From time out of mind, the standing stones known as the Circle of Cahervaniel have stood lonely vigil on a grassy hilltop. Sheepherders once moved their flocks over the hill and through the circle, sometimes resting in the cool shadows cast by the ancient stones. Everything changed when a stone finger fell, revealing a fissure in the earth. Now, dark shadows caress the circle after the sun sets. Creatures out of nightmare dance upon the hillside at night. Many swear that a unicorn of deepest ebony now hunts all upon two legs who draw near, while stunted creatures scurry in the shadows, abducting sheep from their sheds and drawing them down below ground for food. After the disappearance of a sheperd, fear grows stronger in neighboring villages. Who will brave the black hollow of the ancient Circle of Cahervaniel? Heroes of stern mettle must descend into the cavity and explore the ancient spaces existing there. Product History "The Shattered Circle" (1999), by Bruce R. Cordell, is a generic adventure for AD&D 2e. It was published in January 1999. Origins: Another Generic. After Wizards of the Coast began publishing D&D, their first year and a half of generic adventures were all classic revivals: returns to RPGA tournaments, to classic adventures, and to Dungeon scenarios. Even "A Paladin in Hell" (1998) was a return in its own way, to the demons and devils that TSR had become afraid of. Wizards was staking out new ground by reclaiming the past. "The Shattered Circle" (1999) was the first generic Wizards adventure that was simply a generic adventure, with no deeper origins and no hidden motives. Artifacts of Note. the foundingstone and the harp Euphonious are both one-off named magic items. However, it's sword Icerazor that's the most interesting. It's said to have grown from a shard of Frostrazor — a sword that would only appear ten months later in Return to White Plume Mountain (1999). There, it's listed as one of Keraptis' four implements of power, alongside Wave, Blackrazor, and Whelm — meaning that Icerazor (and this adventure) are just one step removed from White Plume Mountain itself. Monsters of Note: Chitine. It's somewhat curious, given the Greyhawk and Neverness connections, to note that the chitine debuted in MC11: "Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix" (1991). The spider-humanoids have generally been a Realms creature, featuring in bestiaries and histories for that setting. However, they also received a more generic "Ecology of the Chitine" in Dragon #223 (November 1995), which introduced the choldrith, or chitine priestess. This is their major adventure appearance. When asked about pronouncing their name Cordell says that he "can't be 100% sure of the original designer's pronunciation", but he prefers "KI-TEEN". About the Creators. By 1999, Cordell was one of D&D's most prolific writers. He'd previously authored many slightly related adventures, such as The Gates of Firestorm Peak(1996) and the sahuagin (1997) and illithid (1998) Monstrous Arcana adventure trilogies. This conversion guide allows DMs to run the original module with 5th Edition rules. To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of The Shattered Circle, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in Digital format at the DMs Guild. This adventure is a generic adventure, not specifically based in any existing setting. Suggestions are given in the conversion guide to place the adventure in the Forgotten Realms.
Things are darkest before they go totally black. He wears black, hires orcs, and looks depraved - but don't be fooled. He's far more dangerous than he seems. Thaddigren Dentiata recently arrived in the village of Sisak, and within 3 months had constructed a great tower on the outskirts. The villagers have become more wary of him, since he employs the help of orc henchment (albeit polite ones), and also is suspected of using dark magic. Since then, livestock has begun disappearing from the surrounding pastures, and two drunk men fell upon a terrible fate when they went to investigate the tower secretly. One was killed and the other remains missing. The villagers have confronted Dentiata, but he and his henchmen politely turned aside their questioning. The players arrive just after one of the town elders was taken by orcs from the village after trying in vain to rally the rest of the townspeople. The players will spend some time in the village gathering information and then attack the tower itself, ending in a final battle with the evil wizard. The module provides details on all buildings in the town as well as all NPCs and stores. Pgs. 6-24
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
While you search for treasure, others search for you. A treasure vault without guards or traps - can it be true? Pgs. 16-30
"A great cat sits upon the northern grasslands, my friend, waiting to pounce on adventurers just like you." As you part the tall grass with your sword, the words of the tavernkeeper echo in your head. "He was the mightiest wizard we'd ever known, and that Lion Castle was his home." Your friends' voices mingle with the tavernkeeper's. "He's but a ghost now, haunting those halls, and waiting for an heir." The ground rises slightly. A strong wind rushes through the field. Suddenly, the grasses part, and Lion Castle rises majestically before you! "Magical riches await those who enter!" "Beware of man-beasts!" Voices flood your head again. Will you brave the haunted castle? Can you afford not to? It's all up to you in this D&D Solo Adventure. Ghost of Lion Castle is for one player only, but that one player makes all of the choices and enjoys all of the rewards. An entire castle and courtyard await your exploration. The adventure also includes a complete solo combat system. TSR 9097
Into the Dragon's Lair takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting, and takes place after the novels The High Road and The Death of a Dragon by Troy Denning. The nation of Cormyr tries to rebuild after the death of King Azoun IV, and seeks the treasure hoard of a dragon to fund these efforts and keep the kingdom from falling into chaos. The player characters must find this treasure before all the other seekers.
A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 10th-level characters, this volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path is part 4 of 6 of the Kingmaker Adventure Path, in which the heroes win and defend a small kingdom from threats foreign and domestic. PCs should advance to 13th level by the end of this adventure. “Blood for Blood” begins with the PCs having returned home from solving the mystery of the Varnhold Vanishing. Shortly after their arrival, they learn that new problems have developed during their absence—there are rumors of an army marching toward their nation!The PCs race to the village of Tatzlford, where they help defend the village from an attack by a small but earnest force of bandits, barbarians, and several lumbering trolls after being warned in advance by a troubled woman who has fled from Fort Drelev to the west. Following the skirmish, she pleads with the PCs to save her father and sister from peril.From there, the PCs strike out into the swamplands of the Slough to the west, exploring new lands and finding opportunities to make new allies and eliminate long-term threats to the region. Their initial goal, though, should be infiltrating Fort Drelev, where they’ll have a chance to confront the traitor Drelev with his crimes and rescue the Fort’s beleaguered settlers. During this time, the PCs learn where Armag’s tribe has been holding the daughters of Drelev’s senior officers hostage. Arriving at the ancient site, the PCs attack Armag’s barbarian encampment and overcome the sinister powers of the Black Sisters to free the girls. Then, entering the tomb, they face deadly traps, ancient undead horrors from a war-torn age, and the trials of the tomb’s immortal, divine guardian. In the final chamber, the PCs encounter Armag himself, armed with the ancient sword of his namesake.
A killer is stalking the warforged of Sharn. Some say the murderer is a vengeful spirit, while others blame human bigotry and fear. Can the adventurers expose the truth that lies hidden in the depths of Sharn? Steel Shadows is a D&D adventure suitable for four characters of 7th level. This adventure is set in the city of Sharn in the Eberron campaign setting. Since this is a mystery themed adventure, at least one of the characters should have the Investigate feat. The adventure includes a sidebar for scaling the adventure for lower and higher level characters.
When local farmer Jonas Cappa goes missing while hunting mushrooms and then reappears, hours later, naked and without any of his belongings, his wife goes to the party to investigate. Jonas claims to have fallen into a hole in the ground, but none can be found. What really happened to him and can it be stopped before things get worse? (Spoiler: they are probably going to get worse). A one-shot adventure for characters of levels 1-4 designed to be dropped into any campaign, inspired by the X-Files (but firmly D&D).
The Reign of Winter Adventure Path begins with an exciting new adventure from RPG Superstar winner Neil Spicer! Every 100 years, the Witch Queen Baba Yaga returns to the nation of Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne, but this time, something has gone wrong. Far to the south, winter cloaks the forest near the village of Heldren with summer snows. The heroes venture into the wood and discover a magical portal to the frozen land of Irrisen, whose supernatural winter will soon engulf all of Golarion unless they can discover the fate of the otherworldy witch Baba Yaga- a quest that will take them through snowbound Irrisen to even stranger lands beyond. Reign of Winter part one of six.
Sewers of the Underguild is an adventure designed for characters of at least 11th level, and characters up to 15th level will find plenty of challenges. Hidden within these narrow passages and filth-filled channels is a guild of vampiric rogues, led by their master Sangre and his aide, a nycaloth called Ankoz. Deadly traps abound, so a skillful rogue will be a lifesaver. Because of the high likelihood of desperate combat with numerous vampiric and monstrous opponents, it is suggested that a cleric and at least two fighters be prepared to beat back the many watchdog monsters the guild employs. You can hide the locales in Sewers of the Underguild in any ruin or location that fits your campaign purposes. A thriving metropolis that just happens to have a large crime and vampire problem would fit the bill nicely. In the Lost Lands campaign setting of Frog God Games, the Underguild is located in the sewers beneath the ruins of Curgantium, the ancient imperial capital of lost Hyperboria. Located at the edge of the modern Kingdom of Foere, the Underguild still finds itself located centrally enough to pull the strings of its weblike network running throughout the former lands of the Hyperborian Empire.
The characters, members of the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild, have been tasked with acquiring the Chains of Mur’taal, an artifact tied to Thelanis, by their guild handler, Lhara. This artifact is the latest in a series that Provost Nigel Faurious has commissioned the Clifftop guild to retrieve for him. The adventure starts when the characters arrive in Rhukaan Draal via Orien caravan. They’re given a chance to explore a small portion of the city before they head to a local bar to meet their contact provided by Lhara. Accompanied by a local guide, they make their way to the Seawall Mountains, where they’ll have to follow clues and their intuition to find the Valley of the Hero, which conceals the artifact that they’ve been hired to obtain. In order to earn the artifact, characters must first pass three tests laid before them by the Story: The Test of Courage, the Challenge of Wisdom, and the Trial of Honor. Once they finish the tests and collect the artifact, the party heads back toward Rhukaan Draal. But there are Marguul forces in the area, and they don’t intend to let the heroes escape with a priceless piece of their folklore…
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.
Your cousin Rolph is dead - and while there is cause for sadness, there is also cause for celebration. As his heir, you were willed his dominion: Fenhold. Of course, the Deep Swamp is threatening to engulf all of your new holding. People are seeing ghosts and disappearing mysteriously. Animals die without reason, and crops are suddenly blighted. The farmers don't like the swampdwellers, the swampdwellers don't like the farmers, and no one likes the halflings. The entire civil service of the dominion seems to have either worked for the failure of the dominion or resigned due to actions of the others. It's going to be tough task to make all this ship-shape once again, but you're 15th level now. Isn't it about time you settled down? TSR 9210
Pirates and powderkegs. An undersea menace has the merchants of Scalabar up in arms. A strange sea monster is plaguing the trade ships near Scalabar, a coastal city. You have arrived in Scalabar at the behest of Sora Calhaigne. The lady of House Calhaigne needs brave heroes to investigate the loss of her galleon, the Morning Star. She has reason to believe that the sea monster is not what it seems. Includes a list of random city encounters, a keyed map of the port city, Scalabar, as well as a simple overland map of the Scalabar coast, a map of a typical two-story warehouse, a keyed map of the pirate caves, and a keyed map of the ship Thresher. Pgs. 10-27
"Terror by night! The village of Orlane is dying. Once a small and thriving community, Orlane has become a maze of locked doors and frightened faces. Strangers are shunned, trade has withered. Rumors flourish, growing wilder with each retelling. Terrified peasants flee their homes, abandoning their farms with no explanation. Others simply disappear. . . No one seems to know the cause of the decay -- why are there no clues? Who skulks through the twisted shadows of the night? Who or what is behind the doom that has overtaken the village? It will take a brave and skillful band of adventurers to solve the dark riddle of Orlane!" TSR 9063
As a new Ice Age spreads across the Forgotten Realms, cities fall to the unstoppable Glacier of the Frostfallen – all but Stormhaven, holding on against the forces of the Frost King. Neverspring Frost is a 17th-20th level campaign for seasoned players featuring the existential threat of an eternal winter blighting the world of Toril. The city of Stormhaven has managed to survive the Glacier, a wall of magical winter that has enveloped the land. From Stormhaven, a party of adventurers arises as legendary heroes who will strike back against the legions of Frostfallen and reclaim the world.
The Thieves Guild Ebonclad has learned of a construct that would make an ideal guardian or soldier. Unfortunately the constructs creator is looking to sell this to The Crown. It is in Ebonclad's best interest to intercept this construct before its abilities can be demonstrated. The party plays the role of a group of saboteurs, required to sabotage or destroy a construct named Marx before it can be demonstrated to The Crown in less than a day’s time. The mission’s primary objective is to locate the construct Marx and destroy or sabotage it. If Marx is destroyed outright, the party will need a patsy to pin the crime on. If possible, the party should steal Eva Dalphane’s schematics for Marx, as well as investigate how the artificer brought the construct into the city undetected.
A deadly encounter for a party of level 7-10s. Brave the crypt in an attempt to save Lord Eldark's son. This challenging dungeon is adaptable and easy to run in any existing campaign. It has some very tough encounters and is available for free on DM guild!
Gifts for Him is a short, challenging, open-ended, gothic-horror, 5E-compatible Christmas adventure for tier 1 characters to be run in about three sessions, but it can be easily adapted as a one-shot. It contains over 25 pages with original artwork, three original battle maps, three unique monsters, stat blocks for five NPCs, three magic items, and a partridge in a pear tree. ----- The village of Bargrave has a secret. Every year, on Christmas Eve, the villagers cower in their homes while a savage beast prowls the streets, wreaking bloody doom on whomever has not left it a suitable gift on their doorstep. But Elias Buhl has had enough. This year, the old farmer won’t be buying the beast a gift, hoping instead to bait it into attacking him at his homestead, where he will trap and kill it once and for all. But he can’t do it alone. Buhl has hired a band of adventures to help him fortify his home, set traps, and slay the creature. They have three days to prepare, gather allies and equipment, and plan their defense. Or… They can dig a little deeper and uncover what Bargrave has been hiding all these years. Will they slay the beast, as agreed? Might they capture it to use it for their own ends? Can it be redeemed? Or will they die — their blood melting the snow — just the latest victims of the creature’s reign of terror? --- Gifts for Him is a complete, playtested, illustrated adventure that is currently pay what you want.