Your PCs are reaching the upper end of the heroic tier. New worlds are opening up to them—they might have already ventured to the Feywild, for example, and made contacts with inhabitants of that magical plane. Now they are ready to take their first steps into the darkness. The Shadowfell awaits... Vandariel, a shadar-kai witch who calls herself the Voice of Pain, is a fanatic devotee of the Raven Queen. She has founded and become the self-proclaimed high priest of a bizarre cult, the Lords of Pain, whose purpose is to bring more fey into the shadow pact with that goddess of death. Although the original shadar-kai entered this pact voluntarily, and the race breeds true, Vandariel is consumed by what she sees as a divine mission to reveal the mystery to all fey—whether they wish it or not. Those who do not come voluntarily to the truth are brought against their will. Dark stalkers move like the night, seeking out and abducting suitable subjects. This Side Trek can serve as an introduction to the dangers of the shadow realm. It works well for PCs who are approaching the paragon tier, since it presents a reasonable challenge for characters of 10th level. It is suitable as a climactic encounter for lowerlevel adventurers, as well. It consists of only two encounters.
Giants and ghost trees and foul undead beasties... What happens when elves, giants, and a mysterious witch all decide only you can settle their troubles. Strange new tree species! A hobgoblin fort! Unexplained noises during the day and different noises at night! Investigate and explore the Bretonwood to get to the bottom of its problems. The adventure provides an overland open-world style map of the Bretonwood which the players are encouraged to explore. Many set and random encounters are provided. There are opportunities for combat in this area, but players should be ready to handle some problems out of combat to get the most satisfying experience. Pgs. 22-43
The Triad Series comes to a head with the party be called upon to again save the land. While successes against both the Goat and Lion branches of the triad have been successful, the toughest group, the Dragons, has formed the army and is moving against the forces of good. Can your party meet the force that General Barsoon has assembled?
"Ambush at Boxcar Rocks" is a two hour adventure for character level 1-3 (3-6 players) but is easily adapted to challenge higher level PCs by adjusting the spawn rate and the spawn limit. It features one hand-drawn, color map. It can be run as a brutal oneshot gauntlet or a quick side quest to pad the players purses. Deep within the labyrinth of massive, glacier deposited rocks there is a natural cave once used for interring the dead. Now the bones of the pit within stir because of a foolish neophyte. A listless, blood thirsty horde tramples toward daylight and nothing will remain in their wake...
An ancient cave, defended by ancient death traps and weird arcane seals conceals the antediluvian vault of an archlich whose reign predates recorded history. Undisturbed for untold eons, the vault now stirs thanks to the machinations of cultists who have meddled with secrets best left undisturbed... This module sends the heroes to an ancient cave occupied by cultists dedicated to the Mists of Madness. Defended by ancient death traps and weird arcane seals, the caves conceal an antediluvian vault, the resting place of an archlich whose reign predates recorded history in the Known Realms. Undisturbed for untold eons, now the machinations of the cultists and their eladrin master threaten to awaken the archlich, to dire ends that none can predict.
A band of heroes is drawn to Icewind Dale following rumours of strange magic and terrible deeds. Auril, the cruel goddess of Winter, has been driven to desperate acts by the death of her daughter, Nalkara. As Auril pursues brutal blood rituals to resurrect her loved one, the quest begins when one of Auril’s oathsmen convinces her to enlist the characters in pursuing a less bloody solution.
The island of Viledel, the mighty Sea King, was sacked by a pirate army 60 years ago. Its destruction was so complete that even the location of the island was lost and forgotten. Despite the rumors of immense treasures still hidden in the ruined stronghold, no one ever found the Sea King's island again. Until now. Through a cruel twist of fate, a small band of unwilling adventurers is washed ashore on a small, barren island, and discovers what remains of Viledel's settlement. But they aren't alone; marauding ores and goblins have found the island, too, and are frantically searching for the lost hoard. In this desperate treasure hunt, the real payoff may be survival. TSR 9185
A flameskull lord that calls itself the Bright Lord of Everburning Fire has taken control of a primordial node deep within the Elemental Chaos. It long ago shrugged off the control of its original creator and now follows its own plans and desires. Top among these is the desire to tap into the power of a fire primordial and increase its own status from undead creature to demigod. Pgs. 156-161
With a series of torrential rains, the soaked soil has weakened and an opening to a forgotten tomb has been discovered. You and your associate prepare to venture into the lost Kalar's Crypt! This scenario is useful for a beginning campaign or just a side adventure when most of the group can't participate.
The companions find adventure outside Lake-town and are given the chance to discover why even the hardiest of adventurers shun the forest of Mirkwood and its depths. In the process, they go and see Elves, meet a crazed hermit, and stumble into a wood of ancient and angry trees. Published by Cubicle7
"When the adventurers decide to help a man who has lost his memory, little do they realize he’s Gethirah Kugothan, the notorious anti-paladin! Can the man they know as “Michael” leave his evil past behind and become a champion of good? The answer lies in Gethirah’s former stronghold, a magnificent castle perched atop a waterfall." - Christopher Perkins From the magazine: "The Forgotten Man" is an AD&D adventure designed for 4-5 PCs of levels 6-8 (about 35 total levels)... This adventure focuses on Gethirah Kugothan (also known as Michael), a formerly evil man whose memory has since taken up residence in a church of the god of rebirth and renewal. The premise of the adventure hinges on the possibility that such a man can be turned from the path of evil and become good. The main goal of the PCs is to keep Gethirah from becoming the man he used to be.
Inspired by the "Happy Fun Ball" from the web series Critical Role, The Cube of Vanya is a magical adventure through demi-planes created by an ancient wizard, now destabilized by a malevolent dragon. The adventurers find themselves trapped within a series of themed planes with no idea how they got there. Navigating these planes to find a means of escape, they uncover the secrets of the cube while piecing back together their own memory. During the campaign the adventurers may fight shadow demons in an inn which is really a prison, flee a tornado while perched perilously in the sky, forge a weapon within a volcano, and much more. The module is structured in a non linear manner allowing the adventurers to choose their own way, or for the DM to pick and choose their favourite bits to highlight. The adventure was written with four level 5 players in mind but it would be easy to tweak for different sized groups around that level.
Something fell. A sickly gloaming lit up the night like mock daylight, just for a moment, and then the hills trembled. Now, an alien entity lies brooding in a crater gouged out of the moor. Local folk are enraptured with the toothsome jelly exuded by this being, but are blind to the true nature of the events unfolding in their rustic little backwater.
Old hatreds die hard, but sometimes it is necessary to set aside petty, personal disagreements for the greater good. The hag, Jeny Greenteeth, is wise and may prove instrumental in the troubles that lay ahead. Your task will not be easy, however; the dark forces of Barovia have agents everywhere, and eyes from beyond the grave no doubt watch your every move. Part Six of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts.
A short adventure of human greed meeting weird horror with a quite messy outcome. An encounter set in a church, with a Shoggoth like eldritch horror as the Boss.
"A dwarven prince has requested your party's aid in quelling the coming invasion (if there is one, of course). Do you take him at his honorable word, and gird yourselves for battle? Or do you listen to the street talk, and take the side of those who disbelieve the warmongering? Most importantly of all: what if you make the wrong choice?" Patriots of Ulek is an adventure set in the world of Greyhawk - designed for a party of six to eight characters of first to third level who must help defend the Principality of Ulek against the despot’s horde and uncover a conspiracy which could lead to Ulek’s defeat. Fighters and clerics with healing spells are best suited to this adventure, as it involves a substantial amount of combat. Mages are helpful, but not required. Thieves will find minimal opportunities to practice their trade, although their skills as spies and scouts may come in handy. This adventure was designed specifically for inexperienced players and beginning dungeon masters. TSR 9385
One night, a piece of the sky fell to earth... A star falls from the heavens, and terror follows in its wake. Visitors from Above introduces the DM and players to the concept of flying ships, alien races, and space travel as described in the AD&D SPELLJAMMER boxed set. The adventure is compatible with AD&D 2nd Edition rules and the Monstrous Compendium, but can easily be played with only AD&D 1st Edition rules. "The PCs begin in the city of Neverwinter and must venture upriver through the Neverwinter Woods to Mount Hotenow." Pgs. 50-69
Throughout the course of a campaign there are some sessions when you just don’t have enough players and need a “side trek” to salvage the day. While many times it’s a throw away session this adventure brings in the underused festival experience. From royalty to commoners everyone likes a good break from the daily grind. This packet lays out a basic festival experience with vendor options and actors. While no “adventure” is present it provides a good base with which to work with. In one of the Filbar Campaigns this festival gave the PCs an opportunity to come face to face with one of the nemeses without knowing until it was over. It also gave them rumors from the carnival staff of the location of a much sought after item. Just two of the possibilities for a successful one-shot adventure!
"A series of disturbances plagues the Dyn Singh Night Market, an endlessly changing maze of stalls filled with incredible wares, enticing smells, and magical lights. Accusations fly as the characters become entangled in a feud between the well-respected Tyenmo and Xungoon merchant families of the Siabsungkoh valley. To prevent the families' conflict from escalating, the characters must earn the trust of the market's vendors and gain their help to unmask who's behind a rash of vandalism and thefts."
Sometimes it is the simplest of tasks which end up taking much more of time and energy than they should. When the party is asked by the local sage to collect some rare flora, it feels like relatively easy money; a journey into the woods they’ve traveled before, a conversation with someone they’ve met before and then on to gather the crop. The characters can hear the Thirsty Serpent tavern calling them after a brisk afternoon’s work. But the PCs’ plans go awry when it turns out nothing is quite that straightforward. Deals have to be struck, foes defeated, anger and scorn dealt with and then the whole process gone through again. When there is duplicity at every turn and double-crossing is done with relish, the PCs have to keep their wits and weapons equally sharp. Dealing with someone who is prepared to cross the line between humiliation and harm at a moment’s notice is a tough challenge; this quickly becomes about much more than mere mushrooms!