The players are invited to a Winter Gala in Waterdeep. After a guest is killed, investigations ensue to the fiendish nature of the home that the gala took place in. There are shopping opportunities on the way in.
Under raging stormclouds, a lone figure stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of castle Ravenloft. Count Strahd von Zarovich stares down a sheer cliff at the village below. A cold, bitter wind spins dead leaves around him, billowing his cape in the darkness. Lightning splits the clouds overhead, casting stark white light across him. Strahd turns to the sky, revealing the angular muscles of his face and hands. He has a look of power - and of madness. His once-handsome face is contorted by a tragedy darker than the night itself. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind's howling increases as Strahd turns his gaze back to the village. Fas below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd's face forms a twisted smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they were coming, and he knows why they came, all according to his plan. He, the master of Ravenloft, will attend to them. Another lightning flash rips through the darkness, its thunder echoing through the castle's towers. But Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind - or perhaps a lone wolf - fills the midnight air. The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited. TSR 9075
Dragonbowl is a setting and pulp action adventure in one. It plunges a party into a rich festival scenario that revolves around a deadly gladiatorial contest, where the dangers they face in the arena are almost secondary to those they encounter in the murky criminal underworld they find themselves in: a world that stinks of corruption, human trafficking, illegal dinosaur-trading, necromancy, blood sacrifice and unnatural arcane experiments. The action takes place in a vast cavern in Mount Waterdeep, known as the Underbelly, where not only Dragonbowl Arena, but also an entire festival grounds – consisting of temples, bars, casinos, funfairs and markets - has been constructed to host this grand sporting extravaganza. With Xanathar, Jarlaxle, Davil, Volo and the Black Viper all in attendance, and scores of 'entanglements' (faction missions) to keep players busy, Dragonbowl can be played as a sequel to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, or as a first step towards the Undermountain and the Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Equally, it can be played as a stand alone adventure, or easily transported into other settings. The adventure is written for a party of four 6th level adventurers, and easily customisable for three to five players, of any mid-tier level (the adventure contains maps and handouts adapted for both 4 and 5 player tables). The adventure is designed to last around ten to fifteen 4-hour sessions, but can very easily be shortened or lengthened according to the DM's desire. The adventure features all three pillars of play: combat (in and out of the arena), social interaction (a succession of parties and parades, where players can get entangled in NPC business) and exploration (30+ locations in the festival grounds alone).
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝! Step into a town where darkness has taken root, and every shadow hides a deadly secret. In The Return of the Blackflame Curse, you and your party will unravel the twisted mysteries of Whitethorn Rose, a cursed town teetering on the edge of doom. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 • 36 rooms across 4 floors (Basement, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, Attic) • 5 detailed maps with day/night and transparent variants Explore the haunted Huxley Manor, a sprawling, intricately detailed estate with 36 rooms and 4 floors, each filled with terrifying encounters and bone-chilling secrets. With 5 beautifully illustrated maps, including day/night variants, you’ll be fully immersed in a tale of fear and survival. 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 • 13 monster statblocks, each with their own lore • A intense boss fight with the vengeful Morgana Blackflame Face off against 13 custom monsters, each with unique abilities and terrifying backstories. From creeping apparitions to vengeful spirits, every encounter will test your players’ courage and strategy. And when it comes time for the ultimate showdown? Prepare for a climactic boss fight with Morgana Blackflame herself, a ghost hellbent on consuming the town in flames once more. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 • 13 tragic ghosts, each with chilling backstories • 8-page Ghost Hunting Compendium as a player handout • Solve mysteries and exorcise spirits to lift the curse But it’s not just monsters you’ll have to worry about. The town itself is alive with haunted events and 13 restless ghosts, each carrying a tragic tale. Investigate, exorcise, and piece together the dark history that binds them to this cursed place. To help your players dive deeper into the supernatural, we’ve also included an 8-page Ghost Hunting Compendium as a handy player handout. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 • 7 homebrew magic items, including a powerful Fated Item with 3 variants • 6 different charms to protect your players from the curse • 9 Magic Item Cards to print and hand out to players, with artwork, in 2.5 x 3.5 inches (MTG-sized) • 43 haunted events to keep players on edge Don’t go into battle unprepared. Arm your adventurers with 7 custom magic items, including 1 Fated Item with 3 powerful variants. Stock up on 6 unique charms to ward off the curse, and keep your party on edge with 43 haunting events that can strike at any time. 𝐑𝐮𝐧 • 17 monster cards for easy reference, with artwork, in 88mm x 125mm (Tiny Epic size) • Ghost Tracking Sheet for smooth management of the adventure • 36 small room cutouts for quick navigation during gameplay • 24 VTT tokens for easy integration into your online games For GMs, we’ve made running the adventure easier than ever. With 24 VTT tokens for monsters and NPCs, a Ghost Tracking Sheet to manage exorcisms, and 17 monster cards for quick reference, everything you need is at your fingertips. Plus, 36 cutouts in the description of every room, provide clear guidance for navigating the sprawling manor. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 • 7 detailed town locations for investigation • 7 NPC background and roleplay sheets to add depth to the world • 1d12 Superstition Table to bring the town’s eerie atmosphere to life Bring the town of Whitethorn Rose to life with 7 detailed NPC background sheets and 7 town locations, giving your players more ways to explore, interact, and investigate. And for added flavor? A 1d12 Superstition Table to bring out the eerie quirks of the locals. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 • Battle against the darkness with strategic challenges and eerie storytelling • Solve the murder mystery, lift the curse, and guide your players through an unforgettable experience With The Return of the Blackflame Curse, every decision matters, every room hides a deadly secret, and every ghost has a story to tell. Get your copy now and take your players on a journey into the heart of darkness. This is more than just an adventure—it’s a test of survival.
The sleepy little town of Scharokhova has gone from dreary to depressing and dangerous. Shortly after a strange man in a hooded cloak came to town one evening, visiting the posh manor home of the local noble family, the Petrovas, a fog descended upon the valley where the town lies. What’s more, all manners of beasts, from rats to bats to wolves, are attacking the townsfolk, or destroying their supplies. And that fog! Anyone that tries to leave escape the town through the fog finds their mind too addled to make it through. And those that made it the furthest were set upon by beasts, beasts that seemed to try to keep the villagers from leaving town. Now, the townsfolk’s only hope rests with a group of outsiders who made it to the village through the mist, and now find themselves stuck in town, just like the residents have been. Eliminate the beasts threatening the townsfolk! Explore Petrova Manor and discover the secret that has caused this curse to descend upon Scharokhova! Finally, free the town from the grip of evil, and perhaps even bring Gorak, the last of the Petrova line, back from darkness into the light!
Awash in a sea of phlogiston, three wizards battle for mastery of reality! But with each new day all gains are lost and the game begins anew. It is up to the adventurers to upset this ancient balance, winning free of the shrinking demi-plane before all is reduced to the roiling stuff of raw Chaos! Will you strike a bargain, swearing fealty to one of the fell masters? Or will you attempt to master your own fate, pitting your luck and skill against arcane foes? Whatever you decide, you must act quickly, for gray worms press in from all sides and time grows short! An exploration-based adventure for 2nd level PCs, Fate's Fell Hand challenges new and old players alike. Only the most cunning of PCs can hope to thwart the machinations of three dire wizards and escape Fate's Fell Hand!
Mimic Madness is a psudeo-adventure with four interesting mimic encounters. These four encounters are structured in a way that they can be used together as one adventure, or each individually dropped into any adventure from EL4 to 7. The encounters vary the mimic's tactics significantly, such as by having them we a weapon rack that wields the weapon it holds, pretending to be animated furniture using its ability to speak, and pretending to be a floor covering a pit; none of them rely on the typical chest or door mimics. Pgs. 24-25
A Maze of Tragedy and Mystery. While investigating a mysteriously abandoned mansion, the adventurers stumble into a tangled web of kidnapping, theft and murder. From a mansion with a deadly secret to the blood-stained waves of the high seas and an ancient, cursed citadel, the adventurers face a succession of deadlier and deadlier foes, with the rescue of innocents and the recovery of fabulous treasure as their ultimate rewards. A Family Affair includes a fully-developed town setting, numerous unique NPCs and a wide range of challenging opponents.
Death Is in the Cards The remnants of the Ebon Fold are cutting a deadly path through the Falkovian countryside, draining travelers of their life force and leaving withered corpses in their wake. Hot on their trail you come across the sole survivor of one of these deadly attacks, a young vistani man with an extraordinary skill for fortune-telling. His tarokka deck helps close the gap between you and the assassins. Together you follow the trail through Darkon, the dark domain of the lich lord Azalin, to the city of Nartok. With an Unholy Alliance... Something very strange is happening in Nortok. The killers enter the Temple of the Eternal Order and don't come out. It seems that the state of religion of Darkon is giving succor to these assassins. To make matters more confusing, the Kargat, the domain's secret police, has put aside its feud with the Eternal Order and has a large contingent staying at the temple as well. These three organizations working together bodes ill for the residents of Nartok. ... And Schemes Within Infernal Schemes Great amounts of life energy are being collected for some foul purpose, although no one seems to know what exactly it is. The tarokka cards provide only mysterious glimpses of the future - a future in which a powerful evil sweeps the land and Death walks the world. Can you discover the truth of what is happening in the temple in time to avert the disaster predicted by the cards? Death Ascendant is a full-length adventure that can be run as a stand-alone scenario or as the second part in the Grim Harvest series. It contains a 64-page adventure booklet plus a full-color poster map detailing the Temple of the Eternal Order. TSR 9526
This is a trapped corridor which can be dropped into any castle, dungeon, ruin or underground adventure. It features full rules on how to scare the living be-jesus out of your adventurers and have sone great fun with them too. Get ready... as the 'Umber Eyes' is ready to receive you...
Long before the rise of Waterdeep... Biblius ruled the sword coast with an open hand full of love and knowledge, but even the purest of men can fall when they hear greed's sultry call. Explore Biblius' forgotten library and discover if his mystical history of the universe is more than just a tragic myth. 13 Monsters mutated by arcane radiation 21 Unique and powerful magic items 16 Ancient tomes filled with forgotten knowledge 4 Bizarre NPCs that have managed to make the library their home 11 Lost spells from a time before humanity 9 Full color maps A 4-10 hour adventure for 8th level characters.
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.
Ten years ago, the local hunting lodge was shuttered after a series of tragic accidents. Now, a local lord has hired the adventurers to investigate the site. The catch: a medusa has been running an exotic creature smuggling ring out of the abandoned lodge—and was involved with the past tragedy. Pgs. 147-155
Hubrimort is a small, respectable town whose only claim to fame is a local governmental position bestowed by five of the king’s chosen officials, known as the Cavaliers. The position is given to the head of one of four noble families once each decade. While competition for the mysterious position is always fierce, this year there are rumors of underhanded deals with criminals, rigged tournaments, and a nasty case of blackmail. Which of the ancient families deserves ten years of power and privilege? Only the Sixth Cavalier can help the five officials make the right choice!
A magic shop, The Travelling Salesman, has appeared in town just in time for the party's arrival. This shop specialises in being in the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment, for the right adventurers. Its wisteria-covered frontage adorns any old blank wall space, and immediately looks like it's been there for decades. Large paned windows are smeared with age-old dirt and hint at the vast array of interesting objects inside. The shop belongs to Yannik Willowbough, an exhausted-but-jovial halfling with a passion for helping others. At least, it belongs to Yannik now. It was once home to a lich, Verdenia Siskin, who has recently concocted the perfect way to exact her revenge. She just needs a party of adventurer's to turn to her point of view. This adventure contains: - A (hungry) planes-travelling magic shop and former home of a powerful lich. - A lich who takes particular delight in winding adventurers around her little finger to do her bidding. - A planar tear that threatens to pull the whole town (or more!) into the Shadowfell. - A spooky house of delights. - NPCs whose motives will be thoroughly questioned by the party. - A 3—10 hour adventure for a party of any level and composition - Depending on the outcome the party may also benefit from: - A planes-travelling base of operations - A recurrent NPC quest-giver and/or helper - A devious, and eternally patient, antagonist. - Four original hand-drawn maps to support combat and exploration, with seperate versions suitable for VTTs. - Advice for new DMs to run this adventure smoothly. - A separate accessible adventure pdf. This adventure was written as part of the Storytelling Collective's Write Your First Adventure workshop. Content warnings: Horror, gore
Sehvain Malual is renowned for his work in necromancy, using the dark art to destroy the undead pestilence polluting the world. However every warrior must hang his proverbial sword and retiring from adventuring life, the wizened elf settled down in a nearby town purchasing a small townhouse. Here, he would finally find the peace he so craved, or such he hoped before he found The Black Lexicon. What dark intent consumes Sehvain’s time is anyone’s guess, but only the PC can uncover the Legacy of Darkness.
Few are the wizards that seek to prolong their lives with dark rituals and foul magic to become the powerful undead beings called liches. But far fewer are those that seek to undo what necromancy what done and take back their lives after initiation to lichdom. Balipur is one of those few. Turned to a vassalich by the darklord Azalin against his will for impersonating him, Balipur, after Azalin's departure at the destruction of Il Aluk, seeks to imitate his former master's Grim Harvest project, inverted, in a smaller scale to forge a soul from the lives of other men.
Reeve Dunder Chorley has an offer you can’t refuse - perform at his village fete in exchange for a small fortune! Visit picturesque Brindlebury and dive into country life! Judge pumpkins, show off your skills, fight Elder gods… Smashing Pumpkins is a 5e Folk Horror adventure for a level 3-5 party. The adventure has five parts, four of which are set in a rural, sand-box locale. Total playing time is around 12 hours or 4 sessions, based on a party of 4 adventurers playing at Level 3. It can be played as a one-shot or part of a larger campaign. Included within the 80-page booklet: Over 12+ hours of gaming in an immersive sandbox environment full of interesting locales and encounters. Catchy narrative hooks, side-quests and minigames to draw your players in with hours of atmospheric play. 7 intricately detailed, full-colour maps (also included as jpegs for digital play) and over 15 interactive and eccentric NPCS. GRAB A CIDER AND JOIN THE REAP!
Long rumored to be haunted by eerie specters, Kincep Mansion has stood for years, mostly untouched by nearby townsfolk. Now something is preying on the local villagers—something that comes from the house. Pgs. 46-69
About: This encounter was cooked up in the Write your First Encounter workshop by the Storytelling Collective. It CAN be slid in as a side quest in any urban or sub-urban context, or be adapted to add confusion to any rescue mission you are presently running. Synopsis: Through the doorway a young woman shackled to the wall matching the description of Helena can be seen. Though disheveled and looking to be in great discomfort, her beauty is remarkable. But on closer inspection, there are other people here — three identical Helenas! Noble woman Elize Cleron has hired the party to infiltrate the catacombs under the Schaefer Estate and free her twin sister Helena. Helena is being held captive by the Schaefer family, trade rivals rumored to have ties to the underworld. Elize has been unable to free her sister herself because of her identical appearance. Rather than pay an unrealistic ransom, Elize has provided the party with what they need to break her out. This encounter is intended for 3rd level characters.