In times ancient, an infamous paladin-artificer named Khaldun unearthed a cursed tome bound in the flesh of the first medusa. Driven to madness by its secrets, he used the necromantic magic contained within to call forth an army of dread warriors from the Netherworld. Though his assault was devastating, he was ultimately unsuccessful, and the mightiest crusaders of the realm banished Khaldun to the Netherworld, where he would rot for eternity at the bottom of the River Dis. Unfortunately, rather than perishing in that bleak plane, Khaldun escaped his silt grave and thrived, amassing a legion of undead followers and erecting a Tomb in which he could perfect his mechanical craft without interruption. It was not long before he shed his body and became a demilich. After several centuries of scheming, the undead warriors under the command of the ‘Iron Lich’ have burst free of the Netherworld, laying waste to not only the mortal kingdoms that exiled him, but also the exalted domains of the gods themselves. The crusaders’ quest is simple – stead the Tomb and destroy the Iron Lich. Published by Defy Danger and Save Versus Death
Terror grips the city of Sharn. A serial killer stalks the streets and catalogues his slaughter in the annals of the city’s newspaper, to the delight and horror of its readers. To catch this elusive criminal, the PCs must match wits with an old adversary. Even beaten, scarred, and imprisoned, Viktor Saint-Demain is determined to have the final word. This is a sequel to Dungeon Magazine issue #133’s adventure “Chimes at Midnight”.
A derelict raft drifts into Mulmaster’s harbor carrying a young woman. Delirious with hunger, the only words she seems able to speak so far have been “ash and fire.” The only other clue to her identity is an ornate tattoo. Is the woman insane, or is something nefarious at play?
A party of adventures has gone missing and the inhabitants of a local town have been acting strangely it is up to the party to figure out what is going on and stop what ever force are at work on the towns people
In the thriving city of Zobeck, a breakdown of the vital Puffing Bridge is throwing a wrench into the entire city. Workers can’t reach their jobs, merchants and goods can’t reach markets. In short, if this problem isn’t fixed quickly, there’ll be chaos in the Free City. Of course, this isn’t a simple mechanical breakdown but an act of sabotage, and the saboteurs are still at work when characters arrive to investigate.
The strange city of Carrion Hill has long loomed over the surrounding swamps in eastern Ustalav, yet its rulers have shifted many times through the centuries. Often enough that only a few sinister scholars and curious minds know the true nature of the hill’s original inhabitants—vile and depraved cultists of the Old Gods. Yet this morning, a dreadful recrudescence rises from the depths of buried nightmare in the vaults below Carrion Hill. A monster stalks the twisted alleys of the city, spreading panic before it and leaving destruction in its wake. Can the Carrion Hill Horror be stopped?
The colony of Farshore has survived on its own for years, a secluded and struggling hamlet perched on the western shore of the tiny island of Temute. An island dwarfed by the savage landscape across the narrow channel to the north, a landscape of rugged mountains, tangled jungles, and trackless swamps. This is the Isle of Dread, and its resources and hidden treasures are matched only by its peril. Yet for all these dangers, what may bring doom to Farshore is not an invasion of inhuman monsters from the mainland, but an invasion of all-too-human monsters from across the sea. "Tides of Dread" is the fifth chapter of the Savage Tides Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon magazine. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon magazine's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #352 of Dragon magazine features rumors of Farshore, a helpful list of improvements the PCs can make to the colony, and other features to help get PCs oriented in their new home on the Isle of Dread. The destruction of a pirate ship signals the beginning of a Crimson Fleet invasion. The PCs must race against time to prepare for the onslaught before an old enemy can release another savage tide. Pgs. 28-59 Also see Pgs. 60-71 Backdrop: Farshore City of Hope.
Within an ancient necropolis a pool of alien slime grasps the minds and bodies of the people of Exag with wispy tendrils of madness. Those transformed by its power invariably seek the crypt, but what fell power draws them there? Part two of the Seeds of Sehan campaign arc.
"Can you solve the Labyrinth within 13 hours and get back what was stolen from you?" A 4-Hour Adventure for Tier 1 characters optimized for APL 3 taking place in the Feywild Domain of Delight, Labyrinth, where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems. This adventure takes place when the characters have been abruptly teleported into the Feywild Domain of Delight, Labyrinth. The Kobold King has given the characters thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth, or they will lose what he stole from them forever. "It's only forever, not long at all..." Pillars of Play: Skill challenges and exploration. Minimal/optional combat. Content warning: Non-consensual theft Adventure Inspiration: Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986)
Below the streets of Waterdeep a new gang of goblins have moved in and have started stealing anything and everything. It now has become incumbent on the characters to go into their lair and deal with this rogue band of goblins.
"Something is weird about this party in 16th century Scotland! A famous thief stole a magical jewel and hid inside a castle where a party is taking place. Enter the party, find the jewel, escape with your life. In the first half of the adventure, the player characters will explore a weird party in search of the thief Jougal. They’ll likely piece together that this party is not “normal” and that this castle is not safe. In the second half, the baobhan sith will reveal themselves, red caps will set the castle on fire, and the PCs will find themselves locked in a burning hellhole. The adventure will likely change from a fun party-crawl into a stressful fight for survival. This is the NIGHTMARE PHASE." This adventure blends elements of horror, survival, and mystery, requiring players to use both their combat skills and their wits to navigate through the treacherous and evolving scenarios within Firnhirst Castle. Written for Cairn RPG
A prison escape for an unlikely group of heroes turns into a race for an ancient relic sought by the Legion of Dusk. Can you brave the unknown and capture the treasure before the enemy does? This Dungeons & Dragons adventure is set on the plane of Ixalan from Magic: The Gathering. It uses 4th-level characters provided with the adventure.
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.
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?
The lands that lie west, across the great sea, are uncharted. The West March Company has spent a fortune on an expedition to loot and tame it. You are part of that expedition. You are the desperate, the outcast, the destitute. This new world is weird and dangerous. Rumours abound of a city of tombs. A cursed dwarven fortress in the mountain. Mist-covered swamps that howl in the night. Pass that treasure map around the table. Drink deeply from your cups and imagine what awaits in the wilderness: gold, glory, death. Inside West Marches Company: A Grim Promise you'll find: Twelve new monsters to surprise and terrify your players. A cult of worms, a city of tombs, centaur khans and a twenty-page dwarven fortress dungeon crawl with over forty rooms. Loaded with art, evocative descriptions, weird NPC's and 2 new magic items. High resolution maps of both dungeons: Kazad Mor The Cursed Dwarfhome and Tunnels Beneath Fort Bramble This module can be run as a standalone adventure or as a west marches style game.
Part Two of the Umbral Aristocracy Trilogy. The treasure hunt has led to the City of the Dead. Beneath that well-manicured park is an ancient crypt where the treasure awaits you!
Equinis Edwards, a cursed talking horse, has run afoul of a forest witch. He requires the aid of adventurers to convince the witch to reverse his curse and restore him to his original state, a unicorn! This adventure is: - setting agnostic - designed with combat-optional scenarios for younger players - all conflicts can be resolved with roleplay and creative thinking - written for a party of 2-3 adventurers of very low level (level 0-2 ) - easily scaled for small or large parties
Part 3 of the Shackled City Adventure Path "Wherein a tribe of the Sea Mother's children suffer for sparing the life of a mad prisoner they probably should have eaten." Synopsis: The adventure begins with an Umber Hulk attack in the middle of the city. The fame gained by assisting during the attack allows them to gain the notice of a representative of Davked Splintershield. The group is asked to rescue Zenith Splintershield from a Kuo-Toan temple in the Underdark. But to find it, they have to visit Crazy Jared to locate an entrance to it. Upon journeying to Crazy Jared's, they fight Hookface's offspring. After more travelling, they are able to descend into the Underdark. Once they find the Kuo-Toan temple, they must fight through many hard challenges, only to realize that Zenith is not a prisoner, but instead is a prophet. Zenith does not go willingly, and so must be captured. Pgs. 28-61
The town of Warlorn is often thought of as a peaceful one. Not much happens there, and it is usually considered a place of peace were parties could convene to make truces or were the hurt could always come to find someone to care for them. Perceptions can often be incorrect however. The church of Ilmatter, God of Suffering, acts as an effective government in the town. Illmaters tenants are that to help all those who have suffered and to take on their suffering so that they may be healed. To them suffering is truly Holy, and to take suffering on from another is seen as the greatest way to prey to their god. Not everyone is as virtuous as a god, even his own followers, and humanity in taking on holy suffering is still left with desires; lusts that can be corrupted. When the Duchess of Manipulation who delights in corrupting church men spoke to the leader of this clergy of Ilmater, it was no difficult task for her to find a loophole in Illmaters word that she could exploit. If suffering was holy, then truly it should be those that do not yet understand Ilmater’s ways that should feel this suffering. Using a cultist of hers, she was able to create a child that could later be used as an ingredient for a portal right to her layer of hell. It’d be two birds in one stone; corrupt a devoted followers of a god she hated to later take their souls as her own, and create a portal that she could use to cross both herself and her armies to the material plane. When the players enter the scene, the child will have already been kidnapped, and the child’s mother will be hanging up fliers giving out a reward to anyone that can find her child. The players will find themselves needing to infiltrate the Church of Ilmater into its secret underground cult so that they can save the child and stop Glasya from finding her way to the Material Plane.
Adventuring in the Principality of Lockerbie continues with Issue in the Canyon. Your party has enjoyed the advantages of being considered a hero but as the days’ progress, it is back to normal in Gormell. After having a bit of ale at the local tavern you notice a wagon caravan has arrived in town and the people are abuzz over their arrival. Noticing that some of employees are a little beat up, you find yourself in the sheriff’s office being told of a brazen, humanoid attack on the merchants. Looks like you just found a job opportunity!