This guide describes how to run a one-session festival for your players. It combines a black market, costumes, and various activities suitable for different PC skills. The setting is a beach at night near a coastal town or city, but it can be easily adapted for other locations. It is suitable for players with little experience, and characters of any level. It makes a good first session for new players since they can try various skills without risk.
Your time in Queen’s Point has been productive and your level training is complete. As you relax in the Frothy Goblet Tavern & Inn you enjoy catching up with your compatriots over a steaming mug of mead! While you enjoy your time together you can’t help but overhear an interesting conversation at the next table over. A mountain man from his appearance is regaling a group of drunks about a foray into the wilderness and discovery of some old ruins. Those listening chime in with their thoughts on the potential for lost treasure…perhaps this guy may lead you to your next adventure?
The village of Sacrabad is a wretched place. Dark rumors abound concerning its steward, “His Lordship” Nim Sheog, who rules the place through terror and cruelty. Merchants who have passed through Sacrabad tell tale of how chaos thrives while the good folk wallow in misery. Nim’s guard are no more than a well-paid gang of thugs, hired to enforce his relentless and often bizarre laws and what’s worse, they seem to be in league with a nearby band of goblins, The Yellow Fang, who are often left to terrorize the villagers without reprisal. It is rumored that Nim keeps the rightful and lawful lord of Sacrabad locked away in the dungeons of the keep, the ominous Black Tower. An imposing structure that once afforded the village protection, the Black Tower has become a symbol of tyranny. But there is hope on the horizon. Hope in the form of a secret society who conspire to rescue the rightful lord and overthrow Nim and his guard. Can our heroes champion the cause? Tyranny of the Black Tower is a short (single session) adventure module. It is a classic “rescue operation” complete with a strong villain and espionage intrigue. It is an ideal one-shot adventure with room for expansion into an ongoing campaign. Bonus side-trek hooks and a bonus dungeon are included as a means to build up low-level parties. This module is setting-generic and can be dropped just about anywhere in the multiverse. Published by Verisimilitude Society Press
Veil Down Conquered is a free preview of the full-length adventure KOBOLDS VS. OGRES, coming in 2018! Veil Down is an affluent halfling village known for its vintners and farmers. Recent kobold incursions into the region around Veil Down have forced gangs of monsters closer and closer to civilized land...and this has brought a gang of ogres to the idyllic village! After driving the halflings out, the ogres have attempted to make the best of their situation and turn the village into their new home, but in a village built for halflings, these ogres are going to have a hard time fitting in... This adventure site contains a chapter from the forthcoming adventure Kobolds vs. Ogres, coming in 2018. Fully presented as a standalone site, expanded gameplay content includes a much more in-depth look at the gnome town of Hardbuckler, briefly touched in Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast and Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Additionally, extensive random encounter tables round out the book, steeped in historical lore from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, presenting stunning mysteries, interesting sites to explore, and evocative NPCs and monsters. This chapter only begins the trials and tribulations players will face in Kobolds vs. Ogres!
FQ6 – Vortex at the Temple continues the quest for the missing pages of the Codex of Gamber Dauch. This adventure takes the PCs to the ancient temple of Kabish Mo-Del a former druidic stronghold. Once there the party will have to battle creatures and puzzles to continue. If successful the party may just find themselves in a foreign land and have to find their way back home!
The loggers of the West Wood have been logging these lands for over five years without a problem. Now, an eerie entity demands that they cease their logging activities and evacuate the forest immediately. If they refuse, they will die. When the PCs arrive to help they find that things are not so black and white. The decisions which they make will have permanent and lasting implications for the entire region. Will the PCs choose to save the forest and lose the support of the village, or destroy a sacred elder tree in order to win the hearts of the loggers and their families?
Surrounded by miles of hostile swampland, Feypool isn’t a place too many adventurers seek out. But a group of travelers discover that this small duchy is under siege by a strange threat: Marietta Truelight. Otherworldly beautiful and abnormally charming, all but a handful of Feypoolers have fallen under her spell, becoming a fanatical hive mind willing to do anything for her. But Marietta is planning something sinister, the answer buried within Feypool’s superstitions and bleak history. The Feypool Beauty features a number of horror elements including body horror, suspense, intrigue, and some classic tropes similar to body snatchers. What secrets will you uncover? What atrocities of devotion will you witness? And will you be able to resist the influence of the Feypool Beauty?
When an injured child collapses in the street, will you venture into the cellar he fled from to discover what hides, creaking in the dark? Published by Nord Games
When the priestess of Ehlonna was murdered by a werewolf, the townsfolk of Deepwood lost no time in meting out justice, even though the shapechanger turned out to be a trusted friend and neighbor. But his journal has the town worried. Written in an unknown tongue, it seems to contain important pieces of information. Is it a list of other werewolves? Is the threat to Deepwood over, or has it only just begun? Cries of "Murder!" brought the villagers of Deepwood running to the temple to witness a grisly sight. The priestess of the Temple of Ehlonna lay murdered on the floor, savaged by some vicious beast. Above her body stood a large wolf. Then, before their horrified eyes, the wolf turned into a man -- their friend and neighbor Trammil! The villagers lost no time in giving Trammil the justice he deserved at the end of a rope, even over the objections of those few who thought he deserved a trial. But Trammil's death has not made the villagers feel safe. No one suspected his dark secret until the day of the crime. Could there be others? Can anyone in town be trusted? Only someone who can translate Trammil's journal and fully investigate the murder can solve the mystery.
The Creepy Handshake is a dark comedy 5e micro-adventure of urban investigation. Wander around the city, investigate the latest robberies, and uncover the mystery of a strange lost pet. This adventure is part of the supplement Tiny Weird Adventures - Urban Edition, a collection of short adventures to be used in conjunction with the fifth edition of the most popular fantasy RPG of recent times. Although it was written with a system in mind, it can be easily adapted to any other medieval fantasy RPG.
In “Rescue at Rivenroar,” the player characters must brave the depths of ancient catacombs in search of prisoners taken from the town of Brindol in a midnight raid. The hobgoblins, bandits that style themselves after an invading horde from long ago, have taken refuge in a dungeon under a ruined mountain fortress, and the PCs must clear them out to find the captive townsfolk and the treasures taken from Brindol. “Rescue at Rivenroar” also marks the first step in a great journey - the Scales of War Adventure Path, which spans 30 levels and put the PCs at the crux of events that shapes the world for centuries to come. While the scope of this adventure isn’t as grand, it represents the seed from which an epic tale will surely grow. Pgs. 4-45
Nobody complained when the raids by goblins stopped. Until word got around that the monsters had been slain by other monsters! Our heroes have been sent to investigate and remove any remaining threat. Published by Fortiter Games.
Tonight, a ceremony of light is taking place on the surface. Meanwhile, a world away in the city of spiders, a drow matron solidifies a pact with soul-consuming entities who require great sacrifices in trade for unimaginable power. Drow eyes turn to the surface. This book contains a mega-adventure and setting, taking characters across the surface and into the depths of the world. Adventurers will meet unique denizens, battle horrors of the Underworld, explore epic locations, and fight to stop the rise of the drow.
Darkness looms near Winterhaven! Kobold brigands have grown ever bolder in their attacks, marauding the once peaceful town, and a known explorer has been missing ever since their departure to the excavation site of a dragon burial site. When the party investigates, they will discover that the kobold's leader, Irontooth, bears a tattoo of a ram-headed demon. This is a troubling portent, for the townsfolk will report that this can only mean the dread god Orcus, master of death, has an active cult in that ruined keep! It is up to the party to enter the Keep on the Shadowfell and put a stop to the cult's fell machinations before it threatens all the realm. There they will fight the evil priest Kalarel, Scion of Orcus and seal off the vile portal to the dark realms he is master of. Should the heroes seize victory, glory and treasure are sure to be theirs. But first they must endure the challenges of that dreaded KEEP ON THE SHADOWFELL!
"A dwarven prince has requested your party's aid in quelling the coming invasion (if there is one, of course). Do you take him at his honorable word, and gird yourselves for battle? Or do you listen to the street talk, and take the side of those who disbelieve the warmongering? Most importantly of all: what if you make the wrong choice?" Patriots of Ulek is an adventure set in the world of Greyhawk - designed for a party of six to eight characters of first to third level who must help defend the Principality of Ulek against the despot’s horde and uncover a conspiracy which could lead to Ulek’s defeat. Fighters and clerics with healing spells are best suited to this adventure, as it involves a substantial amount of combat. Mages are helpful, but not required. Thieves will find minimal opportunities to practice their trade, although their skills as spies and scouts may come in handy. This adventure was designed specifically for inexperienced players and beginning dungeon masters. TSR 9385
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 were lead into a trap -- a lair of giant spiders. With one or more of their members injured and poisoned, and the trail of their quarry now cold, the characters most likely return to Crivdall.
The Bleeding Hollow was written as a tribute to the golden era of adventures. Danger lurks around every turn, and a great over-arching storyline ties everything together. There is much to discover and learn, and solving the woes of the adventure is entirely up to the players. They will choose how to deal with the myriad challenges put forth, and will probably run down a red herring or two. They might choose a very dangerous path unknowingly and pay the consequences fortheir actions. That is intended. Let the story lead your party, and your players lead the game. You won’t regret it. Published by Total Party Kill Games
The village of Bad an Fithich is besieged by a monster and the villagers offer a reward for its head. Thus far none have succeeded, but the tales tell only of a large wolf, which seems like an easy bounty. The party’s first night in the village is marked by the cry of a banshee proclaiming their inevitable doom, but if they listen closely they may hear another story. Pgs. 119-127
Dragonbowl is a setting and pulp action adventure in one. It plunges a party into a rich festival scenario that revolves around a deadly gladiatorial contest, where the dangers they face in the arena are almost secondary to those they encounter in the murky criminal underworld they find themselves in: a world that stinks of corruption, human trafficking, illegal dinosaur-trading, necromancy, blood sacrifice and unnatural arcane experiments. The action takes place in a vast cavern in Mount Waterdeep, known as the Underbelly, where not only Dragonbowl Arena, but also an entire festival grounds – consisting of temples, bars, casinos, funfairs and markets - has been constructed to host this grand sporting extravaganza. With Xanathar, Jarlaxle, Davil, Volo and the Black Viper all in attendance, and scores of 'entanglements' (faction missions) to keep players busy, Dragonbowl can be played as a sequel to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, or as a first step towards the Undermountain and the Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Equally, it can be played as a stand alone adventure, or easily transported into other settings. The adventure is written for a party of four 6th level adventurers, and easily customisable for three to five players, of any mid-tier level (the adventure contains maps and handouts adapted for both 4 and 5 player tables). The adventure is designed to last around ten to fifteen 4-hour sessions, but can very easily be shortened or lengthened according to the DM's desire. The adventure features all three pillars of play: combat (in and out of the arena), social interaction (a succession of parties and parades, where players can get entangled in NPC business) and exploration (30+ locations in the festival grounds alone).
Never try to catch a falling star. A bad seed has been planted in the dark soil of Ravenloft, and now it's time to harvest the crops. A comet has fallen from the sky outside of the town of Delmunster, and the people of this sleepy little village are changing in ways their families cannot explain. The players are on the clock to find the comet and stop its influence on the town. For every day the players take to solve the mystery, another townsperson falls under the sway of the comet. A story heavy influenced by a certain horror movie about pod people. Pgs. 48-68