Player characters attacking the lair of monsters that have been menacing the local village is a common D&D trope. This adventure turns the trope on its head. In Goblin Defense, the players create goblin PCs, and have to fight off repeated attacks by adventurers who are stronger and better equipped than they are. Starting at level 1 and running until level 7, this module encompasses 16 battles against unique and typically themed groups of adventurers built using player character classes and rules. The module is designed for 3 players, each of whom takes on an individual role within the tribe, granting unique bonuses or options for actions outside of combat. Goblin Defense can also be played with 4 players, but is not recommended for 5 or more players without substantial revision. The players aren't alone. Each commands a squad of goblin minions who can help in combat... but goblins are fragile, and adventurers hit hard. Life as a goblin is often brief and violent. Many will die, but as long as some survive, the tribe will carry on. A simple ruleset is provided for managing actions during the downtime between each attack. During this time, players can work to train their minions to use better gear, hunt for food for their tribe, recruit replacement warriors, brew potions, and - most importantly - improve their lair and its defenses by adding walls, traps, tunnels, doors, alarms, and anything else their creative minds can come up with. As the exact layout and placement of defensive features is critical, this is designed to be played on a grid. A PDF is included with the map scaled to print on 24"x36" (Arch D) size paper, available at most print shops. DMs may enjoy the chance to briefly try out many different character class and subclass combinations as they attack and eventually fall to the goblin pests they're trying to eliminate. Page count: Information for the DM only 6 Information for the players 4 Adventurer statblocks 37
When the characters set up camp in the forest, they catch the attention of a supernatural evil called the Night Hunter. Can they survive its increasingly audacious attacks and discover the true nature of what is hunting them in the night? This short horror scenario takes about 2 hours to complete and is for four or five 1st-level characters. Download it for free in the YouTube video walkthrough link! Inside the The Night Hunter, you'll find: -A new bogeyman monster tied to local folklore -The Arcane Library's signature format to make running the adventure effortless -Combat cards for monsters, PCs, and special treasure -Beautiful VTT maps with and without grid by Lantern's Light Maps
While enjoying some downtime in the coastal city of Forby, a disturbance catches your attention. You quickly discover that there is some trouble in the swampland to the north and the captains that navigate the area are quite upset. Is your group ready to get their waders on and figure out the problem in the swamp?
Welcome to Cirria’s Gambit, a four- to six-hour adventure for 2nd-4th level characters, designed for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition! This adventure invites you and your players to a fiendishly fun party with revengeful devils, a succubus who just wants to go back to hell, snobbish nobles, intoxicated socialites and one really irritated banshee! Cirria wants to go to hell! There is only one tiny problem: her mistress Glasya, archdevil of the sixth layer, has banished her for insubordination. So, what’s a succubus to do in Cirria’s place? Take over a local noble family and organize a grand feast like this boring plane has never seen before to channel the emotional energy of her guests into a ritual to open a portal, of course! Isn’t it obvious? Cirria’s plan only had one tiny unaccounted for issue: Lady Kaera, matron of the noble house Cirria targeted, is a banshee. Cirria found a momentary solution – but that will only hold so long as no intrepid group of adventurers disrupts it… This adventure can be run as a one-shot or inserted into an on-going campaign. The theme fits Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus particularly well!
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).
Men always seek the blood of monsters. Some spill it to avenge their massacred families. Others swim through an ocean of gore to find treasures worth the envy of kings. A few know blood can be a priceless treasure in and of itself. Alchemy has long used the lifeblood of monstrosities as arcane fuel, and of all the legendary beasts, the blood of the gorgon holds the most secrets. Few know the blood's darkest lore, its ability to draw out the monster within every soul. Those who drink gorgon's blood are forever changed, and the darkest horrors of their mind unleashed. The heroes hunt a deadly murderer who stalks the streets of the Free City of Zobeck after nightfall, and cross blades with a guild of monsters who rule the city from below. Lucky heroes might risk no more than their lives. Unlucky heroes must wager their souls in a game where monsters and men dance close enough to share their blood and their fate.
"An army on the move, an ancient artifact, its purpose long forgotten, and the sinister plans of an unknown foe: When these elements combine, it's bad news for the good-aligned cities of the Blood Plateau. A massive band of orcs is marching on the Monastery of the Yellow Lotus, intent upon taking the "Flower That Does Not Bloom." The heroes must trek through goblin-infested tunnels and monster-filled woods ahead of the orcish horde, in a deadly Race to the Yellow Lotus." This adventure is the second in the "Tales from the Blood Plateau" series, but works well as a standalone or an intro to another campaign. Though the party does not actually engage the Death Knight/Blackguard antagonist, he is the primary driving force behind the events of the adventure. Published by MonkeyGod Enterprises and Highmoon Press
People in the Blight begin to awaken at night burning with an all-too-real fire. Most of them die horribly, spouses or lovers staring in shocked horror at their sudden death throes in the grip of consuming flames. A few of the truly unlucky actually manage to survive -- if living in such a state can be called survival. There seems to be no rhyme or reason in the victims of these incinerating dreams, as those among the high and low fall victim to its touch, and the locals each pray that he or she will not be next. Now no one dares to sleep. By renowned author and creator of the Blight, Richard Pett, The Crucible is a 7th-level stand-alone adventure of urban horror set in his own crooked city of the Blight. This adventure may not be suitable for children below the age of 13.
Manthrak's Malicious Steamroller After an experiment with a teapot goes wrong, a wizard's tower rolls through the forest, crushing all beneath it. Its owner, Manthrak the Meticulous wants it back. It's up to you and your companions to stop the tower's rampage before something even worse happens. Manthrak’s Malicious Steamroller is a short, high-octane one-shot adventure module for a party of four or five 4th level characters. With no setting specific details, it can be easily dropped into any campaign, or run on by itself for an action-packed escapade. Included: Full-color 13-page PDF Virtual tabletop maps - Gridded & Non-gridded Accessible & print-friendly PDF A fun, unforgettable experience
The remote asteroid town of Darkfall harbors a terrible secret. In this adventure characters will have the opportunity to reveal the mystery behind the strange occurrences that have been plaguing the residents. A Two-Hour Adventure for Tier1 Characters. Optimized for APL 3. All maps, tokens, and VTT files are included. CONTENT WARNING: Abduction, Sacrifice, Horror This adventure has the three pillars of play, combat, exploration, and social, with suggestions on how to adjust as you need. Matt Brown, a highly talented D&D adventure author, is thrilled to unveil his latest work, "The Horror in Darkfall." A spine-chilling sci-fi adventure designed for 2 hours of play and a Tier 1, perfect for those who love the three pillars of play. With a silver ranking for his D&D adventure, "The Last Resort," Matt has a proven track record of crafting captivating stories in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. He is a true lover of all things fantastical, and his unique adventure is guaranteed to keep D&D players on the edge of their seats. When he's not weaving tales, Matt can be found enjoying time with his beloved corgi in the Boston area.
Operating as secret agents for the Lords of Waterdeep, a promising lead takes you deep into the world of the Xanathar, but what will it take for you to return?
Hidden in the remote southern range of the World’s Edge Mountains lies a mysterious necropolis known in legend as the Tomb of the Iron Medusa. When the last heir of the dungeon’s long-dead noble builders hires the PCs to explore the forlorn and deadly site in search of evidence that may clear his family name, the intrepid heroes soon find themselves in over their heads. For the Tomb of the Iron Medusa does not give up its secrets lightly, and the dangerous truths that lie within its ancient, trap-laden crypts may have been hidden for very good reasons indeed.
To banish the monstrous shadows that stalk Westcrown by night, the PCs go undercover, joining the city’s chaotic theatrical community in an elaborate plot to infiltrate the estate of the decadent lord-mayor. Yet theater life turns deadly when they become players in a spectacle no actor has ever survived. Can the PCs endure their debut performance in a city where an actor’s first big hit is often his last? This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Council of Thieves Adventure Path, and includes: "The Sixfold Trial," a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 3rd-level characters, by Richard Pett The Six Trials of Larazod, the complete and unabridged text of that infamously deadly play, by Nicolas Logue An exploration of the faith of Iomedae the Inheritor, goddess of valor, by Sean K Reynolds Pathfinder Varian Jeggare investigating death among the aristocracy in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Dave Gross Six new monsters by Darrin Drader, David Eitelbach, Sean K Reynolds, and F. Wesley Schneider
Kingdom of the Blind is a short adventure for four 8th-level characters. The adventure is set in a minor duchy that is fairly removed from the ruler of the land. As a result, trouble can brew in the land and the king would not know immediately. About three years ago, a medusa, Zhanna Serpentlock, began systematically turning every person in Duke Jellhyn Fedorel's (N male human Ari5) duchy to stone. After losing many peasants to the medusa, Jellhyn attempted to placate her. He offered her his second son, Dephyl, for a husband. Duke Jellhyn and his family had always been rather tense and uncomfortable around Dephyl anyway due to the fact that Dephyl had lost an eye in a freak magical explosion as a boy. Zhanna accepted the marriage, and though Dephyl didn't really care for his family due to how they treated him, he was also less than happy with the arrangement. A year ago, Zhanna appeared at Fedorel's citadel again. She claimed that Dephyl had been untrue and that she had turned him to stone for his adultery. Throwing Dephyl's stone head down in the courtyard of the citadel, she swore vengeance on all Fedorels for his betrayal. Duke Fedorel and his household fled the citadel. Rather than give chase, Zhanna took up residence there and began ruling the duchy as the sole remaining Fedorel family member. Jellhyn and his family have lived in exile for a year. This is what the PCs can learn, but more is going on. As it turns out, Dephyl is alive and quite happy with his marriage. Zhanna is not repulsed by his disfigurement as his family was, and Dephyl's missing eye is something of an asset in the relationship since it lessens his chance of being accidentally petrified by his wife. In the two years of his marriage, he has grown up and gained ambition -- he wants to rule. As a second son (pawned off on a monster), he would never have received the chance. Now, with Zhanna's help, he can rule. However, Dephyl doesn't have the stomach for killing his father and brother. Instead, he and Zhanna plotted to take over the duchy by frightening everyone away. Zhanna carved a stone bust of Dephyl and used it to frighten off the rest of his family. Now Dephyl and Zhanna live happily in the citadel and rule the duchy together, though Dephyl's existence among the living is a secret.
The town of Proskur has been cut off from the rest of the kingdom of Cormyr by a terrible storm, just as its people begins to suffer from a feinting sickness. Now the crops are failing. Are these the acts of a vengeful god? Or something more sinister? While aiding the good peoples of Cormyr in their plight against goblin hordes, the restless dead, a band of cut-throat pirates and the wilds of the Gritstone Moorland, the adventurers must investigate the true cause behind these calamities while uncovering a century old past, following in the footsteps of a legendary band of knights. Will they bring the fight to the evil hag, Bad Blood Hattie in her accursed Bloodtower lair? Or doom Proskur to become a blighted ruin?
While the name Codic Keep used to have prestige associated with it in the past, it is now a crumbling fortress blasted years ago by a large tornado. Now the ruin sits next to a swamp and is pretty much left ignored. Recently word has reached Feastelburg that strange lights have been noticed near the keep and many have wondered if the wanted criminal relative has returned to reclaim the property. Wanted posters of “Si” Codic have been circulating for quite some time with a reward of 1500 gp for his capture. Who’s up for a swamp trip?
"A well-written adventure through a mansion filled with dark secrets." The party is recruited by an innkeeper to recover a flower from a nearby mansion. He is an alchemist and he is running short on his supply of the Midnight Violet. Town rumors warn the party to stay away. But, that's unlikely given that your heros are mighty and brave. While exploring the mansion, the adventurers will learn the story of the family that once lived there and what caused their demise. That is...if they live that long. Two new creatures and one new magic item are introduced in this adventure.
A shrewd, spell-using green dragon has taken over the deepest chamber of a limestone cave as his lair. The dragon has persuaded a tribe of troglodytes to live in the outer chambers as a sort of "protective buffer" in return for gifts of magical treasure. The troglodytes cherish the useless bits of magic without realizing their modest worth. The outer chambers of the cave are protected by the troglodytes, the beetles and centipedes the troglodytes raise as cattle, and wild creatures. The green dragon uses traps, illusions and magical devices to protect his inner chamber. Wyrmhaven is the second dragon's lair to conquer. Part of TSR 1073 The Dragon's Den
This adventure is more of a classic dungeon crawl, themed around the accidentally terrifying dreamscape of an elven girl trapped in a nightmare of her own making. The dungeon shifts and exits move about as the party explores, making each run through the dungeon a unique experience and allowing for infinite replays of the same adventure.
In the frontier stronghold of Purdey’s Rest, rumors of mysterious lost ruins lead a group of young adventurers into the wilderness — and the forgotten dungeons of a legendary dark mage. Facing off against evil bandits, foul undead, and ravenous monsters, the characters seek the rewards of wealth and fame. But before they can claim either, they must survive all the deadly threats of Hazakor’s lost halls. The Hidden Halls of Hazakor is a starter adventure for fifth edition fantasy roleplaying, written with a special focus on young, beginning Gamemasters of ages twelve and up. In a friendly and straightforward fashion, this adventure explores some of the ways a good fantasy RPG dungeon crawl can be put together. It offers advice on how to just let things happen during a game session, and how to not be overwhelmed by all the directions in which an adventure can go. It talks about how to bring nonplayer characters to life, how to have fun running monsters, and how to challenge the other players and their characters alike. The Hidden Halls of Hazakor is for any player who’s ready to sit in the GM’s chair for the first time — and who is ready to learn some of the tricks and techniques that help all GMs run great games. The PDF download also includes untagged maps for Purdey's Rest and the Hidden Halls of Hazakor dungeon, making it easy to run the adventure in a virtual tabletop setup. These maps are missing the number key and any features that should initially be known only to the GM (including traps and secret doors). The publisher's website offers free pregenerated characters for the adventure, but they are not included in the adventure. The website also has a free GM Guide as well. Insane Angel Studios