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!

Indomitable it stood for centuries, a symbol of order in a world of chaos. Bastion of the pass through the Kamph Mountains, the very stones of the Keep of Adlerweg were the stuff of legends. What evil power had strength enough to take it? How were its defenses swept aside? Fell creatures now attend the battlements that overlook the only pass between Berghof and the sea. This is not a pretty problem to be solved by the militia of the local villages. These and more may be needed to withstand the mayhem stirred up by the fall of the keep. Indeed, if the Keep is not retaken, and retaken soon, the Hold of the Sea Princes itself may not be secure. Now is the time for heroic action. Aided by the Sentinel, former protector of the legendary Guardians of Adlerweg, have you the courage and the determination to rid the keep of its sinister occupants? UK3: "The Gauntlet" (1984), by Graeme Morris, is the third UK-series adventure and the second half of the two-part Adlerweg series. It was run as the final round of the GamesFair 1983 AD&D Open (and won by a RuneQuest fan!). It was then published in 1984. TSR 9111

For months, the dreams of the people of Emystrell have become dark and terrible. It seems their nightmares have come to life as in recent weeks, people have mysteriously gone missing, vanishing in the night without a trace! Everyone is too paralyzed by their own despair to do anything or venture far from the safety of their homes. Emystrell is on the brink of collapse. The baron is offering a handsome reward to anyone who can show proof of the end of whatever evil curse that has taken hold of their town. This adventure is designed for a party of 3-5 heroic characters from the 2nd to 3rd level. It has elements of mystery and investigation in the first section which can be detailed and highly involved for groups that enjoy the process of searching for clues and solving mysteries or just as easily glossed over for groups that are more tactics focused. The second section of the adventure features the dungeon: a labyrinthine complex of an ancient elven crypt which the thieves guild has used as a base of operations for a decade...until the serpent worshipping cult arrived. The third section of this book is the detailed map and notes on the town and surrounding area of Emystrell. Roleplaying notes are kept light to allow for room for your own interpretations and details to NPCs remain as free to do with as you choose unless I felt inspired and hoped to give you a cool idea. This adventure has hooks for Dungeon Masters interested in a larger campaign involving the sinister plots of the Yuan-Ti (snake people) as well as other interesting adventure hooks (such as the giants in the nearby mountains or the stolen gem: The Eye of the Dragon). These plot points are intentionally left vague for you to fill in the gaps based on what your players seem interested in. You are invited to use this as a launch point adventure to lead your heroes on a larger adventure that might someday set them against an Anathema Serpent demigod, or it may simply be the adventure that begins their journeys and the evil of Yargoth stops here at Emystrell. If your campaign is set in a pre-published setting, this town of Emystrell can be replaced or fit into any campaign with a few tweaks to local gods and names. If you are playing in Dragonlance, you could replace Yargoth the Dread Serpent with Tiamat, or Dendar in Fearun. The local goddess, Tyr, could be the Tyr from the Forgotten Realms or even Norse myth if that is your campaign setting.

Built high on cliffs overlooking the confluence of two rivers, Gurthap Keep was a bastion of strength and a haven for the Cult of the Red God. Here, priests of old sacrificed over the tomb of long dead Kha M Thir, honoring him for his long service to the Red God. They added bastions to the keep, walls, a temple and barracks. From there they terrorized the surrounding country, raiding the villages of Alice, Greenbriar and Ends Meet until at last the rangers gathered against the Cult and overthrew it. They drove them from their walls and those they did not slay, fled into the Darkenfold to the south. The castle has sat thus ever since, a grim testament to the gods of the old world. The forest has consumed it and only the memories of men keep it alive. But within its abandoned walls lie the shadows of yesteryear. For the tomb of Kah M Thir was never found and the secrets of the priests of the Red God never fully revealed.

Gang War! is a companion adventure made to go along with the events unfolding in Folio #9 (DF2 The Lost Apprentice). It contains the information needed to run a side advenute during the events of The Hidden Valoria Campaign. Yep, you've stepped in it now! Cross blades with several of the gangs of the Patina to help avoid an all-out war that is likely to set the neighborhood ablaze! Once again the players are pressed into service to help keep the peace in the Patina when a rumor of a murder and deciet will pit on gang against another, their tenuous alliances threatening to pull other gnags into the mess as well. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.

"The adventure begins with the PCs lost in the streets of Sigil's Lower Ward." --from the module. The PCs are approached by a tiefling telling them about a job. The tiefling's employer wants the heroes to search for a child who is rumored to be some sort of chosen one from an ancient prophecy. Includes a map of Durkayle's Stronghold, a map of the Black Sail Tavern, a map of the Screaming Tower, and an isometric map of Zactar Cathedral.

This adventure can be used in any setting that features landowning nobility as a social class. It focuses on the Firebird, a mythical creature from Slavic folklore similar to the phoenix. The characters begin inside a tailor’s shop where they’ve been gathered by Pero Toporov, the best tailor in the city of Krylo. The city is ruled by the confident and insensitive Baron Yuri, who commissioned Pero to create a beautiful cloak woven with the feathers of the Firebird, a creature known for its healing powers. Pero agreed on the condition that their work would be used to aid Yuri's citizens, who have been sick and ailing under Yuri's restrictive rule. Instead, the Baron took the cloak for himself. Pero is hiring the adventurers to help them break into the Baron’s fortress and steal the cloak back without being caught. The characters find a way inside the fortress and break into the dungeon, where the cloak is supposedly hidden away. Within the dungeon, the party finds the Firebird itself locked in a golden cage where Baron Yuri—wearing the magic cloak—is antagonizing it. Baron Yuri attacks them to protect his treasure and is not open to negotiation. However, the characters may try to befriend or capture the Firebird. If they sway the bird to their side it may help them fight the Baron. Once Baron Yuri is defeated, the characters can take the cloak for themselves or return it to Pero. Dethroning the Baron earns them the gratitude of the city’s people. If they return the cloak, Pero pays the adventurers and assures them that the cloak will be used for good from now on. Pgs. 173-179

The characters have finally escaped from the maze and returned to complete the mission they originally started-they must infiltrate the tower of King Ovar and end his evil reign. Will the characters discover the secrets of the missing queen and the wizard Zayene's influence? Or will they perish in dragon fire?

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.

A Ravaged Land... Villains that really are larger than life... A time for heroes... A decade ago, the land of Geoff was overrun by a horde of giants, ogres, and evil humanoids, its people either slain, enslaved, or driven into exile. Now at last the tide has turned. The time to free the people of Geoff from their servitude to the giantish tyrants has come! But don't forget to watch your step when you confront the true masters behind the giant Clans! Contains the full text of three classic adventures by Gary Gygax: G1, Steading of the Hill Giant Chief; G2, The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl; and G3, Hall of the Fire GIant King. Details Eighteen new encounter sites in the war-torn land of Geoff, linked together to form a grand campaign. Provides dozens of hours of gameplay as the heroes struggle to free an entire country from the grasp of giant overlords. TSR 11413

The invisible enemy. Rats, cats, and double-drats. Six months ago, the residents of Luskwald heard rumors from passing merchants of a possible goblin incursion into the region. News from the nearest city confirmed speculations that goblin tribes were massing in the distant hills. Worried about the future of his small community, the Laird of Luskwald commissioned a stonemason and several carpenters to rebuild a damaged keep two miles north of the village. The repair crew worked for weeks restoring the keep's fallen walls, while waiting nervously for the first goblin to show its ugly head. For the first several days the restoration proceeded according to schedule, but in the weeks that followed several 'accidents' led many to believe the keep was cursed or haunted. In the past week three of Luskwald's villagers have died, each the victim of a grisly assassin whose identity remains a mystery. Several citizens have heard or seen peculiar things over the last several days, leading them to believe that Luskwald has been cursed, or worse, ravaged by angry spirits--perhaps sent by a greater evil that dwells within the ruined keep! Pgs. 34-52

The Siege of Castle Rend is an adventure for the fifth edition of the world’s first roleplaying game, suitable for five 5th-level characters. It takes place over four parts, and each part can be completed in one or two sessions of play, depending on your group’s playstyle and how long you like to play in a single sitting. If all goes according to plan over the course of this adventure, the player characters will expose an usurping lord, fight orcs, acquire a stronghold, defend it from an invading army, win the admiration of a town filled with potential vassals, and make political connections within the Barony of Bedegar. Of course, no adventure goes according to plan. The PCs will invariably throw these well-laid schemes into chaos, and they’ll have to improvise. But if we know how things would have gone if the PCs never showed up (or are cowards), it makes it easier for us GMs to improvise when things go off the rails. Published by MCDM

You are the guest of the count, one of your allies and the strongest man in the region. Your sojourn has been pleasant, a nice change after weeks of battle. Suddenly the courtyard below your window is filled with the noise of galloping horses. More Guests? You yawn as you look out. But these people arriving look more like tax collectors than guests. You decide to give your attention to something more interesting, like dinner. Relax while you can, friend, because these new arrivals are about to lead you to a crimson sailor, a cozy Tower of Terror, and a river with an aching heart. Sabre River includes a complete campaign setting, new NPCs, dungeon and wilderness encounters, and a mysterious story. TSR 9119

With the approaching winter, cold winds and long nights, the people of North get excited about its centuries-long tradition: the visit of Mage Nicholai Klaus Noah, the bearer of good fortunes and gift-giver. However, for the first time in over century, Nicholai is late! At first, the people didn't bother, but as days and nights passed, rumors increased until it finally evolved to a complete despair as numerous children started disappearing from all over the place! The council has decided to find those children and learn what happened to the beloved Mage. And they are willing to pay a considerable reward for that.

This adventure takes place in the Moonsea of Faerûn. The players have been brought to Melvaunt to search for the missing scions of the city's great families. To the north, in Thar the orc tribes converge on the ruined fortress of Xul-Jarak, flocking to the banner of a charismatic warlord. There, he intends to sacrifice the scions of the great families of Melvaunt in a bloodritual to Gruumsh. The players will escape Melvaunt, search along the wilderness of Thar for the Fortress of Xul-Jarak, and then explore the dungeons of the ruined fortress and hopefully rescue the scions before they are sacrificed. There also is a Web Enhancement by Eric Cagle on the archives of wizards of the coast's website designed to scale the adventure to level 8. For example, it replaces the Owlbear with a Tyrannosaurus. This is an easy to scale adventure with much of the player's difficulty coming from intelligently avoiding problems, choosing how to approach each floor in the most tactical way, and quickly adjusting when something goes wrong. The adventure has sidebars including common orc battle cries (In Orc!), ready to use orc names, weather and random encounter table in Thar, a description of what happens if the party fails or partially succeeds, and suggested minis for each of the encounters. There is even an extended description of the bloodspear ritual, an event the party is not meant to encounter in a normal run. The appendix is detailed for all the humanoid characters including the scions and their equipment, the named villains, and variety of unnamed orcs the party will encounter. The fortress also offers an opportunity to introduce the players to the Underdark and the Zhentil Keep. There is a passage to the Underdark the players can accidentally explore, and return to later. Emissaries from Zhentil Keep have come to watch the ritual and have their own motivations. These npcs provide an opportunity for exposition and role playing at a point which otherwise might be combat heavy, acting as a valve for the first floor - helping or hurting the party with subtle magic should the difficulty be off.

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!

From the backcover: "Once a generation, they say, a strange comet appears in the sky overhead and the gates of Firestorm peak swing open, (twenty-seven years ago, your father led his band of adventurers into the mysterious mountain, never to return. Now the Dragon's Tear once more flickers in the sky, and the glass gates on the mountainside beckon. Will you pass through to discover the secrets that await beyond the portal none has ever dared and returned? The Gates of Firestorm Peak is the first adventure designed especially for use with the new rules presented in the three PLAYER'S OPTION books: Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers, and Spells & Magic. While it can also be played using just the AD&D® game core rules (the Player's Handbook and the DUNGEON MASTER® Guide), this adventure offers a perfect opportunity to experience all the potential of the new optional rules. One of the highlights of this package is the first PLAYER'S OPTION player character record sheet. To meet the challenges of Firestorm Peak and escape with their lives, heroic adventurers must battle dark dwarves in their underground city, explore the abandoned caverns of the Elder Elves, and deal with weird alien entities from Beyond. Their goal is to stop the Master of the Twisted Caverns and his dark minions from completing his sinister plot before it's too late . . . if they can. Included in this product are a 96-page adventure book detailing the dungeon that lies beneath Firestorm Peak, 4 full-color poster maps detailing all the important locations in the complex, and a sheet of 56 counters for use with the tactical maps in major combats."

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

The nephew of a once famous adventurer decides to make a name for himself and bites off more than he can chew. Short on options, and worried for his nephew’s life, he needs your help. Travel to the ruins of Dhonin's Lookout atop Standiac Hill to find and rescue the young adventurer. Uncover a plot that could lead to the destruction of the village of Millvein, and even more dire future consequences. Includes: A 3-4 hour adventure for 1st level characters Map of the village of Millvein 2 DM maps Stat blocks for all monsters the players might encounter. The adventure continues in Into the Underdark - Part 2 The Spider's Den

The tower is compromised. The guards silent. The constructs out of control. A storm of decay is gathering around The Tower of Clouds. Will your heroes be able to get inside the prison and stop a dangerous necromancer from completing her ascent to power? Death in The Tower of Clouds is a one shot adventure for level 4 heroes powered by Draw Steel. In this adventure you will take your players to a flying prison taken over by a necromancer. The prison has multiple ways to enter and move around, making the adventure a dungeon crawl in the sky. This adventure contains: - A 3 page PDF with everything you need to run the adventure - Stat blocks for all monsters - Encounters designed for 3 heroes - Tactical map of The Tower of Clouds in player and director versions