The Lotus Blossom Steppes have long been a land of disjointed tribes, squabbling with one another for central rulership. In the past, great rulers laid claim to the Steppes, bringing the tribes under a single banner for a great purpose—be it under the terrible dictatorship of a half-rakshasa khan or an enlightened visionary khan that leads the tribes beyond the borders of the Steppes. Yet there is great power tucked away behind the tribes’ individual banners. All it takes is an individual with enough ambition and enough power to change the destiny of the Lotus Blossom Steppes... and one ambitious man is on the hunt for the fragmented powers of the NewGod war. Can the PCs put an end to a rising warlord's ambitions, or will the Lotus Blossom Steppes fall again into tribal conflict?
Synopsis: Goblin Bathwater, a magical drug, has taken hold in a sleepy coastal town at the edge of the Empire. As the characters investigate the origin of the drug, they uncover an international criminal conspiracy, wild and ancient magic, and a threat to reality itself. Contents: This beautifully made, 54-page adventure offers: A fully fleshed out, setting-agnostic starter area, brimming with colourful NPCs and hooks for adventure. Balanced encounters to bring characters to level 2; then some more devious encounters on their way to level 3. Three mini-dungeons built on the design philosophy of the "5 room dungeon method" Multiple big, cinematic set-piece boss encounters what will make your players feel epic. A facetted intrigue, which does not immediately suggest a simple, ready-made solution but invites the players to come up with their own, personal approach. Why pick this adventure? Hey, my name is Marius. This is my first time publishing on the DMs Guild but I wouldn't call myself a newcomer. I started playing Pathfinder 1e back in 2014. When I took over as our group's DM in 2019, we swapped over to 5e. We have run many, many modules and adventures since. Currently I play three games a week. In short: You could say I'm hooked. I created The Goblin Bathwater Incident as the ideal adventure for in-between your big modules, but it isn't a simple little adventure. With a playtime of about 30 hours, it still manages to hit that sweet-spot, where it establishes context, makes you grow fond of NPCs, and makes those big bossfight wins so much sweeter, all without taking more than a few sessions. The Goblin Bathwater Incident is different from many of the 1st tier adventures in that it pits the characters against traps and monsters, but also asks difficult, open-ended ethical questions, where a simple strategy of "apply sword to head of bad guy" will not cut it.
The first part of the Dreams of Red Wizards adventure path originally published for the D&D NEXT Playtest. Following the events Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, a new set of adventurer's will see some of the repercussions of that adventure. This adventure is intended to be continued in the Dead in Thay adventure (Note that they Dead in Thay 5e adventure featured in Tales from the Yawning Portal is missing a significant portion of interlude that links Scourge of the Sword Coast to the events within the Doomvault). The adventurers arrive when Daggerford is crowded with refugees from outlying lands. Goblins, gnolls, and orcs have been raiding the countryside. Now, food is scarce and tension is high. Blame for a theft has fallen on the refugees, and the Duke of Daggerford has forbidden more of the displaced from coming into town. After overcoming difficulties to enter Daggerford, the characters learn more about the raids. As they fight against the humanoids and delve deeper in the darkness that encircles Daggerford, the characters learn of Bloodgate Keep. After a final fiendish ambush, they’re ready to confront the real threat to the area. DM Note: This adventure points the adventurers strongly towards Bloodgate Keep but that location does not appear until the Dead in Thay adventure; at several points the party may feel drawn to explore that location rather than continue their investigations around Daggerford. However, since Bloodgate Keep is only eluded to as a source of great evil power, it can serve to easily segue to an entirely different adventure path. As a NEXT Playtest adventure, Scourge of the Sword Coast uses milestone leveling and the included stat blocks for creatures do not necessarily match or even appear in the 5e Monster Manual, nor do they have XP values or challenge ratings. In some places it will reference rules used in the Playtest but dropped or changed in the 5e release, these are unlikely to substantially impact gampley with 5e rules.
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?
The citizens of Battledale seek aid against marauding bandits, while the neighboring forest looms menacingly over their homesteads. The adventurers stumble upon a much darker foe, while trying to help the peaceful community hunt down the brigands. A misguided druid, who’s on the verge of insanity, wields an artifact, born of sorrow and hate, that could change the world. An evil that might alter the face of Faerun, if left unchecked. Will the heroes be able to vanquish the otherworldly threat once and for all? The players must traverse into one of the most deadly forests of the Forgotten Realms, called the Tangled Trees. Should they survive long enough, they will enlist the help of a magical denizen of the forest, who will aid them to find the bandits, but also in stopping the tainted druid and her abominations.
Hunt for a Legendary Treasure! Deep beneath a peaceful valley lies the vault of the legendary drow adventurer Larin Karr. Rumor has it Larin Karr has gone, but his vast treasure acquired from years of plundering hordes in the Underdark still remains. Can you find and loot the impenetrable vault? The Vault of Larin Karr details Quail Valley, its residents and monsters, and the twisting tunnels of the Underdark that stretch beneath it. The Vault of Larin Karr takes PCs from 4th to 9th level, during which time they fight dragons, find a missing statue for a band of renegade elves, save the village of Pembrose from scheming hobgoblins, and explore the Underdark and its many dungeons - including the legendary Vault itself! Contains new monsters and magic items! 2003 ENnie Award Silver Winner: Best Adventure
Coming off the Plains of Dorack, you enter the Glockenspiel Mountains, where the remote village of Fargone is located. A merchant caravan you encountered a few days ago mentioned that Fargone residents have discovered a pass through the mountains to the sea; and a new trade route is opening up. This sounds like a nice place to stop before venturing to the sea! As you approach the area where Fargone is said to be, large billowing smoke clouds can be seen….this could be problematic…..
This adventure takes place in the Moonsea of Faerûn. The players have been brought to Melvaunt to search for the missing scions of the city's great families. To the north, in Thar the orc tribes converge on the ruined fortress of Xul-Jarak, flocking to the banner of a charismatic warlord. There, he intends to sacrifice the scions of the great families of Melvaunt in a bloodritual to Gruumsh. The players will escape Melvaunt, search along the wilderness of Thar for the Fortress of Xul-Jarak, and then explore the dungeons of the ruined fortress and hopefully rescue the scions before they are sacrificed. There also is a Web Enhancement by Eric Cagle on the archives of wizards of the coast's website designed to scale the adventure to level 8. For example, it replaces the Owlbear with a Tyrannosaurus. This is an easy to scale adventure with much of the player's difficulty coming from intelligently avoiding problems, choosing how to approach each floor in the most tactical way, and quickly adjusting when something goes wrong. The adventure has sidebars including common orc battle cries (In Orc!), ready to use orc names, weather and random encounter table in Thar, a description of what happens if the party fails or partially succeeds, and suggested minis for each of the encounters. There is even an extended description of the bloodspear ritual, an event the party is not meant to encounter in a normal run. The appendix is detailed for all the humanoid characters including the scions and their equipment, the named villains, and variety of unnamed orcs the party will encounter. The fortress also offers an opportunity to introduce the players to the Underdark and the Zhentil Keep. There is a passage to the Underdark the players can accidentally explore, and return to later. Emissaries from Zhentil Keep have come to watch the ritual and have their own motivations. These npcs provide an opportunity for exposition and role playing at a point which otherwise might be combat heavy, acting as a valve for the first floor - helping or hurting the party with subtle magic should the difficulty be off.
Numb Island sits in the north seas and is home to Miles Away a struggling settlement with a variety of problems. This adventure setting has a variety of different side adventures that can be used in a continuing campaign or as individual scenarios. Each of the scenario has a level recommendation so that you, the DM, can pick and choose what the party may be ready for and what adventures are better to pass over. In the Filbar campaign the adventurers found themselves on Numb Island several times during their adventuring career and were not strangers in Miles Away!
Come visit the acid fantasy mini-sandbox of the Misty Isles, a hellish pocket plane that's brutally displaced a bucolic paradise. Marvel at its massive grub-ridges, shake at the body horror of its protein vats—and watch as your players dynamically unleash the Anti-Chaos Index through their own in-game actions. Misty Isles of the Eld is a stand-alone sequel to Slumbering Ursine Dunes and Fever-Dreaming Marlinko. It contains: Four dungeons. The Vat Complex (with its menacing sealed off-west wing, body-horrific industrial process and pocket dimensions), the flying god-prison Monument Five, the meth-fruit Plantation House and Colonel Zogg's Pagoda Bunker. Full “extra-planar” pointcrawl. The wilderness crawl spreads over one main isle and two smaller islets subdivided by massive, movable grubs. An “Anti-Chaos Index.” Through their actions the players shape the very reality of the Isles. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst, but always for the weird. A slew of new otherwordly monsters. A large collection of bizarre technological Eldish artifacts and treasure. Includes a random generator for miscellaneous artifacts picked up. A new psionicist player class, the Psychonaut, with a soft scifi twist. Including its own powers and mutations.
This sequel to issue #87’s ”Raiders of Galath’s Roost” takes the PCs back to the Dales region, where they must uncover a plot to destabilize the region. Zhentarim agents from Zhentil keep are disrupting trade along the Moonsea Ride, while drow from the forests are slaughtering merchants and taking their goods to sow discord between the humans of Misteldale and the elves of Cormanthor. The PCs must embark on a convoluted investigation to uncover the mystery behind the attacks. Pgs. 48-68
The Ghost Tribe of Orcs were driven from their home under Wyvern Tor by some terrible evil. They marched to Phandalin and attacked, only to be defeated. Now the heroes will go beneath Wyvern Tor to discover the terror that chased out the orcs and perhaps find the source of the orc’ssardonyx. Journey to Beneath Wyvern Tor is the third of four parts in the After Lost Mine series. It will play out the journey to the orc’s former cave settlement and then into the darkness beneath. Part IV will have the party deal with the terror from the Underdark that drove out the orcs.
Vorgansharax rules Phlan, using the Cult of the Dragon to extend his noxious gaze. But the green dragon seeks far more than control of the beleaguered town – ultimate power is nearly within reach. Will he reactivate the Pool of Radiance and ascend to greater prominence amongst his kind? A sequel to DDEX1-10 Tyranny in Phlan and Part Two of Under Emerald Claws.
SQ3 – Hatadage Cult takes a group of initial adventurers on their first challenge. This short adventure allows a group of new or low level PCs hear news of a kidnapping from a nearby thorp. Role playing will be key to learning more about the disappearance before heading into the hills near some old ruins. This is the site of a group of cultists that have kidnapped the young woman and mean to use her in a sacrifice!
Characters are asked by a local cleric to deliver gifts to a family whose homestead is in the harsh frontier. During the trek they encounter several “spirit forces” that they can overcome through combat, or they can decipher clues to use tropes that suggest some fun, holiday-themed alternatives to combat. Once they reach the homestead, they must plan to secretly deliver the gifts. All of this must be completed in one day’s time before the Winter Solstice ends. This adventure is an homage to the Christmas holiday time, but it is not a traditional “Santa Claus” story. The cast of monsters and NPCs are inspired by European folklore that have contributed to today’s Christmas celebrations. The legends have been mashed into a single, tier 1 D&D adventure, designed for four level 4 characters. Suggestions are given for scaling. Total play should not exceed 4 hours.
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?
Sharlo Tan was a sorceress. She was a scholar. She was a spy. And she left behind a legendary trove of treasure, guarded by riddles, secrets, and the passage of time. But it isn’t an ancient rumor that has the people of Rivesby on edge. The hobgoblins of the Lamellar Banner have encamped less than a day’s march away, and no one knows what has brought them out of their stronghold. In this richly detailed adventure, players can choose whether to play peacemaker or treasure hunter, explorer or exterminator. But they won’t be the only ones playing games, as they encounter creatures and NPCs who have their own conflicts and motivations. The Secret of Sharlo Tan is a mid-length adventure for levels 2-4 that easily plugs into any 5e campaign. It’s particularly suited to those who love witty books, solveable riddles, and nuanced interactions, but it readily accommodates smash-mouthed impatience as well. Depending on playstyle, it can fill 2-4 play sessions of 3-4 hours. The adventure includes: * 40-page fully illustrated PDF with player handouts * 3 stat blocks * 4 dungeon maps in DM and unmarked versions * 11 all-new magic items
You have been sent to watch over the destruction of an ancient artifact by your liege, but arrive to find the temple sacked and the item missing. You and the other abassadors must take the famed Pick of Zander across the Kamula Wastelands. There you must track down the agents of evil and, if possible, destroy the artifact...time to earn your hero status!
A friendly little cottage and a dreadful secret. As the adventure begins, the PCs are on a journey through temperate, wilderness hills -- perhaps toward a destination of importance in the ongoing campaign, or they might merely be wandering in search of heroic opportunities. Pgs. 20-25
Tucked away in a volcanic hideaway is the home of the feared and wanted mage known as Arcanous the Black. This evil man is feared only slightly less than his original master Sabu the Witch King. In this adventure the party has the opportunity to deal with this fugitive from justice and claim the 5000gp reward!