A great evil force descended on the town of Phlan years ago. The townspeople were all either killed or driven away, and Phlan became (literally) a ghost town. Fifty years later, the survivors are ready to reclaim their town. But they need a band of strong and brave adventurers to lead the fight-they need you. Ruins of Adventure is a set of connected short adventures written by James Ward, David "Zeb" Cook, Steve Winter and Mike Breault-four names familiar to all AD&D game fans. It uses the same setting, locations and characters as the classic computer game Pool of Radiance by Strategic Simulations, Inc. In fact, many of the scenarios here in Ruins of Adventure will provide important clues to the successful completion of Pool of Radiance. TSR 9238

Bracing for a terrible winter, the adventurers find themselves snow-locked in the desolate Archbarony of Blackmoor. Will they venture into the treacherous Land of Black Ice to rescue an enslaved people? Be sure to check out the sequel "The Clockwork Fortress" in Dungeon magazine #126. Pgs. 16-35

Riddled with veins of precious ore and gem, the Earthspur Mountains to the west have long been a valuable resource for anyone able to mine them. One such mine has gone silent and the only thing more concerning than its long overdue shipment is the fate of the members of the Soldiery sent to discover what has happened to the mine’s workers. Though the mine lay in a region of the Mountains once claimed by a clan of reclusive dwarves, the Ludwakazar clan wouldn’t be so bold as to violate their long-standing peace with Mulmaster. Or would they?

Sometimes wandering through the frontier garners information as opposed to bloodshed. In this adventure the party stumbles across a party of Plainsmen who tell the party of some strange goings on at a remote graveyard. They tell the party that they observed ghostly figures after a lightning strike and small fire. As they were unprepared to deal with the undead but suggest if the party is up for some experience, perhaps they should head north in the morning!

Rumor has reached your ears that the legendary Amulet of Rafael is in this region. Further investigation has revealed that a reclusive nobleman in the north called Xantus is currently in possession of the item. While details are sketchy about the item, it is well known that quite powerful in the hands of a mage. You decide that you will go north and locate the “Ice Lord” and see if he is willing to part with the item.

As fledgling adventurers, your group is looking for anything to increase their fame and line their pockets with gold. Upon crossing the countryside your group comes to Creedo’s Trail a small thorp in the Duchy of Starryshade. Upon arrival in town you find an inn to stay indoors finally and a job opportunity hanging at the Bagel Inn purporting an “easy job” for a “big reward”. The poster is reputedly a crone or witch who has need for some components for an experiment she is currently working on. Easy job AND big reward…what’s not to like!

Giants have emerged from their strongholds to threaten civilization as never before. Hill giants are stealing all the grain and livestock they can, while stone giants have been scouring settlements that have been around forever. Fire giants are press-ganging the small folk into the desert, while frost giant longships have been pillaging along the Sword Coast. Even the elusive cloud giants have been witnessed, their wondrous floating cities appearing above Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate. Where is the storm giant King Hekaton, who is tasked with keeping order among the giants? The humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk of the Sword Coast will be crushed underfoot from the onslaught of these giant foes. The only chance at survival is for the small folk to work together to investigate this invasion and harness the power of rune magic, the giants’ weapon against their ancient enemy the dragons. The only way the people of Faerun can restore order is to use the giants’ own power against them.

When you wander the wilderness you run into the strangest things. Nestled in the middle of a few mountains in a volcanic basin is a strange temple structure. This is the final resting place of the legendary warlord Khan Sing. A hero among the plainsmen, this ruler was believed to have grabbed power with the assistance of a magic weapon known as the “Blood Mace”. Will the party’s investigation find this mysterious artifact?

Part 1 of an Expert-level quest into a hostile wilderness. This adventure takes place in the Known World of the D&D game, as outlined throughout the D&D game rule books and modules. The DM may find it useful to consult the Companion and Masters Sets, as well as most of the X-series of Expert Set modules. D&D Expert Set module X9, The Savage Coast, would be especially helpful, as Tortles of the Purple Sage could easily serve and continue that module's direction and plot like, adding a previously undescribed area (the Great Northway) to the Known World. The DM may also place the areas and events of this adventure within an existing campaign setting, as long as the geographical areas of the campaign match those set forth here. Pgs. 40-62

A horror themed investigation of an abandoned village in the Moonshae Isles. Little more than an outpost, Dynnegall is the life-blood of resources that flow from Caer Moray, supporting Ffolk townships across the archipelago. But the supply boat is overdue by almost a tenday and hope is difficult to find. With the recent attacks repelled an opportunity exists to send aid, but who dares to venture outside the walls? Players will investigate an empty village haunted by skulks, who are invisible unless viewed through a mirror. The boss is a sorcerer trying to free the souls of the transformed villagers, but he fails and transforms into an Allip. In the end, the adventurers may attempt to finish his work. Along the way they encounter his mother, an elven warrior who may join them, and fight a few lycanthropes.

The PCs answer a call for heroes by the Church of Traladara, asking for help in finding an ancient relic- the Shield of Halav. This is located in a lost temple, and the PCs must locate this temple, and brave its dangers to recover the shield before two competing teams from other churches find it first. Part one involves setting up the adventure, doing research, following clues, and discovering the site of the lost temple. Part two; once the site is known (ruins under a modern town) the heroes must travel there and find the entrance. Part three is braving the lost temple, filled with traps, puzzles, and other dangers, to find the missing shield, and then culminating in a climatic showdown with the completing teams.

Deep in the wooded wilderness, the village of Grimmsgate is an outpost town on a seldom-traveled trail, right at the edge of nowhere. The village’s half-ruined temple of Law, dilapidated inn, drunken blacksmith, exiled trader and a few fur-trappers are enough to keep the bloody-minded denizens of the dark forest at bay, but nobody really expects the village to still be there in another ten years. The woods have become too dangerous for the trappers who once caught animals for fur, and merchants no longer travel the poorly-maintained road. What great evil and what fabulous treasures are to be found in these lands? A brave band of adventurers might make their fortunes here. Or perhaps they might never return… Grimmsgate is an introductory adventure for the Swords & Wizardry tabletop roleplaying game. The Swords & Wizardry rules are needed to play this adventure.

Not even memories of past glory live on in the gentle hills around the village of Kusnir. Today its people have more concern for commonplace things, like the harvest, trade, and the threat of death in the night! Kusnir is beset by a skulk. The attentions of such a creature are a curse on any community. Streets and alleys which ring to the voices of children by day become fearful, shadowy places by night. Men go abroad armed and in groups, while women and children stay behind locked doors and even there are not safe. But life goes on. The lot of the peasant is always hard, what cannot be prevented must be endured and, of course, things could be worse. Much worse. The skulk has begun to visit the village more and more often. Sometimes it kills, yet just as often it spares a victim, leaving clear signs of what it might have done had it wished. Its visits are now marked by strange and illegible symbols scrawled in blood on the walls of the buildings. The people are worried, helpless, and desperate. Desperate enough to welcome adventurers. UK2: "The Sentinel" (1983) is the second UK-series adventure, the fifth TSR UK adventure overall, the first solo effort by Morris, and the first half of the two-part Adlerweg series (whew!). It was run as a tournament at the GamesFair '83 Open, then published later in 1983. TSR 9101

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

What is the Lost Lands? The Lost Lands is the home campaign world of Necromancer Game's and Frog God Game's own Bill Webb. This campaign has been continuously running since 1977. Many of the adventures published by Necromancer Games and Frog God Games are directly inspired by this campaign. They have evolved over the decades, and more material continues to flow from it as the dice keep rolling. Sages and wizards of legend speak of the Lost Lands—many of the players who have lived and died in Bill's campaign over the years now have a place in history (in the books). Frac Cher the dwarf, Flail the Great, Bannor the Paladin, Speigle the Mage, and Helman the Halfling are well known to the fans of Bill's work. This is the game world, and these are the adventures in which the players of these famous characters lived and died. Hundreds of players over the past 35 years have experienced the thrills and terrors of this world. The Sword of Air is the centerpiece of the Lost Lands. Currently, this epic tome consists of several parts: 1. The Hel’s Temple Dungeon—kind of like Tomb of Horrors on crack. This six-level, trap-and-puzzle infested dungeon formed the basis of Bill's game through his high school and college years. Clark Peterson’s very own Bannor the Paladin spent several real life months in the place, and, sadly, finished the objective. This is where the fragments of the fabled Sword of Air can be found…perhaps. 2. The Wilderness of the Lost Lands extending to the humanoid-infested Deepfells Mountains and providing detail about the nearby Wizard’s Wall. This so-called “wall” was raised by the archmages Margon and Alycthron harnessing the Spirit of the Stoneheart Mountains to raise the land itself, creating a massive escarpment to block invaders from the Haunted Steppes. These archmages are actual player characters from the early 1980s who live on in the legends of the Lost Lands. Over 70 unique encounter areas are detailed, and each one is a mini-adventure in itself. New wilderness areas may be added based on bonus goals described below! 3. The Ruined City of Tsen. Legend has it the city was destroyed by a falling meteor. This place forms an aboveground dungeon area the size of a city, with over 100 detailed encounter areas. It’s a very dark place…even at noon. 4. The Wizard’s Feud—This campaign-style adventure pits the players in a long-running series of intrigues and battles between two archmages. Which side will they take? Their actions all play into the overall quest, and could well determine which side wins. Law and Chaos are not always what they seem, and if the wrong decisions are made, the entire ordeal could fail. Remember, one of the wizards WANTS Tsathogga to win. 5. New monsters, new demons, new spells, and new rules for various aspects of play. 6. The Tower of Bells. This dungeon is the result of the workshop Bill ran at PaizoCon 2013, where the participants assisted him in building an old-school dungeon. Visit the tower and discover the secrets of the “artist” within. Beware: those entering may never come out!

This tongue in cheek adventure brings new PCs into a small town after an adventure. Upon arrival they quickly discover that the small agricultural community has just been robbed of its harvest supply. With the seasonal change coming those supplies are necessary for the town’s survival. One of the victims of the attack was an alchemist. Contained within his bag were a few Potions of Growth. The bitter taste of the potion disagreed with the bandit who discovered it and he flung it into a field. Unfortunately for the PCs oversized fowl must be overcome before dealing with the bandits. Used as a fun one-shot for my group this scenario can be quite deadly if played poorly. Will your players save the day and feast on a Giant Turkey? Gobble this adventure up for free!

Eurich Gunshoff IV, Count of Kleaves, is beset by powerful enemies. The King to the north has laid waste his holdings beyond the Tot River and even now threatens the river castles. Only the coming winter holds him at bay, giving the Count time, if only a little, to muster his strength. Long have the people of Kleaves worshiped the gods of the south, and it is to these people that he turns, striking a bargain with the powerful King of Kaymor. In exchange for a precious gift the Kayomarese promise to aid Eurich and his people, but it is Eurich’s charge to deliver the prize. He can spare few troops, and with spies all about he cannot be too careful. The prize he sets in a wagon in a caravan and as escort he calls upon those who dwell upon the fringes of society, adventurers who seek fame, gold and glory. They are charged to cross the wilderness and deliver the wagons safely. But the road is fraught with danger. Walls of stone block the road and winter upon the open plains carries dangers beyond the biting cold. But more than stone and frost, the end promises fire without comfort. Designed in 3 parts Giant’s Rapture offers overland travel, dungeon, and intrigue and pits the character’s wits against the open road and one another.

You and your associates have been contacted by Janko Milosh, fourth Earl of Tambish. Apparently, he has come into possession of a cursed item and he requires it be delivered to someone he trusts to examine it. With no mounts and none for sale, you better hope your boots are in good shape!

The main road from the prior government is known as the Queen’s Road and spans the north-south axis of the land. While it has fallen into disrepair it is still used to get to the largest city in Provincia, Queen’s Point. This community sits on the Golleck’s Bay and is filled with opportunities for young adventurers…they just have to get there!

This week’s encounter is April Showers and Foul Flowers, a combat encounter that could also become a puzzle for the druids and rangers in your party. While the characters travel through a beautiful meadow, smelling the scents of flowers and earth after a rain, the flowers at their feet spring to life and attack, threatening to entangle and devour them! These foul flowers were animated by the foul magic of a dark sorceress who infused the rain itself with her evil. The characters could fight back against the sorceress and her army of animated plants, or they could try to undo her spell and save the flowers—and the nymph that guards them.