Goblin attacks have always plagued the farmers and merchants who live and travel along the roads leading to Whitesparrow. But a recent rash of new attacks are something different. The goblins of one particular tribe have gotten particularly smart, attacking with careful tactics and cunning ambushes. The village guards haven’t been able to outwit the goblins, even when laying traps of their own and hiring mercenaries to stop them. Even as goblins go, Rosethorn isn’t much to look at. He’s small and runty, and yet a lucky break placed him in charge of the Brownleaf goblin tribe. When he claimed a powerful magic relic from a dead wizard three months ago, Rosethorn found his intellect multiplied many times over. The world began to make a more intricate kind of sense to him, and he saw patterns in the ways other folk traveled the roads. After hiring a spy in Whitesparrow to tell him which wagons to pursue, Rosethorn cunningly bribed the wagons’ guards to throw battles in the goblins’ favor. He then moved the lair of the Brownleaf tribe away from their dank caves and into the ruins of the Bearded Man—an enormous dead tree at the center of the Howling Wood. There, Rosethorn continues his campaign of ambush against the foolish villagers, increasing his wealth and power with each robbery.
An ancient cave, defended by ancient death traps and weird arcane seals conceals the antediluvian vault of an archlich whose reign predates recorded history. Undisturbed for untold eons, the vault now stirs thanks to the machinations of cultists who have meddled with secrets best left undisturbed... This module sends the heroes to an ancient cave occupied by cultists dedicated to the Mists of Madness. Defended by ancient death traps and weird arcane seals, the caves conceal an antediluvian vault, the resting place of an archlich whose reign predates recorded history in the Known Realms. Undisturbed for untold eons, now the machinations of the cultists and their eladrin master threaten to awaken the archlich, to dire ends that none can predict.
Every Berk in Sigil Struggles to keep his savage sid at bay. But now the bars of the cage are breaking down. . . . Don't go to sleep, cutter-that's where the shadows slink, gnawing at the frail cord of sanity. The dream-touched sods of Sigil are snapping one by one, turning on each other like wildcats in the streets. And as people become animals, animals become monsters, rending friend and foe alike with fang and claw. The lawful factions have enough trouble dealing with a rash of breakouts form the Prison. But when the shackles of society fall away, it's all a body can do to keep the beast within form bursting free?and running wild. Something Wild is a Planescape adventure for four to six characters of 4th to 7th levels. When Sigil falls prey to disturbing nightmares and outbreaks of violent fury, the heroes must follow bloody trails to the treacherous peaks of Careeri and the savage jungles of the Beastlands. An ancient terror threatens the planes anew, and only the player characters can stop it from feasting on the flesh of the multiverse. The Planescape Campaign Setting boxed set is required to run this adventure. The Planes of Conflict Campaign Expansion boxed set, the Planescape Monstrous Compedium Appendix, and In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil are recommended as well. Product History "Something Wild" (1996), by Ray Vallese, is the sixth standalone adventure for Planescape. It was published in March 1996. Continuing the Planescape Series. If 1994 was the year of Planescape adventures, and 1995 was the year of Planescape settings, then 1996 had a new focus: novels. The year led off with the first Planescape novel, Blood Hostages (1996), which also led off the setting's increased emphasis on the Blood War. Meanwhile, it took until March for a new RPG book to appear. "Something Wild" was the first of just two adventures published during the year. It continued the trend of 64 page adventure books, but was the first Planescape adventure that didn't have a GM Screen. Adventure Tropes. As with many Planescape adventures, "Something Wild" starts out in Sigil and then travels off into other planes. Like most adventures of the '90s, it's also heavily plotted, with individual scenes moving the storyline along. Though the adventure includes sections set in the wilderness and in a town, they're not explorations, they're segments of a story. There is a traditional dungeon crawl of a gehreleth lair toward the middle of the adventure, but that's it for older-school fare. The most interesting aspect of the adventure is probably its inclusion of a "dreamscape" that players travel through. Though adventures of this type date back to at least DL10: "Dragons of Dreams" (1985), the idea was little used in D&D adventures. Still, it was gaining some traction in the mid '90s thanks to the Ravenloft setting, and especially thanks to the Nightmare Lands (1995) supplement, which includes rules for dreamscape adventures. Expanding the Outer Planes. "Something Wild" travels to the Beastlands and Carceri, both of which had recently been detailed in Planes of Conflict (1995; it includes some new details on each. The expansion of the Beastlands is the most important, because much of the adventure is centered on that plane and the goals of its denizens. Signpost, which lies on the border between the plane's top two layers, is also detailed. Finally, the Cat Lord gets a spotlight; he's a strange being dating back to Monster Manual II (1983) that had never received much attention previously, except in Gary Gygax's Dance of Demons (1988) novel. The information on Carceri is not as generally useful because it details a very specific, primordial prison for a bestial god named Malar. Nonetheless, "Something Wild" makes good use on the plane by focusing on the demodands (gehreleths), a fiendish race dwelling on Carceri that has never gotten much attention. "Something Wild" was also the adventure that really started to push the Blood War forward. For the first two years of Planescape's existence, this fiendish war was a background element, but in the novels and supplements of 1996 it turned into a true metaplot. That ball starts rolling here with several hints that "a particularly nasty stage of the Blood War" lies just ahead. About the Creators. TSR Editor Vallese had done considerable development work on "Fires of Dis" (1995) the previous year, and was now given his own adventure to write. He'd continue on with a few more Planescape products in the next few years, concluding with the Torment (1999) novel. About the Product Historian This history of this product was researched and written by Shannon Appelcline, the author of Designers & Dragons - a history of the roleplaying industry told one company at a time. Please feel free to mail corrections, comments, and additions to [email protected].
Retrieve the bones of a dracolich to save the life of a paladin. The epic conclusion of the Mere of Dead Men series. Set in the Mere of Dead Men region of the Forgotten Realms.
The Cost of Beauty Deep in the snake infested jungle of Serpent Isle stands an ancient temple. Rumour has it that something still lurks in that place. Something evil from a lost era of devils and darkness. Now fishing boats are going missing off the island’s coast and dark shapes can be seen moving through the undergrowth. Could something have remained on that cursed isle?
The Borderlands. An untamed wild region far flung from the comforts and protection of civilization. A lone fortified Keep is the only bastion of Good desperately striving to maintain the forces of Chaos at bay. But Evil is everywhere, lurking in dark caves, fetid swamps, forlorn forests. Bands of cutthroat brigands and ruthless tribes of humanoids eager to clash with the forces of Food rove the region. The Borderlands hold many secret wondrous locations, and opportunities for fame, prestige, and fortune are plentiful. But equally abundant are the perils, risks, and challenges to those brave enough to explore the wilds. Sharpen your swords and axes. Purchase your iron rations and tinderboxes. And Don't forget at least one 10-foot pole. Adventure awaits those with the mettle to confront Chaos in the Borderlands!
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 quest takes the player characters through a harrowing journey of dangerous adversity! The characters are informed that some unknown adversary has disrupted an ancient tree called Wise Willow. This sends them first on a subterranean excursion into ancient tunnels infested with curiously ravenous Thri-Kreen! Then, they are introduced more formally with Wise Willow, who requires their services to cure her terrible plague! The players must then navigate the wild maze of her surface roots, purge it of grotesque creatures, and then find the cause of her ailment. Doing so excites the interest of the deities, Lathander and Sylvanus, who descend from the heavens in a glorious show of light and mysticism! The two divine beings then graciously bestow their gifts upon the party to reward their deeds. The player characters embark on a perilous journey that will test their resourcefulness and wits in a building arc of intensity. The environments are deeply detailed by the boxed text and should provide you and your characters a sturdy foundation for your creativity to launch from. There is a compelling story full of lamentations as well as laughs. The robust exposition sets up hours of challenging, combat-heavy “dungeon delving” throughout the quest. The aim is to maintain a versatile balance between “hack-and-slash” and “immersive storytelling” play styles, so that everyone can enjoy it in their own way. The numerous optional components allow you to scale the difficulty to your liking, and there is plenty of space for you to use your own creativity to enhance the content. Guts, Gods & Glory is a Dungeons & Dragons module using the 5e rules. It is designed to be played by three to six players of sixth to eighth level. It takes place in the Sword Coast setting of the Forgotten Realms, specifically the Elturgard region. Changes can be made to make it playable in a nondescript setting.
Millennia ago, aberrations from Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, were driven from Eberron. The Gatekeeper druids–mostly orcs–placed powerful dimensional seals throughout Khorvaire to prevent the creatures of Xoriat from returning. To repair a breach in one of the seals at a settlement called Tjorda, a Sealguard Complex was built. An immortal guardian ws tasked with attending to the repaired crack in the seal. Thousands of years later, the Gatekeeper druids rediscovered the sealed complex. Even without knowing its precise history, they ascertained its sacred nature and have guarded it from then on. Being sealed in to protect the site and commune with the inner guardian is considered a great honor. Much of this history has long-since been forgotten. But 10 years prior to the adventure’s start, Vilda Karrte–a relic hunter with her own agenda–tracks a Xoriat artifact called the Spiral Well to the complex. Turned away by the Gatekeeper, she forces her way inside, grievously injuring them. Having discovered Vilda’s journals, Provost Nigel Faurious, through the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild Handler Lhara, tasks the adventurers with recovering the Spiral Well.
A plug in adventure that can be used as part of a larger campaign or run as a one shot for 3-4 Tier I characters (scalable for tier II characters) set in the Forgotten Realms. This adventure can be placed in other settings as well. The characters have learned of a new and young threat in the Mere of Dead Men. Sent to identify and solve the issue for the nearby people of the region there are multiple setups and information for continuing adventure within the Mere. The adventure comes with the following: 10 page PDF adventure file. 1 Regional Map of the Mere of Dead Men 3 Parchment style DM and Player maps ready for VTT use 3 Printer friendly DM and Player maps ready for VTT well as printer friendly DM and Player maps that are VTT ready 1” diameter tokens ready to be cut out for use in person as well as files for use in a VTT
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.
These are three one-shot dungeon delves. Each delve features nine rooms or locations full of challenges and interactivity. Each delve has only one type of monster, but they are complex, and there are lots of them! This volume of Wicked Little Delves includes three small dungeon adventures: - a salt mine taken over by aggrieved Salt Knockers, - a swamp settlement destroyed by raging Swamp Brutes, and - a decadent earthscraper where the residents found immortality within their Iron Thralls. SYSTEM: Each monster has stats for Fifth Edition, Old School Essentials, and Into the Odd. These adventures are intended for characters at levels 4, 5, and 6. They are mainly focused on exploration and combat, with some minor social encounters. Estimated run time for each: 1 session, or 2-5 hours. Each adventure includes one complex original monster and a variety of unique treasures. ADVENTURE TYPE: Mid Level / Combat / Exploration / One-Shot / Dungeon Delve DESIGN NOTES These adventures are intended for low-level characters Level 4-6 9 unique encounter locations per delve (27 in all!) 3 original monsters with multiple abilities and weaknesses Dungeon maps and original illustrations
Travellers are going missing on the Long Road, on the 100 mile stretch between Triboar and Longsaddle. Our heroes investigate and discover a haunted mansion with a dark history and a gruesome secret. Their quest brings them to the very gates of hell itself, where an infernal abomination presents them with their greatest challenge yet... Inspired by a Clark Ashton Smith story.
For the past several nights, drums have been heard on the wind, coming from the Twilight Marsh. Each morning, more turn up missing from the nearby farms, leaving only muddy, clawed foot prints heading towards the marsh. Can you help find the lost and bring justice to the abductors?
Attacks by the undead are on the rise in and near the swamp. Rumr has it that the swamp was once an elvish settlement, lost long ago to ruin and sunken into the marsh. But one structure, at least, has yet to be consumed by the swamp. And a long dead cultist of Orcus, buried in that forgotten mausoleum, has returned from the dead. Includes A short adventure for 4-5 characters of 3rd to 4th level A map of the Nightshine Mausoleum Stat blocks for all monsters Unnumbered map suitable for use in your favorite VTT.
The Full Campaign - Updated for 2020! On Shadowed Shores In a land few have heard of, and fewer still have visited, lies untold adventure, treasure and fame. The renowned Captain Farsail has sent out word that she will undertake an expedition to Serpent Isle, but is in need of a crew. Anyone able to hold a sword or cast a spell is welcome, but be warned, the island is as deadly as it is beautiful.
Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner—and you are invited. Spans levels 1-10.
This adventure is about fighting monsters and being heroic. It’s also about discovering hidden and forgotten secrets, and then using those secrets later to the heroes’ advantage. The heroes will fight lizardfolk and hawklords, undead and basilisks, and some strange and malevolent creatures from a plane beyond Orden. The heroes will have the opportunity for a handful of negotiations which can be hugely influenced by piecing together secret information uncovered earlier in the adventure. Combat encounters in the adventure are built to generally take at least 3 rounds, sometimes more - they can be complex! The heroes will be expected to spin multiple plates at the same time! The adventure reward an average of 12, but as many as 20 Victories. Depending on your experience running and your table’s experience playing Draw Steel, how many side objectives the heroes follow, as well as a bunch of other factors, it could run around 20 to 32 hours of playtime. In the Tullow Vale of Vasloria, a centuries old town is built around a weathered statue said to seal away an ancient evil. Ajax's Hawklords bombard and lay waste to the town, stealing the statue, and in the chaos, the pitiless Deatheye Yslansh and her lizardfolk minions abduct the citizens! Can you save the people of Ivywatch before they are put to the Deatheye's fell purpose? And what or who exactly have the Hawklords unsealed? This adventure is about fighting monsters and being heroic. It’s also about discovering hidden and forgotten secrets, and then using those secrets later to the heroes’ advantage. The heroes will fight lizardfolk and hawklords, ogres and basilisks, and some strange and malevolent creatures from a plane beyond Orden. The heroes will have the opportunity for a handful of negotiations which can be hugely influenced by piecing together secret information uncovered earlier in the adventure. Combat encounters in the adventure are built to generally take at least 3 rounds, sometimes more - they can be complex! The heroes will be expected to spin multiple plates at the same time! The adventure will reward an average of 8 to 18 Victories. Depending on your experience running and your table’s experience playing Draw Steel, how many side objectives the heroes follow, as well as a bunch of other factors, it could run around 20 to 32 hours of playtime. The adventure contains: - 12+ combat scenes, including a boss battle. Most combats have objectives beyond just “kill everything” - 2-3 montage tests - 1 small, safe location to take respites in, full of NPCs with opinions - 1 big, complex, puzzle-y negotiation - 10 new custom treasures and titles, and other player rewards - A brief setting primer to Tullow Vale
For decades, the tiny village of Ravenmoor has existed quietly on the upper reaches of the Lampblack River. Linked to the outside world only by an overgrown, mostly forgotten trail, the villagers are comfortable with their isolation. Certainly, the lack of a village inn, the oppressive humidity, and the bug-infested moors and swamps that surround the village do little to encourage visitors. When a clerk in the city of Magnimar discovers that, due to a clerical error, the village of Ravenmoor hasn’t paid taxes in years, a tax collector is sent to the distant community to settle accounts with its mayor. When the tax collector fails to return, however, a group of adventurers must travel to the town during its Founders’ Feast celebration to investigate his disappearance.
Several days ago, a colony of myconids were born from the gloom and rot of a swamp near a small fishing town. They found a place to form their new colony, and settled on a crumbling mausoleum in a long-forgotten graveyard. Their rapport spores have been spreading unchecked, and have begun to infect the dead buried underneath the marsh. These dead have risen as spore servants, which the myconids are using as watchdogs to protect their new home from unwelcome intruders—like the adventurers. In this encounter, the characters stumble upon an old country graveyard in the middle of a swamp. When they investigate, they fall under attack by the living dead! Once they fend off their undead assailants, an investigation of the mausoleum reveals the true villain behind the attack: a group of mycanoids that infested the corpses with their spores, turning them into telepathically controlled puppets. From here, the characters can either negotiate with the mycanoids or kill them. This encounter’s three acts are: The Discovery: the characters find an abandoned graveyard. The Trial: the characters are attacked by undead. The Revelation: the characters learn that the zombies are really mycanoid spore servants, and can try to reason with the mushroom-people or destroy them. Either way, there’s treasure!