A community for lazy dungeon masters
314 adventures found
Temple of the Gaki
3.5 Edition
Level 3
30 pages
0

A free dual edition (3.5e / 5e) one shot for 3-5 PCs of level 3. A religious PC and their companions are tasked with cleansing an old monastery of the cursed spirits that live there. The players must unravel the history of the temple and its inhabitants in order to forgive or condemn their spirits for their actions. Investigation focused, with unique combat encounters for cleansing the cursed spirits. The players must figure out who the cursed spirits are and how they relate to one another, find the circumstances that led to them being cursed and ultimately decide if each is worthy of forgiveness for their sins. Estimated play time 6-9 hours.

Cover of FO4 - Morian Curse
FO4 - Morian Curse
AD&D
Levels 2–4
25 pages
0

After a few adventures you decide to find safety in a city setting. Along the way to Morristown you discover a few abandoned villages causing to wonder what is going on. With further investigation you quickly discover that something sinister is afoot and begin to uncover an evil cult! Can your party rescue the citizens and put an end to the nefarious religion?

Cover of BL1 Sins of the Three Sisters
BL1 Sins of the Three Sisters
AD&D
Levels 3–5
34 pages
0

Within a lawless region of the Nameless Realms known as the Barrens, strength, cunning, and a will to survive are all that matters. Here, amid the arid high plateaus, the smoldering hat of the deep jungles, and the haunted marshlands of the northern fringe, countless adventures can be had for those brave, or foolish, enough to undertake them. This is a land of ancient ruins, petty robber barons, wild tribes, elder curses, and the undead. Sorcerers rule over fallen cities, and dark priestesses hold power with all manner of evil minions. Will your party be bold enough to undertake the challenges that await them in this first adventure in the Folio: Black Label Series? Can they overcome the curse of the three sisters, and will they make a name for themselves among the scattered outposts of Humanity? Only time, dice and comradery around the gaming table will tell. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.

Cover of The Sunken Temple
The Sunken Temple
OSR
Levels 4–6
20 pages
0

A 20-page adventure for OSE Save the wizard! A sunken cathedral on a quiet mountain lake hides a long forgotten temple to Mathanoga, God of Knowledge and wizardry. Abandoned by Man for centuries , but protected by the legend of man-eating fishmen lurking in it. Or until a few weeks ago the young wizad Elric embarked on its expedition. With help from the accademy of Greykeep he found the temple and began to explore it, hoping to uncover its ancient magical secrets. Now the wizard is missing and the accademy has put a bounty on its head: its weight in silver to whoever will find him and bring him home alive and well. Find magical secrets! Deep inside the temple are stashed many magical items, all sacred to the fishmen dwelling there, all worth dying for. Save Elric and the treasures will be yours! The Sunken Temple is an expert level Old School Essentials adventure for a party of 1-4 players. Perfect for a one shot or a random encounter in an hex crawl.

Cover of Against the Idol of the Sun
Against the Idol of the Sun
5th Edition
Level 13
295 pages
0

Do you want to run or play an adventure where characters start at level 13 instead of ending at level 13, and actually get to progress to 20 like the rules say they should? Do your players like to travel far and wide, exploring a huge unknown area? Do your players like to change their plans on a whim, and travel somewhere other than where they told you they planned to go last session? Do your players feel like fighting against an empire at odds of 20,000 to 1? Do your players want to commit occasional acts of sky piracy? Do you want an adventure that is designed to handle players using Scrying, Transport Via Plants, and Teleportation on a daily basis? If you answered yes to some of these questions, this adventure may be for you. Check out the detailed preview packet, which includes a campaign log showing how this adventure has actually played out. WARNING: FULL OF SPOILERS; VERY LONG. Against the Idol of the Sun is an epic hexcrawl campaign designed for high-level play. Adventuring parties should start at about level 13, and will likely end the campaign at level 20 with multiple Epic Boons. As a hexcrawl, there is no set adventure path that the party must follow. There is only one encounter that's even close to plot-mandatory aside from the climactic battle. Anything else can be skipped or handled in any order. The players are free to move about the map in any direction at any time, limited only by the risk of enemy action and encounters. The DM, meanwhile, is encouraged to have foes react to and actively hunt the PCs once they become a threat. Along the way, they may find and explore a number of dungeons, including a millenia-old laboratory in the grips of a time distortion, several mines that were abandoned for good reason yet may hold wealth within, and other challenges appropriate for high-level characters. This module is heavy on Exploration and Combat, but the Social aspect of D&D also is necessary as the player characters meet new peoples, work to convince them that they can make a difference, motivate them to action, and create overall plans for the NPCs and factions to follow off-screen to support the players in their main assaults. The key set piece encounters, which are optional but highly probable, involve attacking well-defended temples in the centers of enemy cities. Planning for these attacks will require paying attention to reconnaissance, timing, the use of allies, how to enter, and how to exit and break contact succesfully when dealing with enemies that fly faster than most player characters can walk. The adventure does not include artwork, and the maps are basic.

Cover of Parallel Dungeons
Parallel Dungeons
OSR
Levels 3–4
8 pages
0

Three dungeons in one! The party is given a "dimension shifting device" and sets out to explore a 15-area cave, simultaneously occupied by the DEMON CORSAIRS, the remnants of an ASTEROID MINING OPERATION, and the MONASTERY OF TRANQUILITY & TRANSCENDENCE! The three dungeons are presented in three columns, so when the characters shift from one dimension into another, it's easy to find the corresponding area description. For use with old-school or OSR RPG systems. Recommended for character levels 3-4. Published by Eldritch Fields.

Cover of The Ruins of Nehk'Talosh
The Ruins of Nehk'Talosh
5th Edition
Levels 4–6
4 pages
0

Off in the wilderness are the ruins of a temple that once belonged to the God of Balance, Tyr. It has long been abandoned by the traditional followers, but it is certainly not empty. A few clever individuals have found a way to harness the magics that still reside deep within this holy place and are attempting to use it to give life to an Iron Golem. The party must stop them at all costs or have a powerful monstrosity released into the hands of some terrible individuals.

Cover of Doom on Starspell Mountain
Doom on Starspell Mountain
5th Edition
Levels 3–4
16 pages
0

A streaking comet heralds a wild storm. An ancient temple roars to life with strange and otherworldly chants. Doom is coming to Starspell Mountain. Navigate traps, meet a mad elf, and stop otherworldly threats as you explore the temple on Starspell Mountain. Doom on Starspell Mountain is a one-shot adventure for 3rd-4th level characters made for the world's greatest roleplaying game. The adventure features traps, simple puzzles, and secret passages.

Cover of CCC-BWM-04-02 Thralls of Zuggtmoy: Sanctum of Rot
CCC-BWM-04-02 Thralls of Zuggtmoy: Sanctum of Rot
5th Edition
Levels 5–10
33 pages
0

Beyond the Nidus waits the inner sanctum where the heroes must confront Zuggtmoy’s zealot priest and his dark followers. The cult is preparing to use the Noctic Urn to lure a horrific entity to the Material Plane. The adventurers must stop them, or woe to all should they fail. A Two/Four-Hour Adventure for Tier 2 Characters. Optimized for APL 8.

Cover of The Greatest Suffering
The Greatest Suffering
5th Edition
Levels 3–4
16 pages
0

The town of Warlorn is often thought of as a peaceful one. Not much happens there, and it is usually considered a place of peace were parties could convene to make truces or were the hurt could always come to find someone to care for them. Perceptions can often be incorrect however. The church of Ilmatter, God of Suffering, acts as an effective government in the town. Illmaters tenants are that to help all those who have suffered and to take on their suffering so that they may be healed. To them suffering is truly Holy, and to take suffering on from another is seen as the greatest way to prey to their god. Not everyone is as virtuous as a god, even his own followers, and humanity in taking on holy suffering is still left with desires; lusts that can be corrupted. When the Duchess of Manipulation who delights in corrupting church men spoke to the leader of this clergy of Ilmater, it was no difficult task for her to find a loophole in Illmaters word that she could exploit. If suffering was holy, then truly it should be those that do not yet understand Ilmater’s ways that should feel this suffering. Using a cultist of hers, she was able to create a child that could later be used as an ingredient for a portal right to her layer of hell. It’d be two birds in one stone; corrupt a devoted followers of a god she hated to later take their souls as her own, and create a portal that she could use to cross both herself and her armies to the material plane. When the players enter the scene, the child will have already been kidnapped, and the child’s mother will be hanging up fliers giving out a reward to anyone that can find her child. The players will find themselves needing to infiltrate the Church of Ilmater into its secret underground cult so that they can save the child and stop Glasya from finding her way to the Material Plane.

Cover of C5 The Bane of Llywelyn
C5 The Bane of Llywelyn
AD&D
Levels 4–7
32 pages
0

Excitement and unrest grip the land of Pellham. Two hundred years ago, the royal line of kings was deposed and replaced by a High Council. The current council is well-meaning but hopelessly incompetent. Everyone agrees that a drastic change is needed for the kingdom to survive. The ancient Prophecy of Brie foretells that in Pellham's darkest hour, a king from the past will return to restore the kingdom. The time of the prophecy is now. All is in readiness: the symbols of the ancient kings have been recovered, the keys to the royal tomb are in hand, powerful magics to revive the long-dead king have been secured at great cost. Only one problem remains... no one knows where the king is buried! The Bane of Llywelyn concludes the epic adventure of the Prophecy of Brie -- can YOU insure that the quest will be a success? The adventure can be played as a separate adventure or as the second part of the Prophecy of Brie series. TSR 9109

Cover of FO5 - Voltar's Chapel
FO5 - Voltar's Chapel
AD&D
Levels 4–7
14 pages
0

Decades ago a small but influential cult controlled a small area around the Dwarven holdings of Agar. For unknown reasons this cult died out and the shrine was lost to the sands of time. Recently the local thane has received reports that there has been renewed activity in the area and a gathering of humanoids in the area. While the thane’s men have fought bravely they were no match for this group and the call has gone out for brave adventurers to assist with the problem. While your party is young you do have an adventure or two under your belts and this may be the challenge to make you famous….if you can handle it.

Cover of X4 Master of the Desert Nomads
X4 Master of the Desert Nomads
BECMI
Levels 6–9
32 pages
0

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

Cover of NQ3 – Ta’ Hagrat
NQ3 – Ta’ Hagrat
5th Edition
Levels 2–4
21 pages
0

The party has received word from the citizens (or in NQ2) of a troublesome cult hidden in Meglos Peaks. Apparently a stronghold exists near the mouth of the Tora River. Putting an end to this group of religious fanatics would certainly put another feather in your fledgling career caps!

Cover of The Black Monastery
The Black Monastery
Pathfinder
Levels 7–10
83 pages
0

The Legend of the Black Monastery Two centuries have passed since the terrible events associated with the hideous cult known as the Black Brotherhood. Only scholars and story-tellers remember now how the kingdom was nearly laid to waste and the Black Monastery rose to grandeur and fell into haunted ruins. The Brothers first appeared as an order of benevolent priests and humble monks in black robes who followed a creed of kindness to the poor and service to the kingdom. Their rules called for humility and self denial. Other religious orders had no quarrel with their theology or their behavior. Their ranks grew as many commoners and nobles were drawn to the order by its good reputation. The first headquarters for the order was a campsite, located in a forest near the edge of the realm. The Brothers said that their poverty and dedication to service allowed them no resources for more grand accommodations. Members of the Black Brotherhood built chapels in caves or constructed small temples on common land near villages. They said that these rustic shrines allowed them to be near the people they served. Services held by the Brothers at these locations attracted large numbers of common people, who supported the Black Brotherhood with alms. Within 50 years of their first appearance, the Black Brotherhood had a number of larger temples and abbeys around the kingdom. Wealthy patrons endowed them with lands and buildings in order to buy favor and further the work of the Brothers. The lands they gained were slowly expanded as the order’s influence grew. Many merchants willed part of their fortunes to the Black Brotherhood, allowing the order to expand their work even further. The Brothers became bankers, loaning money and becoming partners in trade throughout the kingdom. Within 200 years of their founding, the order was wealthy and influential, with chapters throughout the kingdom and spreading into nearby realms. With their order well-established, the Black Brotherhood received royal permission to build a grand monastery in the hill country north of the kingdom’s center. Their abbot, a cousin of the king, asked for the royal grant of a specific hilltop called the Hill of Mornay. This hill was already crowned by ancient ruins that the monks proposed to clear away. Because it was land not wanted for agriculture, the king was happy to grant the request. He even donated money to build the monastery and encouraged others to contribute. With funds from around the realm, the Brothers completed their new monastery within a decade. It was a grand, sprawling edifice built of black stone and called the Black Monastery. From the very beginning, there were some who said that the Black Brotherhood was not what it seemed. There were always hints of corruption and moral lapses among the Brothers, but no more than any other religious order. There were some who told stories of greed, gluttony and depravity among the monks, but these tales did not weaken the order’s reputation during their early years. All of that changed with the construction of the Black Monastery. Within two decades of the Black Monastery’s completion, locals began to speak of troubling events there. Sometimes, Brothers made strange demands. They began to cheat farmers of their crops. They loaned money at ruinous rates, taking the property of anyone who could not pay. They pressured or even threatened wealthy patrons, extorting money in larger and larger amounts. Everywhere, the Black Brotherhood grew stronger, prouder and more aggressive. And there was more… People began to disappear. The farmers who worked the monastery lands reported that some people who went out at night, or who went off by themselves, did not return. It started with individuals…people without influential families…but soon the terror and loss spread to even to noble households. Some said that the people who disappeared had been taken into the Black Monastery, and the place slowly gained an evil reputation. Tenant farmers began moving away from the region, seeking safety at the loss of their fields. Slowly, even the king began to sense that the night was full of new terrors. Across the kingdom, reports began to come in telling of hauntings and the depredations of monsters. Flocks of dead birds fell from clear skies, onto villages and city streets. Fish died by thousands in their streams. Citizens reported stillborn babies and monstrous births. Crops failed. Fields were full of stunted plants. Crimes of all types grew common as incidents of madness spread everywhere. Word spread that the center of these dark portents was the Black Monastery, where many said the brothers practiced necromancy and human sacrifice. It was feared that the Black Brotherhood no longer worshipped gods of light and had turned to the service of the Dark God. These terrors came to a head when the Black Brotherhood dared to threaten the king himself. Realizing his peril, the king moved to dispossess and disband the Black Brother hood. He ordered their shrines, abbeys and lands seized. He had Brothers arrested for real and imagined crimes. He also ordered investigations into the Black Monastery and the order’s highest ranking members. The Black Brotherhood did not go quietly. Conflict between the order and the crown broke into violence when the Brothers incited their followers to riot across the kingdom. There were disturbances everywhere, including several attempts to assassinate the king by blades and by dark sorcery. It became clear to everyone that the Black Brotherhood was far more than just another religious order. Once knives were drawn, the conflict grew into open war between the crown and the Brothers. The Black Brotherhood had exceeded their grasp. Their followers were crushed in the streets by mounted knights. Brothers were rounded up and arrested. Many of them were executed. Armed supporters of the Black Brotherhood, backed by arcane and divine magic, were defeated and slaughtered. The Brothers were driven back to their final hilltop fortress – the Black Monastery. They were besieged by the king’s army, trapped and waiting for the king’s forces to break in and end the war. The final assault on the Black Monastery ended in victory and disaster. The king’s army took the hilltop, driving the last of the black-robed monks into the monastery itself. The soldiers were met by more than just men. There were monsters and fiends defending the monastery. There was a terrible slaughter on both sides. In many places the dead rose up to fight again. The battle continued from afternoon into night, lit by flames and magical energy. The Black Monastery was never actually taken. The king’s forces drove the last of their foul enemies back inside the monastery gates. Battering rams and war machines were hauled up the hill to crush their way inside. But before the king’s men could take the final stronghold, the Black Brotherhood immolated themselves in magical fire. Green flames roared up from the monastery, engulfing many of the king’s men as well. As survivors watched, the Black Monastery burned away, stones, gates, towers and all. There was a lurid green flare that lit the countryside. There was a scream of torment from a thousand human voices. There was a roar of falling masonry and splitting wood. Smoke and dust obscured the hilltop. The Black Monastery collapsed in upon itself and disappeared. Only ashes drifted down where the great structure had stood. All that was left of the Black Monastery was its foundations and debris-choked dungeons cut into the stones beneath. The war was over. The Black Brotherhood was destroyed. But the Black Monastery was not gone forever. Over nearly two centuries since its destruction, the Black Monastery has returned from time to time to haunt the Hill of Mornay. Impossible as it seems, there have been at least five incidents in which witnesses have reported finding the Hill of Mornay once again crowned with black walls and slate-roofed towers. In every case, the manifestation of this revenant of the Black Monastery has been accompanied by widespread reports of madness, crime and social unrest in the kingdom. Sometimes, the monastery has appeared only for a night. The last two times, the monastery reappeared atop the hill for as long as three months…each appearance longer than the first. There are tales of adventurers daring to enter the Black Monastery. Some went to look for treasure. Others went to battle whatever evil still lived inside. There are stories of lucky and brave explorers who have survived the horrors, returning with riches from the fabled hordes of the Black Brotherhood. It is enough to drive men mad with greed – enough to lure more each time to dare to enter the Black Monastery.

Cover of U01: Dark Days in Stoneholme (Fantasy Grounds)
U01: Dark Days in Stoneholme (Fantasy Grounds)
5th Edition
Levels 1–2
28 pages
0

Waves of supernatural darkness sweep over the subterranean city of Stoneholme, quenching lights and bringing with it foul creatures of shadow. After heroically defending a group of dwarven children being ravaged by a group of these shadow beings, the PCs are approached by Shtawn Deppenkhut -one of the king's own advisers- and are offered the task of finding the source of the darkness that threatens the city. The PCs investigation takes them through the Underworld to hidden caverns, where demon worshiping priests offer living sacrifices in an attempt to plunge Stoneholme into everlasting darkness, a first step in destroying the hated city once and for all, but as it turns out the priests aren't the only ones behind this unfolding plan to destroy Stoneholme. Dark Days in Stoneholme is ideally suited for a group of dwarven adventurers. It is recommended that you have access to the Stoneholme section of the Rise of the Drow revised & expanded edition (2014) but it is not necessary to run the adventure. Also available for Pathfinder. Published by AAW Games.

Cover of Forgotten on the Isle of Mnemos
Forgotten on the Isle of Mnemos
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
98 pages
0

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.

Cover of Dungeon Crawl Classics #77: The Croaking Fane
Dungeon Crawl Classics #77: The Croaking Fane
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Level 3
20 pages
0

For as long as men remember, the Lord of Evil Amphibians carried out unspeakable rites in his squatting temples situated far from civilization. Tales of human sacrifice, squirming servants, and rich but loathsome treasures were whispered of his followers. Now, unexpectedly, his servants have seemingly vanished, leaving behind their fanes to molder in the marshes. A brave band of adventurers gathers to explore one such tabernacle, eager to discover what riches—and terrors—the Lord of Evil Amphibians has left behind…

Cover of City of the Spider Queen
City of the Spider Queen
3rd Edition
Level 10
186 pages
0

The Fate of Faerûn Lies in Shadowy Darkness! Daggerdale is reeling from a sudden series of murderous drow raids. As a grave threat to the entire surface world develops in the war-torn dark elf city of Maerimydra, intrepid heroes must discover its source and destroy it, if they can.

Cover of The Five Temples of the Earthmother Part 1: Life and Moon
The Five Temples of the Earthmother Part 1: Life and Moon
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
22 pages
0

Summoned by the ruler of the Moonshae Isles, the adventurers are asked to seek out the five lost Temples of the Earthmother. A 12 hour adventure for 5 players of 1st-3rd level characters.