A community for lazy dungeon masters
317 adventures found
Cover of Gates of Neverdeath
Gates of Neverdeath
4th Edition
Level 1
14 pages
0

The task seems easy enough: accompany a mysterious traveler and her equally mysterious package from Waterdeep to Neverwinter. In the Jewel of the North, tasks are seldom easy, though. News travels fast and the Red Wizards of Thay have learned of the traveler and the object she carries. Now a Necromancer readies an ambush for the adventurers and their ward, intent on stealing the item for his own sinister purpose. A prelude to the Lost Crown of Neverwinter Encounters season and connected to the release of the Neverwinter Campaign Setting.

Cover of The Call of Atropus
The Call of Atropus
5th Edition
Levels 5–7
21 pages
0

As an ominous comet passes over Toril, a young researcher from Candlekeep goes missing. In darker corners of the Realms, eldritch horrors stir, answering the call of a dead god. Will the heroes be able to save the scholar before they succumb to an Elder Evil from beyond the reaches of sanity? This single session adventure is perfect if you are looking to introduce science-fiction themes into your game or just enjoy Lovecraftian horror. It has copious references to the Spelljammer setting and could be used as a springboard into that campaign setting. The Call of Atropus requires Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes to run effectively.

Cover of DDAL07-12 In Search of Secrets
DDAL07-12 In Search of Secrets
5th Edition
Levels 11–16
19 pages
0

The yuan-ti have a long, storied past in the history of Chult. So, if they are to be defeated, we must look back into history. Within the jungles, a number of cities fell into ruin during the Year of Blue Fire. Both the merchant princes and factions believe that if discovered, they likely contain knowledge that’ll prove invaluable in the battles to come. Get looking! A Four-Hour Adventure for 11th – 16th Level Characters

Cover of Fraternity of Ash
Fraternity of Ash
5th Edition
Levels 1–4
45 pages
0

The village of Strangelight is on the border of the fey lands, and so its eccentric inhabitants are well-accustomed to magical danger. But now, a fiendish warlock and her devils are terrorizing the village, and only a hardy band of heroes can stop them... The focus is on exploration and social interaction, but it features an epic boss battle! This adventure has been thoroughly playtested, requires minimal preparation to run, and can be easily used with any Fifth Edition campaign!

Cover of Dungeon Crawl Classics #87: Against the Atomic Overlord
Dungeon Crawl Classics #87: Against the Atomic Overlord
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Level 5
32 pages
0

For a thousand years Mezar-Kul has known only war, and now the Overlord reigns supreme. From his gargantuan metal fortress he rules the blasted remains of the planet’s last city. Hope seems lost – until visitors arrive from a distant world, bringing uncanny, magical powers. Your adventurers must pick a path through twisted ruins, ancient missile silos, strange monorail systems, and a conflict with four deadly factions to save a world – or destroy it! Note: This adventure does require that the party have some access to spell casting, whether through an item or class that requires a spell casting roll.

Cover of The Sorrows of Southsward Keep
The Sorrows of Southsward Keep
5th Edition
Levels 3–5
24 pages
0

A one-shot adventure of dark fantasy, tragedy, and horror... - 4-6 hour adventure for 3rd - 5th level characters. - 24 pages of an elegant, easy to read PDF. - 4 custom handouts that pair with the adventure. - 2 custom monsters. - 10+ trinkets and magic items for handing out to your players. - 6 gorgeous free battle maps that can be found here: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/434359/Map-Pack-01--The-Sorrows-of-Southsward-Keep

Cover of The City of Eyes
The City of Eyes
5th Edition
High Level
65 pages
0

Ducklings. It's not too late too close this page, and go and find an adventure about happy-go-lucky halflings, or emotionally stable young adventurers. This is not that story. You can still walk away, and find some other engagement that your players will forgive you for running. Open this little document, and you will be introduced to the wretched streets of Elysium. Home of aberrations, mystery and futile quests for meaning in the drowned streets of the tortured city. Escape is unlikely. Enjoyment fleeting. I implore you, turn away and don't look back. Mind flayers stalk streets plagued by invisible death. Curses bubble from ancient evils sleeping beneath the water. Questions lead to questions, which evolve into answers you will only regret asking for. Go whilst you still can. There is nothing here for you but death. Prologue: Welcome to Elysium Chapter One: The Crooked House Chapter Two: The Broken Prison Chapter Three: The Temple of the Gaunt Silhouette Chapter Four: The Grand Library Chapter Five: The Adamant Asylum Chapter Six: The Dancing Spider Chapter Seven: The Undercity An adventure for characters of level 15+ Contains: An introduction to Elysium, a Ravenloft domain filled with eldritch mystery and drowned secrets, including Life In Elysium, The Rule Unspoken and the Marks of Horror that set Elysium apart. Guidance on Madness in Elysium, with Elysian Madness tables for your horror/amusement. A list of Elysian locations, some of which will be expanded in later releases. Elysian random encounter tables, day & night. An Elysian Wild Magic table, miserable magic items and tragic trinkets. The first installment - The Crooked House, in which we meet the Duchess and her parade of dead husbands. The seconf installment - The Broken Prison, where the shadows of gods walk amongst men The third installment, The Temple of the Gaunt Silhouette, where broken fragments of reality are reached by strange avenues. The fourth installment, The Grand Library, where the things we wanted to forget prove impossible to truly banish. The fifth installment, The Adamant Asylum, where medicine and madness meet. The sixth installment, The Dancing Spider, in which there is no rest for the wicked. The seventh installment, The Undercity, where your worst suspicions are confirmed. Three new character backgrounds: the Eldritch Detective, the Information Broker and the Tempter of Fate. The long-suffering Elysian character race, with two subraces. The first One Page Woes collection, included here for your convenience, which contains thirteen reasons to be thoroughly miserable.

Cover of GK1 The Adventure Begins
GK1 The Adventure Begins
AD&D
Levels 1–3
17 pages
0

Adventure awaits both AD&D & 5E D&D players looking to take on the challenges of a Steampunk style setting! Using Gary Gygax's notes from the original AD&D DMG under 'Sixguns & Sorcery' and incorperating them into the setting, this introductory gazetteer and adventure will give players the opportunity to use the Nameless Realms (Roslof Keep & Taux) as the backdrop in a later age, The Gun Kingdoms. Secure a ship, find a crew, and take on the xenophobic and apocalypic setting as you try to deliver a spy back to the government she stole from. Will your players become part of the 'greater good' of the new world government, or will they become its opposition, striving to help the dying race of the Enlightened? Only time will tell. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.

Cover of Cloaked in Fear
Cloaked in Fear
AD&D
Levels 3–5
4 pages
0

Afraid of the dark? Don't be afraid of the dark - be afraid of what's in it! The town of Hargast has recently been plagued by a series of grisly murders. No one is safe. For the past two months, the remains of humans and animals have been found, their bones picked clean and left to dry in the mourning sunlight. Pgs. 62-65

Cover of Tides of Dread
Tides of Dread
3.5 Edition
Levels 9–11
32 pages
0

The colony of Farshore has survived on its own for years, a secluded and struggling hamlet perched on the western shore of the tiny island of Temute. An island dwarfed by the savage landscape across the narrow channel to the north, a landscape of rugged mountains, tangled jungles, and trackless swamps. This is the Isle of Dread, and its resources and hidden treasures are matched only by its peril. Yet for all these dangers, what may bring doom to Farshore is not an invasion of inhuman monsters from the mainland, but an invasion of all-too-human monsters from across the sea. "Tides of Dread" is the fifth chapter of the Savage Tides Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon magazine. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon magazine's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #352 of Dragon magazine features rumors of Farshore, a helpful list of improvements the PCs can make to the colony, and other features to help get PCs oriented in their new home on the Isle of Dread. The destruction of a pirate ship signals the beginning of a Crimson Fleet invasion. The PCs must race against time to prepare for the onslaught before an old enemy can release another savage tide. Pgs. 28-59 Also see Pgs. 60-71 Backdrop: Farshore City of Hope.

Cover of The Palace of Plenty
The Palace of Plenty
3.5 Edition
Levels 8–12
25 pages
0

The fair Yayosei were the children of an ancient tribe of benign river spirits, until they tried to preserve their paradise by trapping the power of the Void Dragon. Their home was indeed preserved, but at a terrible cost. Today, the descendants of the Yayosei have degenerated into beasts, but what remains trapped within the Palace of Plenty is much worse. An Oriental Adventures scenario for 10th-level characters.

Cover of Bloodtower On The Moorland
Bloodtower On The Moorland
4th Edition
Level 12
8 pages
0

The lost Bloodtower has returned, arising from its earthen grave to stand as a mute sentinel over the fog-shrouded moorland. In the weeks since it's return, local travelers have spoken of new undead roaming the countryside. Pgs. 80-87

Cover of Barrow of the Raging Storm
Barrow of the Raging Storm
OSR
Levels 1–3
3 pages
0

Your party approaches a barrow at the base of the mountain. A raging storm brews overhead, and as you approach, a bolt of lightning strikes down on the peak of the mound, lighting up the world all around you. A thunderclap momentarily deafens you, and as your eyes adjust to the resuming grey of the dark day, you see a flicker of firelight emerging from the two gaping holes built into the side of the hill. You’ve found the pirates camping within the Barrow of the Raging Storm. As I delivered it to my players, the premise of this Midnight Sun adventure is that some pirates have been attacking ships returning from raids. They have been stealing the loot and the corpses of any slain Nords. Among their victims, a ship from Valthis returns to tell them that the pirates sailed upriver (to hex 506), where I placed the Barrow in my Shadowdark RPG campaign. The adventurers started from there and explored the dungeon thoroughly. The adventure was created using the tools described in the Shadowdark RPG core rules. I created it in about 6 hours between 2024-03-08 and 2024-03-09 and ran it for my group on the 9th. It took about 2.25 hours to play to completion. The party consisted of two level 1 characters and one level 2 character. I had so much fun making and running this that I will continue creating more Midnight Sun Adventures, so stay tuned!

Cover of Hammon Eggs
Hammon Eggs
5th Edition
Level 7
58 pages
0

The tomb of the ancient barbarian prince Hammon has overlooked the village of Hammon's Creche for centuries. None have ever pierced its haunted portals, and the bones of all who have dared circle the hilltop surrounding the tomb. Yet rumours persist of fabulous treasure buried with the prince, including his legenedary axe, armour, and shield. But recently, miners who dug into the base of Hammon's Tor were never heard from again, and villagers whisper that the mines are now haunted by barbarian spirits. Could a new way have been found into the tomb? And what of the sightings of white-clad figures near the mine entrance? An adventure for four characters of 7th level. For 5th edition Dunegons and Dragons. This adventure features the 5th edition write ups of: blood amniote, caryatid column, crypt chanter, dread warrior, mohrg, the swordwraith template, the tombwarden template, and the umbral creature template. Additionally, the adventure includes a 5th edition version of three homebrew legacy magic items.

Cover of Pathfinder Society Scenario #28: Lyrics of Extinction
Pathfinder Society Scenario #28: Lyrics of Extinction
3.5 Edition
Levels 7–11
22 pages
0

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 7th to 11th level characters (Tiers: 7–8 and 10–11). The fabled ruined city of Dokeran, deep inside the heart of the Mwangi Expanse, has been found and it's your job as a Pathfinder to explore it and discover how it fell. After fighting through fiends, enslaved warriors, and the damned spirits of Dokeran's dead, you find that the ruined city has a dark secret—one you might not survive.

Cover of FA7 - North Sordack Valley
FA7 - North Sordack Valley
AD&D
Levels 4–7
29 pages
0

North Sordack Valley is set northeast of Commerstance and was originally slated for the Filbar Dual series but the players didn’t go in that direction. This area is filled with individual challenges synonymous with the Filbar Area series. This ‘sandbox’ style adventure has multiple different encounters can be used in a variety of ways. The general setting allows you to customize it for your own campaign! This adventure setting was designed for 1st/2nd Edition AD&D for the Filbar Dual Campaign for various level groups of adventurers. This adventure is easily adaptable to most any game and system. Save yourself some time and utilize it for several one shot adventures or a continuing campaign setting! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @FilbarRPG for extra information.

Cover of Pathfinder Adventure Path #45: Broken Moon (Carrion Crown 3 of 6)
Pathfinder Adventure Path #45: Broken Moon (Carrion Crown 3 of 6)
Pathfinder
Level 7
96 pages
0

Part 3 of the Carrion Crown Adventure Path takes the heroes to the infamous Shudderwood in Ustalav. They travel to Ascanor lodge, the only safe place in the woods, to find more information on the necromantic cult The Whispering Way and meet a colorful group of npcs that reside at the lodge. The werewolf packs that live in the woods are on the brink of war as their pack leader has disappeared and as the heroes get involved, strange things start happening within the lodge. Soon all three story lines will intertwine and the heroes are left to piece the puzzle together and follow the trail left by The Whispering Way. It's worth noting that this book does an excellent job at fleshing out the npcs (lodge residents and werewolves) both through stat blocks and background information including history and motivations. This book includes: - “Broken Moon,” a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 7th-level characters, by Tim Hitchcock - The secrets of the Whispering Way, a notorious cult sworn to the powers of death and undeath, revealed in blasphemous detail, by Adam Daigle - Insights into the savage lives of werewolves, wererats, and other lycanthropes, by Gareth Hanrahan - Laurel Cylphra comes face to face with an ancient mystery in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by F. Wesley Schneider - Seven exciting and deadly new monsters, by Tim Hitchcock, Rob McCreary, and Patrick Renie

Cover of FN1 - Trouble in Durwall Valley
FN1 - Trouble in Durwall Valley
AD&D
Levels 1–3
18 pages
0

For years the Count of Durwall Keep ruled over the land fairly and with justice. That ended during the Bloodrayne Conflict when the castle was felled by troops loyal to General Bloodrayne. In the many years that followed the triangular keep has fallen into a sordid state of disrepair. The keep used to hold mighty coffers of treasure for the Count and for the Emperor as well. A stronghold was built under the keep to secure said treasure and perhaps some treasure may still remain in the depths of its dungeons. Recently it’s been said that the Snaggletooth tribe of kobolds has seized the fortress and is using it as their home. It is also rumored that there may still be undiscovered treasure located in the dungeon of the keep. Faint echoes of the missing Orb of Ruler ship are still heard.

Cover of The Scepter Tower of Spellgard
The Scepter Tower of Spellgard
4th Edition
Levels 2–4
96 pages
0

Protect the Future! At the height of Netheril's power, the fortress of Spellgard held many great secrets of the Empire of Magic. Now, only ruins remain... and one last guardian, the near-mythical Lady Saharel, whose prophetic visions draw the desperate and the doomed from across Faerun. But a dark presence in one of Spellgard's intact towers wants to control the power of prophecy for itself and remake the future in its own image.

Cover of The Goblin Bathwater Incident
The Goblin Bathwater Incident
5th Edition
Level 1
54 pages
0

Synopsis: Goblin Bathwater, a magical drug, has taken hold in a sleepy coastal town at the edge of the Empire. As the characters investigate the origin of the drug, they uncover an international criminal conspiracy, wild and ancient magic, and a threat to reality itself. Contents: This beautifully made, 54-page adventure offers: A fully fleshed out, setting-agnostic starter area, brimming with colourful NPCs and hooks for adventure. Balanced encounters to bring characters to level 2; then some more devious encounters on their way to level 3. Three mini-dungeons built on the design philosophy of the "5 room dungeon method" Multiple big, cinematic set-piece boss encounters what will make your players feel epic. A facetted intrigue, which does not immediately suggest a simple, ready-made solution but invites the players to come up with their own, personal approach. Why pick this adventure? Hey, my name is Marius. This is my first time publishing on the DMs Guild but I wouldn't call myself a newcomer. I started playing Pathfinder 1e back in 2014. When I took over as our group's DM in 2019, we swapped over to 5e. We have run many, many modules and adventures since. Currently I play three games a week. In short: You could say I'm hooked. I created The Goblin Bathwater Incident as the ideal adventure for in-between your big modules, but it isn't a simple little adventure. With a playtime of about 30 hours, it still manages to hit that sweet-spot, where it establishes context, makes you grow fond of NPCs, and makes those big bossfight wins so much sweeter, all without taking more than a few sessions. The Goblin Bathwater Incident is different from many of the 1st tier adventures in that it pits the characters against traps and monsters, but also asks difficult, open-ended ethical questions, where a simple strategy of "apply sword to head of bad guy" will not cut it.