A community for lazy dungeon masters
351 adventures found
Cover of Lord of Gloomthrone
Lord of Gloomthrone
5th Edition
Level 12
27 pages
0

Agents of evil are attempting to complete a dark ritual in the icy depths of Gloomthrone Citadel, a ritual that would surely spell disaster for the kingdom if completed! Led by the priestess Z'ress Baenre, a coterie of drow have overtaken the abandoned tower and fortified it with their minions. It's a race against time for the PCs to make their way through Gloomthrone's defenses, and put an end to Z'ress and the foul magic she is using.

Cover of The Secret of Spiderhaunt
The Secret of Spiderhaunt
AD&D
Levels 1–4
32 pages
0

The infamous Sword of the Dales has always held a certain fascination in the eyes and hearts of the citizens of the Dalelands. Thus, it was no surprise when Randal Morn, rebel leader of Daggerdale, led an expedition into the crypt of a long-dead wizard to recover the weapon. Shaevyn the weapons-mage had created the Sword long ago, and it stood to reason that the blade would be waiting within his tomb. Perhaps the Sword of the Dales woulld allow Randal Morn to rule Daggerdale once again. But Randal Morn never returned from that fated party. Only tales of terror told by a lone survivor held any clues as to Randal's fate. A brave hand of heroes accomplished what Randal Morn's group failed to do in part one of this adventure trilogy, "The Sword of the Dales." Battling through the tomb's undead inhabitants, those heroes reached the burial crypt of Shraevyn. There, resting in the center of the coffin, was the Sword of the Dales, its azure glow filling the chamber. However, there was no sign of Randal Morn. Only a note signed by his hand held any clue as to his fate. "Seek me in Spiderhaunt," it proclaimed. "The fate of Daggerdale is in your hands." This is the second part of a trilogy of modules that began with "The Sword of the Dales." The saga concludes with "The Return of Randal Morn." TSR 9485

Cover of Villains & Lairs
Villains & Lairs
5th Edition
Levels 1–20
200 pages
0

Expand your game with this collection of 56 NPCs of various Challenge Ratings, thirteen of which include maps and details of their lairs. Add these NPCs as a side-quest, a main villain, a one-shot, a bounty for easy money, or however else you wish. Written by some of the best-selling authors on the Dungeon Masters Guild and outstanding podcasters, each NPC includes an image, a backstory, motives, flaws, and a stat block. Some even include new magic items!

Cover of KN4 - Excursion to the Delo Ruins
KN4 - Excursion to the Delo Ruins
5th Edition
Levels 4–7
25 pages
0

After beating back the forces of The Triad the party’s fame has spread. Jobs have come in droves but none seem to interest the group until a strange letter is delivered by a young courier. A historian named Nagel Littlestrom would like some bodyguards for a pending trip to a place called the Delo Ruins to the east. Certainly a few items can be located that would be of interest to the party…

Cover of Goblin Defense
Goblin Defense
5th Edition
Level 1
47 pages
0

Player characters attacking the lair of monsters that have been menacing the local village is a common D&D trope. This adventure turns the trope on its head. In Goblin Defense, the players create goblin PCs, and have to fight off repeated attacks by adventurers who are stronger and better equipped than they are. Starting at level 1 and running until level 7, this module encompasses 16 battles against unique and typically themed groups of adventurers built using player character classes and rules. The module is designed for 3 players, each of whom takes on an individual role within the tribe, granting unique bonuses or options for actions outside of combat. Goblin Defense can also be played with 4 players, but is not recommended for 5 or more players without substantial revision. The players aren't alone. Each commands a squad of goblin minions who can help in combat... but goblins are fragile, and adventurers hit hard. Life as a goblin is often brief and violent. Many will die, but as long as some survive, the tribe will carry on. A simple ruleset is provided for managing actions during the downtime between each attack. During this time, players can work to train their minions to use better gear, hunt for food for their tribe, recruit replacement warriors, brew potions, and - most importantly - improve their lair and its defenses by adding walls, traps, tunnels, doors, alarms, and anything else their creative minds can come up with. As the exact layout and placement of defensive features is critical, this is designed to be played on a grid. A PDF is included with the map scaled to print on 24"x36" (Arch D) size paper, available at most print shops. DMs may enjoy the chance to briefly try out many different character class and subclass combinations as they attack and eventually fall to the goblin pests they're trying to eliminate. Page count: Information for the DM only 6 Information for the players 4 Adventurer statblocks 37

Cover of The Artisan's Tomb
The Artisan's Tomb
AD&D
Levels 3–5
3 pages
0

Everything would be fine if the person you're trying to help wasn't already dead. The requirements of honor reach even beyond the grave. A spirit asks the party to help grant it passage to the afterlife. Pgs. 9-11

Cover of DDAL07-09 Unusual Opposition
DDAL07-09 Unusual Opposition
5th Edition
Levels 11–16
31 pages
0

The trail leading from the Fane of the Whispered Fang has grown cold, but you can still taste the machinations of the yuan-ti in Chult’s humid, stagnant air. Because of this, you must venture deeper still into the jungle and petition the aid of an unlikely ally—the fabled Ramshackle King. His assistance is crucial to the effort to save Chult! A Four-Hour Adventure for 11th-16th Level Characters.

Cover of The Spire of Long Shadows
The Spire of Long Shadows
3.5 Edition
Level 13
30 pages
0

Centuries ago, the priest-king Kyuss sacrificed his nation to fuel his lust for divinity. He left legions of the hungry dead in his wake, along with a ruined city that now hides the truth behind the coming apocalypse. A man became a god in this worm-eaten city, and the secrets hidden there may hold the key to his defeat. "The Spire of Long Shadows" is the seventh installment of the Age of Worms Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures, several "Backdrop" articles to help Dungeon masters run the series, and a handful of poster maps of key locations. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Worm Food" articles, a series that provides additional materials to help players survive this campaign. Issue #339 of Dragon presents a magical pool owned by Manzorian that can give the PCs just the edge they need to survive what awaits them in the "Spire of Long Shadows." Pgs. 59-89

Cover of The Laughing Horde of Ruin, Part 1
The Laughing Horde of Ruin, Part 1
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
97 pages
0

Chapter 1 - When a relative of someone close to the characters goes missing from a nearby village, the players are asked to investigate. The party has to recover stolen goods from a thief before setting out from the City of Ravens Bluff. They travel through the wilds of Vesperin in search of the missing person, finding trouble and helping locals along the way. Chapter 2 - As the journey continues, the party arrives in a small hamlet suffering from a strange blight. The players will need to investigate the situation and choose sides in a longstanding feud between the mayor and a local magic user. Chapter 3 - After clearing a tribe of violent orcs from a nearby mountain pass to protect the residents of a town, the party will have to enter the lair of a long-dead dragon to rescue their quarry from a band of goblinoid slavers, where they discover an entrance into a dwarven city, lost and forgotten centuries ago. Chapter 4 - The party will have to traverse the ruins of the dwarven city, avoiding hazards and battling the horrors that lurk there, to uncover the identity of the slaver's leader. A discovery that will lead them through a treacherous forest to the city of Tsurlagol in search of a pirate ship called the Star Carver, and its drow captain, The Viper's Kiss. Along the way, they meet an unlikely ally. Chapter 5 - Once they arrive in Tsurlagol, the players will have to choose between gaining the assistance of the city council to fight the pirates head on, or making a deal with the Viper's Kiss, herself. The path they choose will either lead to an epic battle on the Sea of Fallen Stars, or into the deadly sewers and tunnels beneath the city to face an enclave of wererats, undead, and a tribe of mad, kraken-worshipping kuo-toa, in search of a fabled relic. The Laughing Horde of Ruin, Part 1 is the first module of an original 5e adventure campaign. It is designed for character level 1-5, and uses material from the Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, and Volo's Guide.

Cover of DSM1 Black Flames
DSM1 Black Flames
AD&D
Levels 3–6
122 pages
0

A simple trip from Urik to Raam: What could be easier? But unexpected encounters and freakish sandstorms conspire to make this journey more dangerous than imagined. Lost and dying of thirst, your characters unwittingly involve themselves in a strange mission-the motivation behind which lies hidden. On the adventurers' trail are enraged dragons, desert fiends, and a curse that threatens to drive them mad-or make them one of the walking dead. Their only hope is to enter the ancient ruins of Yaramuke, site of a great battle between sorcerer-kings of ages past. Yaramuke?City of Black Waters. The very name curdles blood. Designed for four to six characters of 3rd to 6th level, Black Flames is set in and around the remains of Yaramuke and the cities of Urik and Raam. Let your Dark Sun game characters experience new adventure among the ancient ruins of Yaramuke! TSR 2417

Cover of Temple of the Basilisk Cult
Temple of the Basilisk Cult
5th Edition
Level 1
21 pages
0

Something sinister stirs in the jungle. When a vicious cult attacks an archaeological dig site, the players are the only ones who can stop the bloodbath! The party must enter the dangerous wilds and find the basilisk-worshippers' hidden temple – before they strike again. It includes: -Four brand new monsters -Dangerous jungles, crumbling temples, and terrifying traps! -A carefully crafted format to make running the adventure easy at a glance -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -Digital maps for use with virtual table tops

An Overwhelming Sense of Loss
OSR
Levels 1–3
39 pages
0

This is not a Pay-what-you-want product, it's a DO-what-you-want product. An Overwhelming Sense of Loss - Or, The Occasion Of a Visit Into The Underworld By Way of The Grand Entrance To The Ancient Dwarven Fortress of Thrumi`Zud: SOMETHING brought down the mighty civilization. The sages say it was desperate invaders from below, escaping something even more horrible. Whatever it was, Thrumi`Zud was quickly overwhelmed and sealed, forgotten except in the stories of the old. The vast riches of the fabled Dwarves must surely be hidden within its depths. Perhaps you will be the one to rediscover them. Perhaps there are secrets better left unearthed. Horror lies within. You have been warned. ZH-01 is an adventure module for a party of five 1st through 3rd level adventurers and their henchmen. It has been exactingly designed to fit within almost any campaign milieu and to make running your players through it easy, providing just enough detail to spark your and your player’s imaginations into a wildfire of creative - collaborative - world-building. As long as you respect the OGL license and the Public Domain rules where they apply and the Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license where it doesn't, do what you will with this module. The module is yours to play with, change, alter, remix, resell or whatever. Have fun with it, I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Cover of NQ19 - Venzor Trench
NQ19 - Venzor Trench
5th Edition
Level 9
17 pages
0

Venzor Trench is set for a group of characters hired to deliver a magical item between two warring countries. The sea voyage becomes tumultuous and the ship goes down. With the mission unfilled the players utilize the magic item to survive on the bottom of the sea floor and continue to trek their way towards completing their misson through the legendary Venzor Trench!

Cover of To Hell and Back Again
To Hell and Back Again
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
81 pages
0

To Hell and Back Again is the perfect adventure for new players and veterans looking to experience Dungeons & Dragons in a new way! It's written as a solo adventure, where choices have gigantic consequences, but it also provides balanced rules to play with a group or a Dungeon Master as well! This 80 page adventure features: - A heart-pounding origins story that fits perfectly as either a prequel to Descent Into Avernus, a stand-alone adventure, or into your ongoing fantasy campaign. - Beloved characters like Lulu the hollyphant, Mad Maggie and her redcap gang, the archdevil Zariel, and many others brand new to this adventure. - Infernal War Machines, and exciting encounters with unique stat blocks. - Innovative Destiny and Traits mechanics that make your choices really matter. - A ton of possible outcomes that will fuel your character's many adventures to come! - Four gorgeous sample characters, with interactive character sheets designed to be new-player friendly so that you can jump right into the story if you'd like. - A community survey when you finish so that you can see how your outcomes and choices compared to other players!

Cover of The Year of Priest's Defiance
The Year of Priest's Defiance
AD&D
Levels 3–5
9 pages
0

In a world where water is more precious than gold, you've found an oasis - but you cannot drink a drop! The adventurers, crossing the desert, encounter a sandstorm that uncovers part of an ancient ruin of an unknown type. Green grass, an unusual and astonishing sight on Athas, magically sprouts around the ancient structure. An irresistible treasure lies inside, a source of pure water... Pgs. 26-34

Cover of Dungeon Short- Old Bones
Dungeon Short- Old Bones
5th Edition
Levels 4–8
20 pages
0

In this small 20 page adventure module, centered around an archaeological dig, revisit Bull Creek and find out the secret behind what really lies in the hero Vertrixx Mazilaxx's sarcophagus. To do so, you'll have to meet up with master archaeologist Geranimus to delve deep into the ground. On the surface, politics boil and tensions between species are high. Below, secrets are to be uncovered. Can your party find the truth? Find out in Old Bones. Old Bones- a 5e SRD adventure for levels 4, 6 and 8. In James Grammaticus' Dungeon Short series, James explores fantasy worlds and settings in short bite-sized one or two shot adventures that be used on their own, can spring off into a larger campaign, or can be used as a side-adventure in a campaign.

Cover of Orc Blade & Elven Blood
Orc Blade & Elven Blood
5th Edition
Levels 8–11
24 pages
0

A monastic community of elves and orcs worshipping a divine daughter of both Corellon and Gruumsh tried to bring peace and reconciliation between the two races. For their trouble, they were wiped out by zealots and erased from history. Centuries later, their mountaintop temple is rediscovered -- and rumor has it that two artifacts hearkening back to the very origin of elvenkind and orcdom are concealed within....

Cover of The Forgotten Forge
The Forgotten Forge
3.5 Edition
Level 1
11 pages
0

Designed as an Introduction to the world of Eberron and is intended for a party of four 1st-level characters. This adventure takes place in Sharn, the city of Towers. It begins, as many incidents in the City of Towers do, with a corpse. A warforged assassin, a mysterious blank book, and an offer from a House Cannith heir leads the adventures into the depths of Sharn--eventually to an ancient ruin dating back to before the creation of the Kingdom of Galifar. Along the way, if the adventures are successful, they recover a lost schema--a part of a pattern used by artificers to craft magic items. They also learn that many different agencies are interested in this relic, including those loyal to the various House Cannith elders and agents of the infamous Lord of Blades. Pgs. 307 - 317

Cover of Here There Be Monsters
Here There Be Monsters
3.5 Edition
Levels 7–9
29 pages
1

A long, perilous ocean journey behind them, the crew of the Sea Wyvern finds itself shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread. Their destination lies well over 150 miles to the south, miles heavy with the threat of the island's terrible inhabitants. Yet the unknown enemies are far more sinister, for more than just dinosaurs hunt the vast jungles. Before long, a cunning fiend picks up their trail, and its duplicitous master demands their sacrifice. "Here There Be Monsters" is the fourth chapter of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #352 of Dragon explores the Isle of Dread in detail, providing a complete ecology of the island and the writing of Larissa Vanderboren. This article can be used as a player handout to represent the journals the group recovered from the Vanderboren family vault in the first adventure in the Campaign. Shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread! Faced with a dangerous journey, the PCs must escort a ragged band of castaways through monster-infested wildlands in order to reach the safety promised by the colony of Farshore on the isle’s southern tip. Pgs. 32-60

Cover of The Ruins of Nehk'Talosh
The Ruins of Nehk'Talosh
5th Edition
Levels 4–6
4 pages
0

Off in the wilderness are the ruins of a temple that once belonged to the God of Balance, Tyr. It has long been abandoned by the traditional followers, but it is certainly not empty. A few clever individuals have found a way to harness the magics that still reside deep within this holy place and are attempting to use it to give life to an Iron Golem. The party must stop them at all costs or have a powerful monstrosity released into the hands of some terrible individuals.