All ocean voyages are fraught with peril, yet a voyage to the infamous Isle of Dread might seem to some old salts to be a deliberate goading of the gods of the sea. Many of those who have attempted the voyage before managed to return to civilization often choose not to speak of the trials they experienced on that dangerous route, yet those whose lips can be loosened by a draught of grog whisper amazing stories... tales of pirates, sea monsters, terrifying storms, and perhaps most harrowing of all, of a strange and sinister land without land, a floating graveyard of dead ships mired in a sargasso the size of an island. This place has many names, but its most well-known may be it's most apt - Journey's End. "The Sea Wyvern's Wake" is the third chapter of the Savage Tide 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 #350 of Dragon magazine features a regional guide to the seafaring environs the PCs can expect on the journey to the Isle of Dread. It’s time to bid farewell to the city of Sasserine as the PCs board the Sea Wyvern for a 3,000-mile voyage south into the uncharted waters of the Vohoun Ocean. Their destination: the Isle of Dread. Pgs. 16-48
It's a horrible time to have a curse! Each wielding a powerful item to a family legacy, your players are a group of young adventurers who barely survive an attack on their order of vampire-hunters by agents of Dracula. After escaping, they discover Dracula has placed a curse upon the land which makes restful sleep difficult outside of hallowed areas. Dracula, "alive" on another plane but dead on this one, must be resurrected so they can kill him, end the curse, and avenge their dead. To accomplish this goal, the player characters must journey through forest, marsh, hill, and underground paths to retrieve relics of Dracula's last life from keeps and fortresses overrun by monsters and the undead. If they can resurrect him, he will be weak and easy to kill... but the adventurers aren't the only ones who want Dracula on the Material Plane, and Dracula is not the only vampire in the world. Gameplay overview This adventure takes the players from 2nd through 9th or 10th level on a milestone basis as they choose where to travel in what order to retrieve what they need. Starting at a happy gathering at the Belmonte Order, which the characters are hereditary members of, the campaign kicks off with a bang as the group retrieves their chosen legacy items, salvages what other gear they can in a race against time and a growing number of foes, and then escapes to begin their quest. In addition to the six main "dungeons," there are two optional regional lairs, traveling vampires, and many foes along the way. Most of the towns in the area have managed to survive, providing points of light at which the party may stop, long rest safely, acquire supplies, and socialize. Travel is hazardous! 5e classes are balanced for resource management across a 5-8 encounter adventuring day. The campaign is designed to have a semi-variable flow of encounters as the party traels around the area. Encounters grow progressively more difficult as time passes and the party spends more time within a region. These are not random encounters rolled on a table, but encounters designed to be unique to each area's geography, combat terrain, and mix of foes. As the party spends more time in a region or revisits it, the encounter difficulty increases. Dracula's curse requires a Constitution saving throw to successfully long rest outside of Hallowed areas (towns). The difficulty scales up over time, forcing the party to balance speed and safety as they try to accomplish their goals without pushing beyond the limits of what they can handle. The game concept, general map layout, and some enemy distributions are loosely inspired by Castlevania II for the NES, one of the forerunners of the "Metroidvania" genre. Dracula's Curse is indeed a game in which the forests are dark and full of monsters, and every night is a horrible one to have a curse. Includes 15 Legacy items, from weapons like whips and swords to a shield, a belt, or a decanter of holy water 60+ enemy statblocks 8 unique dungeons with unique layouts & challenges 5 inhabited towns with multiple named NPCs 100+ travel encounters (expect to use 30-50%) The module is printer-friendly with no artwork and straightforward grid maps for location-based encounters which require one.
Short free/pwyw adventure for Shadowdark RPG or similar roleplaying games. Months ago the snow elf princess Ysren was pressured by her mother to begin accepting suitors. To thwart them, she vowed her suitors that anyone who brought her a piece of the moon would have her hand in marriage. The sorcerer-prince Sandor of Excelsis took up the challenge & began building an ambitious spiraling tower atop the highest nearby peak. Once it was high enough, he would begin a ritual that would open a portal from the top of the tower to the moon. One cold day all communication with the tower seized & the “Spiral Prince” has not been heard from ever since. King Galian has sent men in search of his lost prince, but none have succeeded in besting the frigid mountains. He offers a hefty bounty for the return of his son. Will you brave the rime-covered cliffs of Mt. Excelsis to save the prince... or perhaps scour his tower for arcane knowledge & regal wealth?
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!
“Siege of Bordrin’s Watch” is the sequel to “Rescue at Rivenroar,” continuing the unfolding story of the Scales of War campaign. This adventure features exploration, roleplaying opportunities, and combats in dynamic environments. In this adventure, a new threat looms to the west: A vast horde of orcs and their despicable kin emerge from the barren lands bent on plunder and conquest. While the Elsir Vale and other lands mobilize their meager forces to respond to the danger, a call has gone out to those heroes of the Vale to join forces and help to push back this new evil before it’s too late. Pgs. 4-55
Steal gifts! Fight Reindeer! Save the holidays! Take on the dreaded devil Belsnickel and save the snowy gnomish town of Cheerington from his grasp in this fun-filled adventure for one-on-one parties or small groups level 4-5. Inside you'll find: -A one-shot adventure involving roleplay, exploration, and combat! -4 new festive creatures! -2 maps ready for print or import! -6 exciting new magical items to gift to your players! This adventure also has lots of fun mechanics like mistletoe and corrupting coal! We put together some of our favorite wintery stories and holiday tales in this fun holiday one-shot! It's perfect for a side narrative to try out one-on-one play for the first time, introducing someone new to the game, or taking your party to a festive demiplane for a unique Christmas-y one-shot adventure.
You have no friends here What can you do when the Mists deposit you in the city of Lekar? The militia is no better than a gang of sadistic bullies, the citizens are more contagious than a fleet of plague ships, and every foot of public space is covered with corpses of criminals who committed no crime greater than struggling to survive in the oppressive domain of Falkovnia. Danger haunts your every move A secret society of assassins, known only as the Ebon Fold, has been hunting down visitors to Lekar and killing them in a most grisly fashion; all that remains of the victims are desiccated husks that crumble to ash when touched... and you are their next targets. There is no escape When everyone who has befriended you is either dead or hunted by the authorities, you have no choice but to fight back. But the Ebon Fold is a numberless horde whose leader holds sway over death. How can you defeat enemies that won't stay in the grave? They strike from the depths of darkness and steal your life... one dagger stroke at a time. This 64-page adventure can be played independently, or as the opening challenge in the Grim Harvest series that continues with Death Ascendant and concludes with Requiem. Inside the package is a poster map that fully details asll 10 levels of the chilling complex known as the Well of Bones. TSR 9523
Crops wilt, leaves wither on the trees, and animals must leave the once-fertile Downs valley or die. All who dwell there must abandon their homes or perish-- unless your party can lift the curse TSR 9084
Far above the village of Barovia sits Castle Ravenloft, the home and fortress of vampire lord Strahd Von Zarovich. Legends claim that Strahd flies with the bats and runs with the wolves to terrorize the countryside. Ancient tales also tell of dungeons and catacombs deep under the castle. Other stories recall the great halls, treasures, and glory of Ravenloft in centuries past. "House of Strahd" is a revision of the classic gothic horror tale I6: Ravenloft, one of the most popular adventures ever produced for the AD&D game. This version is updated for the AD&D 2nd Edition rules, and those from the Ravenloft campaign set. Count Strahd is now more powerful, and his castle is even more terrifying! TSR 9418
Rumor has reached your ears that the legendary Amulet of Rafael is in this region. Further investigation has revealed that a reclusive nobleman in the north called Xantus is currently in possession of the item. While details are sketchy about the item, it is well known that quite powerful in the hands of a mage. You decide that you will go north and locate the “Ice Lord” and see if he is willing to part with the item.
While travelling the open road, the party encounters two good-hearted thieves with a potentially lucrative proposition: The despotic baroness Ytrix hoards a large treasure nearby, locked within her army’s fort. Wouldn’t it be exactly what she deserves to have that treasure stolen and given to the needy that she’s so long ignored and oppressed? That’s what the party’s new companions think anyway, and they certainly have no ulterior motive for the job... The treasure is protected by high walls, a legion of soldiers, a fanatical wizard, and plenty of other surprises to keep would-be thieves on their toes. The party will choose how to approach the fort, case the joint, make their plan, and execute their heist. When they're done—and if they're successful—they'll leave with a small fortune and even a few unique magic items. A 6-8 hour adventure for 3rd or 4th level characters.
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
The tournament of the bloody stones has come to Taux, and the streets are said to run red with the blood of the combatants. Now, amid the crackdowns of the Sturgeons and the secret duels of the three great fencing schools, the heroes must once and for all solve the mystery of the House Vash blood feud. Taking on the guise of foreign swashbucklers, all must brave bloody single combat, pirates, ravenous cursed lowl, and evne magical reverberations from distant Roslof Keep! Complete the Adventures of the Emperald Serpent trilogy with this module. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules. Also available in PDF.
Driven mad by the darkness of winter, the Prioress of the Red Abbey begins her work. After months of research and work in her lab, she found a way to summon beings of light to push back the darkness, if she could control their destructive natures. The characters find themselves investigating odd deaths, chasing weird weather phenomena and trying to help locals harmed by these creatures of light.
The king summons the heroes to investigate the death of a knight, and the final fate of the king's long-missing son. The knight and his entire order was killed by a Dragon! Yay we get to fight a dragon in the first issue of Dungeon Magazine! Much travel over many different terrain types featuring avalanches, volcanoes spewing lava, and many random encounters (not detailed here) before the heroes reach their real goal: A lake with a ruined wizard's tower and dragon's cave. Opens with a particularly byzantine Background section for the DM involving a prince you never meet, pirates you never meet, knights you never meet, and deep gnomes you never meet. See Out of the Ashes in Dungeon #17 for sequel to this adventure. Pgs. 42-60
Bringing Diablo II to the tabletop. The legendary Diablo and Diablo II computer games come to life with the release of the tabletop Diablo II: To Hell & Back roleplaying adventure. All a player needs is the Dungeons & Dragons(r) Player's Handbook (0786915501-8/00) to accompany the Diablo II game. Every level and all 4 acts of the computer game are represented in the tabletop mega-adventure, which will also include 64 pages of monsters, information for levels 1-30, and over 60 maps!
This book goes over the various rules around the faction of the Harpers in Phandalin and the Forgotten Realms, making it easy for any new or veteran DMs to integrate it more into the core stories being told, and making the faction feel more useful for the players that choose to join. The adventure sees the characters on a mission to Iniarv's Tower, sent to search for the artifact, Bowgentle's Spellbook, and rescue the fellow Harper member, Brodven.
In Mulcrow, food - not music - soothes the savage beast. The adventure begins in the town of Griffondale whre the PCs encounter Jelmark, an emissary of the Duke of Mulcrow. Jelmark hires the party to help the witch Rudwilla prepare a special stew for a cantankerous bugbear chief who lives in the Rockforge Mountains. Bruggh the bugbear demans the stew once a year on his birthday.-- from the adventure. Pgs. 34-48
The Approaching Swarm is a short adventure for four 9th-level characters. The party can consist of any mix of classes, but it should include at least one character that is good in wilderness settings, such as a druid, ranger, or barbarian, and at least one cleric. This scenario should prove a reasonable challenge for characters from 8th to 10th level. The adventure takes place in a swampland that is near a small settlement. The characters attempted to cross back through the swamp to their base of operations. Along the way, they may have got stuck in mud and probably were attacked by a variety of flying insects. They arrive just a bit too late to stop a massacre that occurred back at Crivdall -- the fort is ruined and it appears that almost everyone is dead or missing. Aleretheral, an insane half-orc druid who has mastery of vermin and insects, attacked Crivdall with his insects. He has often infiltrated Crivdall by posing as a harmless elf hermit who lives in the wood. In reality, he wants the settlers destroyed and out of his swamp.
𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 Wherein our adventurers seek out the Topaz of Earthly Perfection, reputed to be held within an extraplanar mountainside genie retreat. 𝐀 𝐃&𝐃 𝟓𝐄 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒-𝟕 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡-𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥. 𝟑𝟔 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.