Deep within the Kraken's Maw, a brutal maelstrom of ocean that devours ships, lies the mysterious Isle of Jade. Long forgotten in the memory of men, the island has served as a bastion for an ancient sect of female Corsairs, but their power is waning and the threat of the outside world is at their shores in the form of a necromancer from Roslof Keep. Now a party has set out from Taux seeking the necromancer. Their course will take them directly into a conflict of high magic, ancient warrior religions, marauding fern goblins, and primordial dinosaurs. Will you take up the challenges presented by the Isle of Jade? When a necromancer steals a maiden of ancient bloodline, the Wizards of the Order of Towers must find a way to get her back. Hiring a merchant lord of Taux to fund a rescue mission the hope is to return her before the dark Wizard can use her to find the legendary White Ship and the key to magic beyond this world. Now the mission is in jeopardy as the adventurers have become stranded on the mysterious Isle of Jade. Braving a dark corruption, nasty native Fern Goblins, and even ancient Amazons, the party will have to stop the corruption before it turns the islands inhabitants and giant reptiles mad. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules. Also available in PDF.
Explore a cult-ridden village in this adventure for 2nd-level characters set in the world’s greatest roleplaying game! Syra Fallbrook, a talented blacksmith, is due to be executed. Her only crime was trying to prevent the Cult of the Engine from taking and sacrificing her daughter, Ariadne, in a dark ritual beneath the town. The party find Bleakwash a closed off and inhospitable town, with zealous cultists and downtrodden citizens so tightly entwined that nobody trusts anybody else, and nobody can be trusted. Eventually, the quest takes them to the dungeon beneath the town, a dank, sodden crypt where the cult’s enigmatic leader seeks to awaken The Engine Of Salvation. This second-level adventure is perfect for new DMs and players alike. Visit the grim portside town of Bleakwash, save Syra and her daughter, investigate a dark cult, and do battle in the salt-crusted catacombs! Included in this adventure: A quest to clear a town of corrupting influence. An open-ended investigation in a full town map. Broken, sea-washed catacombs. 5 random encounters to support you during travel. Approx. 4 hours of fun. A gripping adventure for 2nd-level players. Visit the grim shores of Bleakwash for a holiday you'll never forget!
Deicide is a campaign designed to begin with a party of four to six 1st-level characters, who should advance to 20th level by its conclusion. The Gods have abandoned Faerûn. Bringing loved ones back from the dead hasn’t been done in centuries, and communion with the deities is a spiritual exercise only. Holy warriors and messengers have lost their powers and have all but completely disappeared. In this bleak world, wars are frequent, crime runs rampant, and hope has faded. Rumours are abound of a mysterious crime lord taking control of the underworld. Monsters roam the lands and every road is increasingly more dangerous. Without guidance, the many civilizations of this world are plagued by greed and corruption. The only way forward is to bring the Gods back, or to take their place in the heavens. Deicide takes place across two islands, Aurora and Limdorkal. These landmasses are the westernmost islands of the Moonshae Isles, an archipelago located roughly 400 miles west of the region of Amn and to the southwest of the Sword Coast. Surrounding the Sea of Moonshae, these islands feature a wide array of cities, civilizations, climates, terrains, and monsters. Limdorkal is famously a harsher environment, home to exotic races, whereas Aurora is almost entirely dominated by the human kingdom. Elminster Aumar, the famous Old Mage of Faerûn, once visited these islands and claimed it surprising how such diverse environmental systems erupted here, and how varied were the people inhabiting them. While the Sword Coast is part of Faerûn, a continent of Toril in the Forgotten Realms, feel free to adapt these islands to any setting of your choice, such as Ravenloft, Eberron, Ravnica, or even on your homebrew world. The story told here happens some hundreds of years after the beginning of 5th Edition, and the Overgod Ao is trapped inside an artifact, which limits the workings of gods around Toril. The characters will be able to learn more about the missing Gods, about a mythical folklore artifact known as the Wand of Wonders, which carries the powers of the Gods, and about the crime lord Kaiser Soze. Through their adventures, they will be able to visit other realms, planes, and dimensions, as well as come into contact with different races and civilizations. In the end, it is up to them whether to ally with the Crime Lord, and whether to release the Gods or keep their power for themselves. This campaign can work as a loose set of modular adventures, which can be easily picked separately and played as one-shots of different levels. Even their locations on the map might be moved, and events happening in particular towns can happen on others. The adventures include dungeon crawls, murder mysteries, sandbox urban quests, exploration on land and in the seas, inter-planar travelling, among others.
For the past 5 years this elven village has been plagued by undead creatures of the nearby swampland. The undead are consisted of unlucky elf villagers or travelers who were foolish enough to walk through the swampland. It is unknown how the undead appeared in the swampland in the first place, but it is rumored that a demonic entity has found shelter in a cave inside the dark forest next to the swampland and it is being worshipped by necromancer cultists. This adventure is for parties no larger than 5 characters and no higher than level 5.
The sleepy little town of Scharokhova has gone from dreary to depressing and dangerous. Shortly after a strange man in a hooded cloak came to town one evening, visiting the posh manor home of the local noble family, the Petrovas, a fog descended upon the valley where the town lies. What’s more, all manners of beasts, from rats to bats to wolves, are attacking the townsfolk, or destroying their supplies. And that fog! Anyone that tries to leave escape the town through the fog finds their mind too addled to make it through. And those that made it the furthest were set upon by beasts, beasts that seemed to try to keep the villagers from leaving town. Now, the townsfolk’s only hope rests with a group of outsiders who made it to the village through the mist, and now find themselves stuck in town, just like the residents have been. Eliminate the beasts threatening the townsfolk! Explore Petrova Manor and discover the secret that has caused this curse to descend upon Scharokhova! Finally, free the town from the grip of evil, and perhaps even bring Gorak, the last of the Petrova line, back from darkness into the light!
Synopsis: Chalk Hill is a lonely village on the edge of the Downs. Nearby barrows contain remains of long-dead kings. As is the local custom, a pair of young newlyweds went to the ancient standing stones for the druids to bless their union. They never came back. The heroes must find and return the couple, who have been taken into the grave of Eorl Wulfstan. The undead Eorl saw the new-wife in a dream, and she is the spit of his long-lost beloved, so he had his servants bring her to him. They slew the young man, who rose as undead under the Eorl’s control. Can the heroes find the survivor and put the dead back to rest? A 4 to 6 hour adventure for 4 to 6 Tier 1 characters—optimized for 5 characters of 3rd level. This adventure came about thanks to the generosity and encouragement of Dyson Logos, cartographer of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. In it you'll find maps never before seen in a Guild adventure! "Chalk Hill" is an Old School "out and down" dungeon crawl, where brave adventurers venture into the wilderness and pit themselves against horrors which would set a-quiver the flesh of honest folk. It's proof you can have an OSR experience using the 5e rules!
Dark Heart of the Wood is a 2nd-level Draw Steel quest for 3–6 heroes. This quest is intended to be a one to two session, monster-of-the-week–style adventure: a memorable, early stepping-stone in the heroes’ career. Heroes can expect to earn 4–7 victories across the course of the quest. The village of Byre dies. Drought brings famine and no one's seen a merchant or carter in weeks. “Carts don’t make it out the other end anymore,” they say. None of them know why, but the heroes may soon find out once they face off with the thorns of the terrible Threxyls! Dark Heart of the Wood assumes you understand how to play and run Draw Steel.
The night air is chilly, but the crackling fire you've started warms your bones comfortably. Crickets chirp, and you smile up at the stars, glad for the quiet evening. There is a loud roar, and you are blinded momentarily as the campfire suddenly surges up into the air. The flames split down the middle, revealing an abyss that leeches the warmth from your soul. Out of this hellish place stumbles a black-cloaked figure clutching a scythe. Quickly, you reach for your weapons. The strange apparition staggers for a moment. Then, gathering its strength, it pulls back the hood on its cloak. Beneath is a bleached skull with stars for eyes. "I am Azrael, Lord of the Undead," it hisses. "Or rather, I will be Azrael, after time itself has died." Even as Azrael speaks, decay begins to eat away at its body, and the god shudders. Holding one arm up to watch as tiny fissures form in its bones, the deity sighs, "Ah, sweet Entropy, come to claim me at last." It's gaze sweeps back to you. "But no, not just yet. First, I must set events in motion." Weakness begins to overcome Azrael, and it sinks to one knee. "Long ago, I became the most powerful of all the gods, in spite of my enemies' efforts to stop me. Delirious with power, I destroyed the other gods and eventually fell to feasting upon the souls of their worshipers. After devouring every living creature, I consume the planets and, eventually, the stars themselves, until I was left alone, in darkness." The god struggles to finish its message as its bones turn to dust and blow away, "Unexpectedly, I felt remorse for what I had done. I grieved for the universe I had destroyed, but I lack the power to recreate it. So, I have come to you, to beg you to do what I cannot." Azrael reaches into its cloak and produces a leather sack. "Take these items and use them." As Azrael dissolves, it gasps out, "Kill me tonight, or tomorrow will never dawn." All that remains is a pile of dust and a leather bag.
With your fame building in the Great Plains of Dorack you have received word of an abandoned temple that has been showing signs of life. Years ago the followers of the old deity Sobek built a temple to honor him. The cult died out after a successful raid by Plainsmen who looted the complex after killing off the monks who inhabited it. A few days after the temple sacking the chieftain responsible for the attack fell ill and died of a mysterious disease. As it was believed a curse befell the warlord, the area was abandoned and considered taboo. Lately strange lights have been seen near the old temple and a giant stone alligator has been spotted in the area. The Plainsmen cannot go to the area as the old taboo is still in place and have asked your party to investigate.
The small town of Boldon, and its surrounding villages are afraid. Dozens of people are missing, some speculate lost to some nefarious purpose. A broken drunkard tells fantastic tales of an evil temple and the horrible things within. The rare few who know the legends and history of the region are beginning to think the dark times have returned; not seen since the fall of the first age of man. People are beginning to feel the icy fingers of fear closing in. The party becomes aware of these events, and is inspired to investigate. This leads them to a broken man who tells them a story of a lost temple. Has it been rediscovered by men seduced by its forgotten evil? The drunkard’s tale leads to others who might help the party discover more before they face The Lost Temple of Forgotten Evil. Published by Fat Goblin Games
A band of shipwrecked adventurers awake to twilight on an uncharted jungle island to the Northwest of the Nalanthars with amnesia, little do they know the amnesia is recurrent at the completion of each long rest until an ancient curse powered by an incomplete Mythallar is lifted.
Picking up where Chapter 33: Adventures in the Ptolus book leaves off, the adventures in The Night of Dissolution cover an arc that pits player characters against the darkest foes the city of Ptolus has ever faced. Following the threads of a hidden conspiracy, the characters find themselves up against insane cultists, wild chaos magic, and horrors from the primordial days of the world. This adventure book is laced with urban intrigue, high action, and even some dungeon exploration. Some highlights include: A description of Pythoness House, a haunted oracle/brothel that hides a trove of weapons vital in the fight against the Cults of Chaos. A huge secret temple of chaos where insidious fanatics worship the dreaded Galchutt. Details of a city-wide network of covert spies and agents that extends even into the highest echelons of Ptolus’ elite society. These adventures culminate in the player characters’ attempt to stave off the Night of Dissolution, a dark time long foretold when the slumbering Galchutt will awaken in their hidden lairs deep below the city—and bring catastrophe and woe to the world. Published by Malhavoc Press
The ancient world of Harth withers beneath its dying sun…but it’s not dead yet. The land is still riddled with villages in danger, cultists in caves, angels gone mad, eldritch horrors making strange deals, raging dragons, bandits in the woods, and cruel monsters lurking in every shadow. These 13 adventures span a wide variety of locations, environments, creatures, and genres. They are meant for use as quick-play sessions or one-shots, or to be dropped into campaigns as side-quests. These are linear dungeons and mini-quests full of interactivity and strangeness, encouraging exploration, risk-taking, and creative combat. ADVENTURE TYPE: One-Shot / Low Level / Combat / Exploration / Village / Wilderness / City / Subterranean / Dungeon Delve DESIGN NOTES These 13 adventures are intended for low-level characters around Level 3 Overall, these adventures tend to be linear dungeon delves in caves or single buildings 93 unique encounter locations 69 original magic items 71 original monsters (with 28 illustrations) 13 maps/diagrams Each adventure runs 2-4 hours in length
As you begin your path to adventuring fame, fate brings you a gift. The military is attacking a humanoid army not too far away but their powerful force has splintered the insurgents. Different groups of aggressive humanoids are now off on their own and the military is overwhelmed trying to track them down. Word has it that one such group is headed to the revered Oracle at Nyo! Your time has come and fame is within reach!
The party is enlisted to assist the Righteous Host, an army formed as a last resort to defend the world against the monsters of Elemental Evil. The host is greatly outnumbered. Its leaders send the party on a series of missions, each of which will give the Righteous Host an edge in the great battle to come. This epic adventure ends with the final push against the forces of Elemental Evil in the Meadows, and the outcome is informed by how effective the party is in their missions... and whether they are willing to risk putting themselves in the front lines. If the Righteous Host loses, players may decide to travel to Hommlet or other nearby towns to defend them. Whether the host is successful or not, players can decide to follow many different plot threads: exploring the Temple of Elemental Evil, finding the lich Kell the Eldest's lair and destroying his phylactory, or following the will of Bitbaern's Shield and discovering historical sites that were previously lost. Pgs. 44-69
A man built a temple to a woman who died. It became a shrine for those who lost a spouse too soon. Later. Much later. A young couple came. Their tribes warred so they could only marry in death. It was poison. Which angered HER. They walk the temple ever since, cursed by a shrine spirit. She has a hatred of suicide only dead widows can know.
In the deep desert lies the dead city of Yumar, the source of countless bizarre rumors. Was it destroyed by a demonic metal sphere? Did it sink into a pit of acid? Were its people transformed into cursed beasts? Is it ruled by vicious thieves or mad nuns? In fact, the only thing stranger than what happened to Yumar a century ago is what will happen a few days from now... ADVENTURE TYPE: Medium Sandbox City / Ruin DESIGN NOTES: This adventure is intended for characters levels 5 to 8. It includes a ruined city, shrine, wizard tower, menagerie, several factions, and the surrounding wilderness. Each area contains various encounters and unique items. There are many opportunities for combat, but it is possible for players to explore most areas and complete many interactions without any combat at all, depending on their choices. INCLUDES: Story hooks, dialogue prompts, random encounters, factions, illustrations, stat blocks, original creatures and treasures, and overview maps. KEYWORDS: city, ruin, celestial, angel, dwarf, dwarves, miner, thief, thieves, cleric, nun, shrine, adamant, adamantine, lycanthropy, mind control, nightmare, mutation, mutant, wizard tower, menagerie, body horror
To arms! To arms! The battle lines are drawn as desert men and inhuman tribes wait poised to strike on the fertile and rich lands of the east. The call has gone out through the civilized lands. The armies have been raised to match the invading foes from the west. Nobles and peasants have joined swords to greet the foes. But Fate or Chance has decreed another role for a small few. No glorious banners will wave on their march. No squadrons of knights will charge at their word. Instead, they will fight the war with stealth, secrecy, and cunning. The risks they will take are great, but the fates of both armies lie with them. It begins one night for your party far from the fighting. Suddenly you are entrusted with the most dangerous mission of the war. Can you cross the Sind Desert, occupied now by enemy armies, to find the Great Pass? Can you find the one known only as The Master? What will you do if you find him? So begins your adventure in The Master of the Desert Nomads, the first module of a two-part adventure that can be concluded in the exciting Temple of Death or played entirely on its own. Can your party do what must be done? TSR 9068
Displace Beast Maze is an adventure that has one long encounter that is a combination of a puzzle (maze) and combat encounter (Displacer beast). The Displacer beast tentacle's ability to attack through the maze walls, knowledge of the layout, and hit-and-run tactics make the labyrinth both a useful and possibly deadly lair for the creature. Pgs. 27-29
An exiled cultist and his kobold minions are spotted searching for long-forgotten ruins in the Dragonspire Mountains. Rumors say he looks for a precious gift to give a fearsome dragon that dwells there. What he hopes to attain with his gift is unknown, but can't be good for the citizens of Phlan.