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.
This book goes over the various rules around the faction of the Zhentarim in Phandalin and the Forgotten Realms, making it easy for any new or veteran DMs to integrate it more into the core stories being told, and making the faction feel more useful for the players that choose to join. The adventure, Barrhindlun sees the adventurers working for the Zhentarim and traveling to the town of Leilon and finding their way beneath to the muddy lost city of Barrhindlun, where bandits of the Xanathar Guild have been sent to reclaim a Crystal Orb.
Zhentish soldiers, Maerimydran drow, and Sharran cultists have forged a dark alliance to subjugate the peaceful land of Shadowdale. Elminster's tower lies in ruins, Lord Amcathra governs at the sufferance of the dale's conquerors, and the very Weave of magic in this embattled land seems to fray with each passing day. The Zhentish yoke lies heavy over Shadowdale—but the Dalesfolk are ready to fight for their freedom, if only they can find true heroes to lead the way!
When devils slay the knightly leader of Arwyll Stead and orcs from the Hell's Fury tribe attack the town, all hope seems lost for the brave people living on Lastwall's border. The coincidental arrival of the mysterious half-orc Vegazi also raises unsettling questions, and it's up to the heroes to make sense of these events and end the Hell's Fury tribe's threat to Arwyll Stead once and for all. What does Vegazi have to do with the raiders' diabolical plot? Who will rally Arwyll Stead now that the town's icon has been cut down? And who is the mastermind orchestrating the orc tribe's alliance with devils from beyond?
Children and a cleric have been kidnapped from a small coastal town by undead creatures who crawled out of the sea. Defend the Captain's Folly Tavern, investigate the mystery, swim through underwater caverns, and fight the monstrous denizens of the deep in order to save the kidnapped civilians! This adventure includes: 4 New Monsters, 4 New Magic Items, A Seafaring Skill Challenge, & Complications for an Underwater Chase Encounter!
Years ago, brave heroes put the denizens of the Temple of Elemental Evil to the sword. Now, dark forces whisper again in the shadows of the once-deserted temple - forces far more insidious and dangerous than any sane person could dream. Evil has risen again to threaten the village of Hommlet. A continuation of the original AD&D Temple of Elemental Evil, made for a party of 4th-level adventurers, taking them up to 14th level.
Welcome to the Port City of Antioch! This sprawling community is the seat of power for the Kingdom of Nirack and has more than a few sights to see! This setting was created for a desert (fore coming) series and was used as a base of operations for the adventurers. Many strange sights await those wishing to visit the area. Note in the player testing version there was a language barrier until a Dwarven slave was located to translate for the party! This is of course optional. Welcome to the exotic world on the southern shores of the Newmack Sea!
The small fishing village of Fairmarsh runs along the riverside of the Winding Water. An ancient tomb holding a dangerous trophy has been disturbed, unleashing a long-forgotten enemy on an unsuspecting village.
Can you stop the haunting before tea? The ghosts of two warring wizards are trapped in the basement of the house. It is up to the party to end this old feud. Pgs. 68-70
“Strahd isn’t a villain who remains out of sight until the final scene. He travels as he desires to any place in his realm, and the more often he encounters the characters, the better. The characters can and should meet him multiple times before the final encounter…” -- Curse of Strahd What secret lies hidden in the village of Aracos that draws the devil Strahd von Zarovich? It is ancient, reaching all the way back to the days before Strahd became a vampire, before Barovia was torn from the mortal realm and cast into the Demiplane of Dread. The Song of Aracos is an adventure for the Dungeons and Dragons 5e Roleplaying Game. The module is optimized for five characters of 6th-level and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Curse of Strahd hardcover adventure by Wizards of the Coast. In The Song of Aracos, your player’s characters come face-to-face with Strahd as the vampire struggles to understand the compulsion pulling him to the village of Aracos. Whether they choose to help, or stand in his way, depends on them, and the fates.
Come and wolf down the adventure! It’s been a long time since the people of Welton have worried about anything but sheep ticks and late frosts, but now a pack of strangely determined wolves are spiriting away entire flocks at a time and driving farmers from their fields. With food running low and their sorcerer-in-residence nowhere to be found, the village council send out a desperate plea for brave adventurers to destroy the beasts. Is the job as easy as a walk in the woods, or is there more to the Wolves of Welton than mere animal cunning? There’s only one way to find out… A fresh take on the ancient 'kill ten wolves' quest that RPG fans will be so familiar with, The Wolves of Welton is designed to be played from start to finish in just one 3-6 hour session with limited preparation from the DM. All major characters have roleplaying notes included and full-size environment maps are included.
It's the day before Christmas and Santa's sleigh is stolen with the party on board! Can they retrieve the magical Cheer Core in time to save Christmas? The party takes on the roles of Santa's Helpers, gnomes that work in a new and industrialized North Pole. They're sent into the belly of this year's sleigh (a coal-powered machine the size of a warship) to deal with some minor pests. While they're inside, the sleigh is hijacked by redcaps that work for an evil witch that is jealous of Santa's popularity and wants nothing more than to steal Christmas for herself. Includes Christmas-themed monster stat blocks and magic items, all custom-built for a fun and lighthearted holiday adventure for a level 5 party.
The town of Canticle Bay has long been dependent on ocean fishing for its economy, and as demand has grown, the town has increased its efforts to supply the inland cities with the best seafood. Recently, however, the men who go out on the boats haven’t been coming back. A newly formed group of adventurers have been sent by the guild to investigate the missing men. Where are they? Those that are still alive can be found in the watery depths amongst the Sirens sworn to protect the ocean. Faced with the truth, whose side will the party take?
This scenario puts a new but experienced adventure back into harm’s way. After arriving at the small community of Penchant for a festival, the PC quickly discovers that there is danger afoot! The citizens are reporting a bloodthirsty creature roaming the area threatening the festival. If this problem can be resolved a second and more dangerous challenge awaits them in a nearby cemetery. As with all adventures in the Penchant series it can be difficult and not for the faint of heart!
A city of burgeoning technology beset upon by intrigue and insurrection, Samon has been a thorn in Emperor Hitoshi's side since suffering in the rebellion against the Kengen Occupation, its wounds still fresh on the minds of its citizens. It is not beneath the notice of Hakaisuru Bengoshi however, and the adventurers are ordered by one such official to make certain that the Tazuki Rail company's doings are not curtailed by its increasingly aggressive laborers and their shadowy union, the Fangs. Little do they know that the bite of the fangs carries a far deadlier poison than any worker's ire! What you’ll find in Mists of Akuma: Fangs of Revenge: A complex cast of 20 NPCs beautifully illustrated by Nathanael Batchelor interwoven in an impressive tale of deceit, false trails, intrigue, and lethal adversaries The city of Samon, a settlement in the northern prefecture of Hakaisuru and home to Soburin’s most prosperous railroad company Four maps by cartographer Mike Myler: an isometric view of Samon, an isometric map of the Tazuki Rail Offices, a combat map of the Chujiang Gardens, and a combat map of the Tazuki Rail Basement The dangerous Mists of Akuma and the new misted condition The hengeyokai race and kitsune, nezumi, usagi, and (new!) hebi (snake) subraces The adeddo-oni and true hebi templates as well as a coterie of statblocks: adeddo-oni hunchling, adeddo-oni mage, adeddo-oni ninja, adeddo-oni samurai, factory worker, nuwa the brute (a true hebi), wajdet the charlatan (a true hebi), the many-faceted hengeyokai ninja, and the hebikontorora snake woman
The sleepy village of Raven's Lake has a secret: A terrible god lives in the depths of the settlement's namesake. The citizens of Raven's Lake know that something lives in the lake. People who go out on the lake after dark go missing far too often and frequently turn up weeks later with no memory of where they've been. The local church of St. Cuthbert has been abandoned no fewer than seven times in the last two years, each time its lone cleric packing hastily and fleeing town without a word. Adventurers who come to Raven's Lake have a habit of vanishing forever. The truth is that something does indeed live in Raven's Lake but it is far from a deity. It's an exiled aboleth by the name of Zlorthishen. Pgs. 33-36
The Baronies of Erlkazar, once a prosperous region of pastoral tranquility, is now a land of nightmares and dread. Bandit armies plague the region, terrorizing the populace and surrounding countries of Calimshan, Tethyr, Amn, and Turmish. Though these threats are terrifying enough, it is nothing compared to what awaits the people of Erlkazar at night. In caves, tombs, and subterranean communities beneath the seemingly pastoral villages of Erlkazar live the secretive Night Barony. Ruled by the vampire Saestra and her legions of darkness, these monstrous denizens of the Five Baronies are the real power in the region. The country’s only hope of liberation is you.
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.
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.
You are hired by a mine operator to retrieve the mine's gnomish engineer who has barricaded himself in the mine's lower reaches. But there's more going on than just a crazy gnome and his robots sabotaging the mine. You'll need to explore the forest, build alliances, and brave a rollercoaster ride on a mine cart to get to the bottom of this adventure (pun intended). This is a gamebook-style solo adventure that you can play in your browser. You make a 2nd level character sheet, roll your own dice, keep up with your inventory, spells, and HP, and are on your honor to be honest. It's all text-based with some public domain illustrations, and you click on options as you make decisions and roll the dice.