A vibrant circus has just arrived, setting up on the edge of town. Run by the charismatic half-elf ringmaster, Marlow, the performers bring with them dazzling displays of magic and talent, artifacts with incredible powers to behold, and strange creatures most people would never get the chance to see close up. Behind all of the joy and revelry, the circus holds a dark secret, for Marlow keeps tyrannical control over his performers with both whip and word. As this latest performance reaches its height, two acrobats decide to take their chance at freedom, making use of a distraction to steal something valuable from Marlow and make their escape. Marlow will do anything to get the two back under his power, and so turns his significant charms upon a hapless band of adventurers attending his circus.
Lost Among the Crystals is a companion adventure made to go along with the vents unfolding in Folio #15 (WS2 The Forgotten Plateau). It contains the information needed to run a side adventure that will help the characters in their exploration of the Sacred Plateau. The mighty crystal fields of the Sacred Plateau have become a confusing maze amid the now rising vapors of necrotic energy that masks the midlands. Even the keen senses of 'Numphy', the party Triceratops beast of burden, have become dulled. Can the players navigate the crystal maze and find their true goal on the far side? This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.
With several adventures under your belts your party arrives at the small settlement of Goshen seeking a warm bed and full bellies. As you begin to satisfy both you hear rumors of some overdue mining Dwarves. These miners have been quite consistent about coming to town to move their gemstones to market and with recent sightings of humanoids the townspeople are concerned. Is your party ready for a well-being check?
Tortles of the Purple Sage - Part 2 completes a D&D Expert Set wilderness adventure which began in DUNGEON issue #6. Through the gate stones, into the unknown. This adventure takes place in the Known World of the D&D game, as outlined throughout the D&D game rule books and modules. The DM may find it useful to consult the Companion and Masters Sets, as well as most of the X-series of Expert Set modules. The DM may find it useful to consult the Companion and Masters sets, as well as most of the X-series of Expert Set modules. Expert Set module X9, The Savage Coast, would be especially helpful, as Tortles of the Purple Sage should easily serve to continue that module's direction and plot line, adding previously undescribed areas to the Known World. The DM may also place the areas and events of this adventure within an existing campaign setting, as long as the geographical areas of the campaign match those set forth here. Pgs. 8-25
East of the great city of Filbar is the Village of Xer. This large village is the gateway to the Eastern lands and the humanoid tribes. Xer was originally the army base for the Bloodrayne Conflict of 715. After the battle the wounded returned to the serene woods and some remained after that. Since then it has been a comfortable caravan stop for many weary travelers.
After the last adventure you are now on a quest to find a warm bed and good food. Passing travelers have pointed out that you are quite close to the Thorp of Marstan, a small settlement in the area under the control of the Earl of Sakov. His troops are well known for their horsemanship skills and after all your walking perhaps you may find proper mounts! What the party will find is a community fearful from recent humanoid attacks but with the passing of a guard unit they have hope….except the guard unit hasn’t been heard from since.
NQ2 - Oversight Pass picks up where Meteor Mystery left off. The citizens have honored the party with a banquet when a group of Worgs crashes the party. The simple people have requested your party to investigate to see if more problems will be forthcoming. A hero's life is always busy...
At last year's CafCon we put together this little gem. After locating strange golden scrolls on your previous adventure, you have gotten word that the sage has been able to transcribe them. Much to your amazement, you learn that the sheets lead you to the lost scriptorium! What magic & spells will you discover within the ancient temple of learning?
The rich merchant Quintus Felerius has not slept in a week. He is paranoid of vengeful nightmare wraiths that seek to kill him in his sleep. Exhausted and delirious from his lack of sleep he hires experienced adventurers to stand guard in his bedroom while he sleeps. Little do they know that the curse upon Quintus is about to sweep them into the Nighmare Zone of the vengeful Ikari... Nightmare Zone of the Ikari is a Shadowdark RPG adventure designed for 7th level characters that takes them inside the mind of their troubled patron after he and his previous mercenaries were cursed by a vengeful Oneiromancer. Explore his troubled past and see if you can keep him from panicking and taking all of your minds with him. The adventure is designed as a oneshot, but can be incorporated into an ongoing campaign pretty easily since it takes place in another dimension.
This is the first of the three adventures that comprise the Bleak House campaign. It brings the heroes into Ravenloft (if they aren't there already), introduces them to Rudolph van Richten, and starts them on the long trail that eventually brings them to the door of the manor knows as Bleak House Included in Bleak House: The Death of Rudolph van Richten TSR 1141
Some monsters don't have any class. The quest for knowledge can be as dangerous as any other. The heroes investigate a library after one of the locals claims to have seen a librarian be attacked by a tentacled creature. In reality, a group of orcs found a secret entrance into the library and the "tentacle" is merely the whip that the leader wields. The party must make their way through a labyrinth hidden underneath the library and rescue the hostages. Pgs. 4-9
After checking local pawn shops and the library you have discovered information on an old Adurite noblewoman who possessed a magical mask. The woman had suffered a facial injury and commissioned a magical face shield to hide her wound. Having never heard of the item you believe it is probably in the ruins near Ugus Horrus where she lived. With no other leads at the moment you gear up and decide to embark on the search for this item!
Beat your swords into plowshares. "Blood on the Plow" is an "interlude" adventure for a small party. It can be inserted into virtually any campaign world where agriculture is a common way of peasant life, at any time during the late summer months. A small side track adventure for adventures in the country side. A string of accidents have prevented a poor farming couple from harvesting their wheat crop. A party of adventurers could help bring in the crop with a week of hard labour. By the time they finish they'll discover the previous accidents were more than just bad luck. Pgs. 32-33 & 59
Finding missing people is a job any adventurers for hire get used to. But when the missing person turns out to be the recently deceased wife of a prominent merchant's son, and when there is the small matter of a major jewelry theft to deal with as well, then you've got an adventure that is nothing other than normal.... Find the Lady is an adventure for the D&D and AD&D game systems. It is designed for a party of 1st - 3rd level characters, with secondary skills generated according to the article in this issue. This scenario was not designed with any set number of characters or mix of professions and levels in mind, and could equally well be run as a group or solo adventure. It can be played as a one-off adventure or as part of the Pelinore or Zhalindor campaigns, and notes are included on placing the adventure in either world. GM2 Find the Lady Pgs. 15-46
An original Valentine's Day-themed one-shot adventure designed for level 4-5 characters. SUMMARY The city of St. Valentine is home to Dante's Casa di Dolci, a world-renowned bakery — and tucked within the bakery is the entrance to a secret labyrinth, created by a mischievous, merciless god. Every February, an unsuspecting resident from St. Valentine is pulled into the maze. Some return after years spent in the labyrinth, but most do not. When Dante's beloved wife, Simonetta, is pulled into the labyrinth, he must enlist the help of adventurers to get her back. The journey that follows is one of strange doors, riddles, and dangerous creatures that lurk among the hedges... DETAILS 2-4 hour session for 3-6 players Play-tested material Original NPCs and locations Diagrams and NPC stats 19-page campaign guide Enjoy the adventure? Share your experiences with me! Hashtag: #LabyrinthOfThorns
Famed hedonist Horatio Humbert, likewise possessed by an avarice for novelty, has offered a great bounty for any party-goers capable of convincing the moon elves to attend his next birthday. From his pleasure barge to the moon, this 4th level adventure mixes extended social and roleplay opportunities with a high-stakes, low-gravity boss fight your players will never forget! Long ago, in the golden age of the elves, a collection of master mages and elven demigods decided to leave our world to create a utopia of undying revelry, bacchanalia, and hedonism. By the grace of the divines and the strength of their magic, they ascended to the moon. Yet the pleasure-seeking life, even free of time and death, is driven by desperate hungers, novelty chief among them. To combat their eternal ennui, the moon elves have taken to the lowest form of carousing: destination party tourism.
This scenario was presented to Gryphcon's 30th anniversary last year. The party finds themselves coming to the Triland on their way to Taco Del Toro. This island chain is unique in that it has a land mass made of clouds, hovering over the island. Upon landing, your group discovers that the governor's child has been abducted by a Cloud Giantess. Time for your hero hats...
The Dread tunnels of Ruxbar were created by a cult of a lesser evil deity of the giant pantheon, known as Jargain to serve as a planar gate in hope of bringing chaos and destruction to the natural order of the world and power to the one who would control the gate. Ruxabar was the high cultist who completed the ritual but to his surprise nothing of what he expected came through the gate. Plague creatures, toxic gases and vapors, diseases of all kinds and decay lay quick waste to him and his cult. For some time the gate remained open and the settlements nearby were afflicted with diseases never seen before. The nearby town of Stagwood was quickly abandoned due to the plague. Rumor has it that the gods have weakened the gate and the cult has been destroyed. The remaining villages that managed to somewhat resist the plague are now hiring brave adventurers to venture into the tunnels and close the planar gate for good! Are you capable enough of surviving the horrors that reside in the Dreaded Tunnels of Ruxabar? Published by Mistfactor Press
Prison of the Hated Pretender is an introductory adventure for 4-6 characters levels 0-1. Originally published on the Dungeon of Signs blog, it is a short drop-in location-based adventure with a couple of interesting puzzles, a lack of "book" monsters, implacable foes with an obvious weakness, and a very weird roleplaying opportunity. The new 2020 edition republished by Hydra Collective adds suggested guidance for new Dungeonmasters who grew up with 5th edition and don't know how old-school works. Stats for both BECMI and 5th edition, and setting neutral (though there are some implied things about the history of the world).
The land of Felora is a stable pedocracy off the Feso Seaway. Generally considered a safe place to live because of a low humanoid population and a large defensive wall that rings the country. The same cannot be said for the area to the west known as the Wildlands. Once a thriving human land the area was taken over in humanoid raids a century and a half ago. With the aggressions against the wall lessening the Council of Wisdom is organizing groups to go in and explore the land for possible "taming". Potential explorers will be paired off with non-combatant survey teams. Are you new adventurers ready for a job? Played at Epic Nerd Camp '17!