigate the mansion and the entangled pasts of the Swordstar and Shandorel families to finish the job, or find themselves the next undead guests of Giltred. Pgs. 61-67
The Anchorin Family and its namesake home, Anchorin Manse, have gone quiet along with many of the townsfolk of Adwher who worked in the manse or on the grounds. The patriarch of the family and accomplished artificer, Webster, has inherited a fascination with the multiverse from his father and now has created a machine that has allowed an entity from the far realm into his home. With his obsession growing and the help of this entity, Webster modified the memory of his family and sequestered himself in a separate wing of the manse to continue digging into the nature of the multiverse. Soon after, his recklessness released a deluge of planar energy into the home, transforming most of the inhabitants and staining areas of the house with the unique planar effects of the various planes. Now the family’s estranged son Eccles has returned to discover the fate of his family and potentially collect his inheritance but is unable to enter his childhood home. Eccles and the few remaining townsfolk are looking to hire a few bold adventurers to investigate what happened to the family, the manse, and potentially collect some very rare, perhaps legendary magical items. Enter the manse, tour the planes, take a villain, leave a villain, it’s up to you. One thing is certain, verity and villainy is relative in a manse of special purpose.