There is the well-known regional legend of Iptiz, a spirit naga whose greed was remarkable even among its own kind. Murderous raids and relentless pillaging yielded a hoard so valuable that the creature needed some place to store and protect it. Thus was the Vault conceived: an underground complex custom built to destroy anyone who is not its creator. Years ago, Iptiz's campaign of terror suddenly ended without precursor or cause. The location of the Vault was never discovered. Until now. The ring-city of Sulindal, built upon the shores of a mile-wide desert oasis, has come under martial law by an invading army of yuan-ti. They intend to exploit the resources in this renowned city of knowledge to locate the third and final Beacon of Selune. ...but for what purpose? A four to six hour adventure for four 5th level players.
Kidnapped! The cursed Baron von Hendriks has kidnapped your betrothed. Now the madman wants as a ransom your Alandah's weight in unrefined gold! How are you going to pay? The baron himself has been kind enough to provide you with that answer: streams of raw gold gush from a burning mountain somewhere in the Sea of Dread. All you have to do is find this mysterious mountain. Unfurl the sails! The open sea awaits you and your crew as you sail from the city harbor. But beware! The Sea of Dread has more than earned its title over the centuries. Can you survive the perils of the sea? Will your crew mutiny before you reach the Burning Mountain? Or will you have to throw crew-members overboard just to make room for the gold? Solo adventure. "Lathan's Gold" is a real innovation in solo adventure design, considerably more complex than any of the gamebooks then being produced. Though the adventures uses the typical trope of numbered paragraphs, its paragraphs are divided into six types: "S"pecularum, "U"rban", Island "E"xploration", "C"oastal", "T"rade Routes, and "V"oyages. Players can jump between the sections, then return, in slightly freeform ways. Players are also required to keep track of hit points, money, and treasure (which were typical for the more advanced gamebooks), and rations, days remaining, and hull points (which were not). Another freeform element, quite unusual for gamebooks, is the "wandering monsters" table, which introduces semi-random encounters. TSR 9082
TSR 9375, from 1992
Fort Akor has come under attack by a dragon, but when the PCs seek out the beast in the surrounding jungle they discover the dragon may be the least of the fort’s troubles. The Pcs travel to Fort Akor, where they learn that the fort has been under attack by a dragon (which is really a tyrannosaur). Prince Henri asks the PCs to slay the dragon attacking his fort before it causes further damage. If the PCs investigate the fort before setting out after the tyrannosaur, they may discover the hidden corpse of its hatchling. They may also discover the truth behind the fort's dark history. Tracking the "dragon" to its lair and slaying it for Prince Henri forces the characters into conflict with a faction of the centaurs living in the jungle, who disposed the hatchlings corpse at the fort. Discoveruing the truth of the prince's conflict with the jungle natives might lead to an alliance. Pgs. 16-41
Within the pages of this book, you will find three mini-dungeons, all with a common theme. They are all set in dangerous and exciting cave systems. Not only will you be able to drag and drop these mini-dungeons as you need, but this book will also provide a suggested campaign structure and tie-ins to each of them for those witty Dungeon Masters who wish to run them all together. 1. Lizard Folk Tunnels - APL2 to APL5 A daring rescue mission to save two young children from the grasps of a tribe of lizardfolk who's evil intentions are to sacrifice their captives to their evil god. 2. The Cavern of One-Eye - APL4 to APL7 A cave system riddled with orcs as described in Volo's Guide to Monsters. Players will need to think on their feet in this one. 3. The Lair of Frostingbite - APL5 to APL8 Snow-oxen are being stolen from the farmers of Sleet-Town, tracks lead into the ancient and abandoned mine shaft within a nearby mountain. Killer Kobolds, Quaggoth slaves and a ferocious White Dragon await. Published by P.B. Publishing
At last year's CafCon we put together this little gem. After locating strange golden scrolls on your previous adventure, you have gotten word that the sage has been able to transcribe them. Much to your amazement, you learn that the sheets lead you to the lost scriptorium! What magic & spells will you discover within the ancient temple of learning?
Them Ogres Ain't Right... The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path continues! The notorious Hook Mountain ogres, known for their violent and savage ways, have slaughtered the soldiers of Fort Rannick. The few surviving rangers need heroes to help them retake this key fortification before the ogres use it as a staging ground for further assaults on the region. Yet why have the ogres chosen now to launch this sudden attack? What sinister force grows in the surrounding wilderness, and what ties to the mysterious Sihedron Rune do the ogres of Hook Mountain hide? Are the rumors of an army of giants massing for war true?
Let the buyer be-were! Sometimes you should be afraid to visit the dentist. A small coastal town is plagued with a curse and it is up to the PCs to find out what is causing the inhabitants of the town to transform into mad seawolfs. This adventure is set in the busy seaport of Rocky Harbor, which is located on a sheltered island dep in an extensive archipelago. Rocky Harbor is another location in the Volkrad campaign setting, as previously published in Dungeon Adventures issue #41, Old Man Katan and the Incredible, Edible, Dancing Mushroom Band. Pgs. 8-20
A Welcome Scourge is a murder investigation for a party of 8th level characters. It takes place in an outpost town called Newfort, but you can easily adapt the adventure to your own setting. "There have been several high-profile vampire murders in Newfort, but the locals seem to be fine with them - probably because all of the victims have been infamous and despicable. It is up to your heroes to glean clues from around town, track down the vile creature, reveal a foul conspiracy, and beat out competitors hunting for the same bounty."
A young black dragon and two hatchling dragons live in an excavated sandstone burrow in the swamp west of Knacker Knob. Connected to the dragon lair is a complex of sandstone tunnels and chambers inhabited by lizard men. Some sandstone tunnels and chambers are partially flooded, and others are filled with nasty things such as slimes, oozes and gelatinous cubes. The lizard men revere the dragons as magical spirit guardians. In small groups the lizard men are easily defeated, but if allowed to prepare a common defense, the lizard men tribe with its spellcasters may present serious threat to the player characters (PCs). Wild Dragon Den is the first dragon's lair to conquer. Part of TSR 1073 The Dragon's Den
A long, perilous ocean journey behind them, the crew of the Sea Wyvern finds itself shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread. Their destination lies well over 150 miles to the south, miles heavy with the threat of the island's terrible inhabitants. Yet the unknown enemies are far more sinister, for more than just dinosaurs hunt the vast jungles. Before long, a cunning fiend picks up their trail, and its duplicitous master demands their sacrifice. "Here There Be Monsters" is the fourth chapter of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #352 of Dragon explores the Isle of Dread in detail, providing a complete ecology of the island and the writing of Larissa Vanderboren. This article can be used as a player handout to represent the journals the group recovered from the Vanderboren family vault in the first adventure in the Campaign. Shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread! Faced with a dangerous journey, the PCs must escort a ragged band of castaways through monster-infested wildlands in order to reach the safety promised by the colony of Farshore on the isle’s southern tip. Pgs. 32-60
The General who commanded the successful and profitable Crossroads Mercenary Company turns up murdered in his home, on the very eve of his scheduled announcement of which of his ambitious captains he’s chosen to succeed him as commander-in-chief. Every one of those commanders was in the house when the murder occurred, so they’re all suspects. If that’s not enough to keep things exciting, the clock is ticking down to zero. The General made a pact with devils years ago, and unless the murder is solved quickly, an infernal gate will open, allowing devils to flood through the General’s mansion into the world at large.
Far3 – Xiomara’s Globe puts the players inside a glass ball, owned by a strange enchantress. Once stuck inside their transparent prison, the players must search for a way out. The cursed fortress inside the globe has quite a few dangers to be overcome before an escape is even possible! One version of play was recently featured on The Bard's Podcast (Soundcloud).
A cloud of dust forms over the horizon as a titanic army of evil threatens the entire civilized world! The Master of the Desert Nomads and his legions are back, and they form the greatest threat that you have ever faced. You must persuade powerful rulers to join you cause, stave off threats to the alliance, and lead your armies to victory! This adventure contains a full-color map of the D&D Expert Set game world, 200 counters, and a special expansion of the War Machine mass combat rules that allows you to fight the entire war as a strategic wargame! Major battles and engagements can be fought using the BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy Combat Supplement for incredible tabletop action. Never-before-published information on all the nations of the Expert Set game world provides background and detail that will enrich your campaign. This adventure includes large-scale battles and uses an expansion of Douglas Niles and Gary Spiegel's warfare system, "The War Machine", developed as part of the D&D Companion Set (BECMI Ed.) from 1984. "Red Arrow, Black Shield" is more than just a follow-up to X4/X5; it's a lynchpin for the entire B/X/CM adventure sequence. The players travel through many lands that were home to past adventures, and their past interactions with those places could affect diplomacy in this new adventure. TSR 9160
From The Magazine: "Every summer, Duke Hightower holds a competition quite different from the traditional jousting and archery tournaments held by similar lords of his station. The rules of his tournament change from year to year, and, to oversee the games, the duke has appointed two wizard brothers who help choose the setting and create the rules and challenges of the competition. This year the competition is called the “Owlbear Run,” an overland race that requires each participating team to escort a live owlbear from the town of Telvorn to the town of Milvorn. The teams will face a variety of challenges; some are devised by the wizards, others by the competing teams or their sponsors, and some occur entirely at random. All of these tests are in addition to the challenges inherent in motivating a temperamental owlbear. Fortune and fame await the first team to cross the finish line, and the local lords sponsoring the race are eager to enlist skilled champions for their causes." Pgs. 2-27
A Scavenger Hunt? The adventure begins in the city-state of Zoa as the wizard Geolain tasks the player characters with a quest to gather three ingredients they will use to forge a magic coin to defeat an evil wizard. Which will be more dangerous to collect, the mysterious diamond touched by death, the blood of a devil spilled by a coward or a blue dragon's breath? As the player characters race around Reanaaria Bay ti find the rare items, their nemesis Daresh the wizard begins to grow in strength and wrest power from the Skryvalkkers of the Lands of Skaarna. Will the player characters find the ingredients and enchant the coin in time? They just might be Skaarna's only hope. Published by Kenzer & Company
The Lamenting Lighthouse is a four-hour adventure for 5th-10th level characters, designed for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, with a nautical theme, heavy undead and horror elements, and mysteries to solve! One lonely lighthouse shines the way through the rocks and shoals that deny entry to the northern Moonshae Isles. But when the party’s transport approaches, a horrific gale at their backs - no light is in sight... The party must venture ahead of their vessel in a race against the storm to the restore the beacon before their ship is lost. What has befallen the keepers, and what dark secret does the lighthouse hold? Will the heroes prevail, or will they join the lighthouse's lament? This adventure can easily be inserted into a run-through of Ghosts of Saltmarsh. This one-shot can also serve as a nautical interlude in any on-going campaign where the characters have to take to the sea. Included with this adventure are: + 6 original custom creatures, the dread wraith, the dread wight, the swarm of seagulls, the captain, the rating, and the sailor + 12 player hand-outs with notes that shed light on the mystery of the lamenting lighthouse, with a randomization mechanic that ensures a degree of replayability + 9 original fleshed out NPCs, including personality traits and roleplaying tips + 2 original magical artifacts + 7 hand-drawn maps of important locations + a story reward and 2 story hooks for continuing the adventure (depending on how the adventure resolves)
This adventure works best after going through the original trilogy (Death, Terror, and Madness in Freeport). After exposing the madness and corruption of the previous Sea Lord, a succession crisis is upon Freeport. There are no heirs to the seat of power, leading the Captains' Council to overturn the Law of Succession. But opening up succession plunges the city into chaos as various factions vy for the title. The PCs will need to survive riots and secret plots to make sure the right man (or woman) ends up with the job.
The quest continues…kind of! After enjoying the accolades of your previous successes in the Barony of the Knolls, your group begins to get that adventuring itch and finds a job opportunity and will allow you to see more of the Duchy of Bast at the same time. The local caravan service is in need of a few hearty individuals that can handle themselves in a fight. A quick trip to Phillipsburg should give you an idea of where you would like to go next right?
Dice roll and cards fly at the Dove House of Luck in Waterdeep... but it's not all fun and games, as your party must stake out the casino and determine whether a crooked card dealer is stealing from the house, and what she's up to. Gamble and be merry... but even games of chance have a habit of leading back to the mysterious forces of quarrelsome Gods. Lucky be Malady is a D&D 5e urban adventure module set in Waterdeep, suitable for Tier 1 (level 1-3) parties. Schmooze with other gamblers, chase down crooked dealers, uncover plots orchestrated by the gods of fortune themselves. Think you're lucky? 2-4 hours of gameplay in any urban setting New rules for 4 games of chance 1 new curse 3 NPC stat blocks Beautiful hand-drawn maps and art assets An ally with a heart of gold... or copper? Introduction for adventures focusing on self-determination vs. fate This module is set in Waterdeep but can be modified to fit any urban setting. It gives resources for parties in need of an NPC healer, and also introduces players to powerful curses that cannot be rested off without help. It can slot into any adventure where your party has entered a large city and offers questions and dilemmas that can be brought forward into future modules to challenge your players. Also, who doesn't want to spend down-time gambling with all that monster loot? Module written by, and interior art assets by TL Massey: https://twitter.com/t31im4s Cover art by Kat Brechtel: http://kbrechtel.com/ Written through the RPG Writer Workshop FW19: https://www.rpgwriterworkshop.com I'd be really grateful for feedback! Comment/review below, or reach me @t31m4s