The Premature Burial is the first in a series of four interconnected stories that recall the themes and atmosphere of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror. Baldur's Gate, year 1492 DR, a dark and terrifying sect works secretly in the slums with the aim of punishing all those who have long oppressed, marginalized and killed the city's poorest and weakest citizens. The patriars, unaware of anything, are the cult's main targets, and a magical plague is about to fall on them that can cause a veritable slaughter. The characters will find themselves caught up in these dangerous events and will be drawn into a spiral of horror, blood and madness that will strain their bodies and souls. The Prior who leads the mysterious cult has "a special plan" in mind for them and will do anything to achieve his goal. Players will be forced more than once to question their morals and make difficult choices in a scenario of complex social conflicts, personal revenge stories and tremendous machinations. What repercussions would the cult's plan have if it were carried out? And what would happen instead if it were averted and the patriars continued to run the city as they always have? Shadows as black as night once again loom over Baldur's Gate, and this time they may change its face forever. - Adventure: story lasting 4 to 8 hours for characters ranging in level from 4 to 6 - Setting: adventure set in the famous city of Baldur's Gate but easily adaptable to any setting - Narrative: detailed descriptions and an emphasis on story immersiveness - Roleplay: in-depth characterization of NPCs with biographies, descriptions of their personalities and their physical appearance - Bestiary: 3 new customizable opponents with the mechanics "Affixes," which can add an extra degree of complexity to confrontations, and " Weak spots," which grant a strategic advantage to characters who manage to discover them - Magic: obscure and unknown spells used by cultists to carry out their plans - Layout: designed to make it easier for DMs to browse information, featuring special attention to color coding and visual immediacy of text boxes - Maps: 3 maps available in high resolution, VTT and printer-friendly versions - PDF: available in high-quality, interactive, printer-friendly print versions - Playlist: a collection of songs selected by the authors to create the right atmosphere during game sessions
Red dragons. Storm giants. Dragon rulers. Frost giants. They're all here, in this book, in complete, ready-to-play mini-adventures. No matter what level your characters are, there is something here for you (and them). Need a diversion? Want to spice up a long-running campaign? Want to play, but don't have more than an hour or so? This is the book for your gaming group. As DM, you have everything you'll need to play right at your fingertips. As players, you'll have challenges worthy of your characters. This book has something for everyone. This product includes a random spell generator for dragons, complete with instructions. Contains 14 adventures. TSR 9211
Waves of supernatural darkness sweep over the subterranean city of Stoneholme, quenching lights and bringing with it foul creatures of shadow. After heroically defending a group of dwarven children being ravaged by a group of these shadow beings, the PCs are approached by Shtawn Deppenkhut -one of the king's own advisers- and are offered the task of finding the source of the darkness that threatens the city. The PCs investigation takes them through the Underworld to hidden caverns, where demon worshiping priests offer living sacrifices in an attempt to plunge Stoneholme into everlasting darkness, a first step in destroying the hated city once and for all, but as it turns out the priests aren't the only ones behind this unfolding plan to destroy Stoneholme. Dark Days in Stoneholme is ideally suited for a group of dwarven adventurers. It is recommended that you have access to the Stoneholme section of the Rise of the Drow revised & expanded edition (2014) but it is not necessary to run the adventure. Also available for Pathfinder. Published by AAW Games.
Dracula, the Lord of Shadow and Darkness, has covered the land in shadow and dispatched armies of monsters and undead from his magical castle. His armies threaten to overrun major cities and plunge the world into a literal Dark Age. The last of the vampire-hunting clan that traditionally opposed him has disappeared, and still the armies advance. He must be stopped. If that's not enough motivation, it is well-known that his castle is full of magical items and great riches... but also great danger. If you've ever wanted D&D and Castlevania to meet, look no further. This adventure is exactly what you wanted. Every area of the castle poses different and unique challenges to keep the party engaged and on their toes. Written for the DM as a ready-to-run adventure, it is designed for four to six characters. The adventure starts at level 3 at the outer defenses of the castle, and ends with the party advancing to level 13 after defeating Dracula in an epic battle. The adventure includes documentation to help even a new DM succed, including suggestions for how to run each of the area "boss" monsters in combat. There are approximately 50 new enemies and over 3 dozen new magical items. It also comes with a list of suggested music for many areas of the castle, and a 25-page campaign log recounting an actual tabletop play-through of this adventure from the DM's perspective.
What begins as a simple expedition to explore an ancient jungle temple sends adventurers headlong into a search for the Dragon's Eye, an artifact created ages ago by demons in order to gain power over dragons. But where exactly is this mysterious artifact, and why do the Cloudreavers and the Emerald Claw think the adventurers already have it? Only Lady Vol knows the truth. Her deadly cat-and-mouse game leads the characters from the wilderness of Q'barra to the wild coasts of the Lhazaar Principalities and the soaring peaks of Argonnessen. There, at last, they can learn the secret of the Dragon's Eye and foil the lich queen's plans... if they survive!
The player characters have put into a tropical island for repairs to their ship. But the local village is almost deserted, and the jungle hides a secret that is both terrible and tragic. Can the player characters put to right something so foul that it seems there can be no redemption? An adventure for four 2nd level characters. For 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. Includes a write up for the necrophidius and a new creature called a spirit of despair that combines a template with an NPC class to present a new challenge to the PCs.
In FQ13 – Future Past our brave adventurers are summoned by the Duke of Bast to the capital city. You quickly learn that your exploits have earned you a celebration in Bast and are to be honored by all! Prior to the festivities, the duke’s advisor Thril Galia requests to meet you and makes a unique proposal and shows you an arcane piece of the historic book…what have you gotten yourselves into now?
There are many entrances to the Feywild, but none so grand as appearing before the throne of seelie fey, the Summer Court. The Summer Games, a bestselling mini-arc intended for 5th level characters, introduces a party to court intrigue in the Feywild, headed by Queen Titania with King Oberon at her side. In the tourney the party must navigate unknown dangers, asked by the Summer Queen "How will you win? With skill? With truth? With wit? With wager? Or without? These five tasks lie before you, and you must complete them all to continue." In the hunt your characters must quest for a magical, talking beast. But in the end, will they catch the White Hare, or will they wish they had? In the maze players must navigate a shifting labyrinth riddled with pit traps and Feywild nasties. At the feast the party is presented with their reward for their trials, the payment for being the entertainment at this courtly gathering… or perhaps they’re on the menu. This mini-arc references stat blocks presented in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes and the Monster Manual. Also provided within the PDF: download links to VTT and tabletop compatible maps relevant to scenes presented in the Summer Games.
The ground-breaking introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons that served as a DM aid in the first D&D Basic Set, released by TSR in 1977. This set included a 48-page rulebook covering the first three levels of play, and was skillfully edited by Dr. J. Eric Holmes from the original 1974 D&D rules written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The original set included an exemplary dungeon level, but it was a loose collection of examples and not geared toward starting characters. Holmes advanced this concept by writing a new thematic dungeon with a strong backstory, creating an adventure that has remained a fan favorite over the decades. Officially, its only title is "Sample Dungeon" but colloquially it goes by various names based on Zenopus, the doomed wizard who built the dungeon under his tower
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.
The Shady Dragon Inn is a set of pre-generated characters for use with the Dungeons & Dragons game. This player's aid comes in two parts: each character appears first in a section devoted to his or her character class. They appear again in the second section as members of a party. As a DM or as a player, you may use either or both sections; over a hundred characters await you! Each character has a brief biography that will help you to create backgrounds for PCs or NPCs as needed. Also included is a rough physical description, and a list of items owned by each character. The Shady Dragon Inn also contains the D&D statistics for those special characters who are presented by figures in the D&D and AD&D toy line, and provides a tavern setting from which players may start adventures or gather party members. TSR 9100
An Adventure for Odysseys & Overlords Standing on a lonely, bare mound in the bottom of a dell full of swirling fog, a castle from the time of the Schism crumbles, forgotten. Inside, treasures—and terror—await. A writ of salvage has been posted in Chandra's Haven: 500 gold coins to the brave adventurers who find Misthollow Castle and secure it for Salamon Castos, a wealthy merchant. Castos claims to be the scion of the noble family which ruled Misthollow and built the castle generations ago. Castos grudgingly agrees to allow the characters to keep whatever they find in securing the castle, though he insists on right of first refusal on anything of value. The Odysseys & Overlords Player’s Guide is available at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/275042/Odysseys--Overlords-Players-Guide The Odysseys & Overlords Game Master's Guide is available at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/275040/Odysseys--Overlords-Game-Masters-Guide
Far from the nearest town, hidden deep in the forest, lies a marshy, boggy valley. Woodsmen and hunters shun the place—kept away by rumours of a terrible beast lairing within and of a ghost haunting the valley’s boggy mere. But, as well as great danger, treasures magical and mundane may yet lie unclaimed in the valley for three unexplored tombs built by ancient hands, stand amid the mud and reeds. Dare you explore the Shunned Valley of the Three Tombs?
The tower is compromised. The guards silent. The constructs out of control. A storm of decay is gathering around The Tower of Clouds. Will your heroes be able to get inside the prison and stop a dangerous necromancer from completing her ascent to power? Death in The Tower of Clouds is a one shot adventure for level 4 heroes powered by Draw Steel. In this adventure you will take your players to a flying prison taken over by a necromancer. The prison has multiple ways to enter and move around, making the adventure a dungeon crawl in the sky. This adventure contains: - A 3 page PDF with everything you need to run the adventure - Stat blocks for all monsters - Encounters designed for 3 heroes - Tactical map of The Tower of Clouds in player and director versions
The heroes have been captured by Alaethryia, a blue dragon caught in a centuries-old war with a mummy lord. With Alaethryia at their backs, the heroes must put the mummy to rest and escape the Tomb of the Defiler in this classic dungeon crawl.
“The Shadow Rift of Umbraforge” is a sequel to “Siege of Bordrin’s Watch” and the third part of the Scales of War Adventure Path. In “Siege of Bordrin’s Watch,” the PCs discovered that dark creepers had sold arms and tactical intelligence to the orc war chief Tusk, aiding him in his attack against the folk of the Stonehome Mountains. In this adventure, the PCs investigate the link between the orcs and the dark ones, stumbling into an armsrunning operation that takes them to the Shadowfell in order to finally confront the charismatic figure behind it. Pgs. 4-53
"The Dark Forest" is an elder shadow drake lair suitable for four 8th-level characters. This adventure can be completed in one session. A hidden grove within a dark forest has been home to a tribe of alseids for generations. The tribe's most recent leader and spiritual heart was an alseid shaman called Riatha the Raven. Within the grove lies an ancient ring of standing stones atop a burial mount. Here, Riatha conducted sacred nature rites to honor and bless the forest and the tribe. During one of these ceremonies, the ground rumbled and a column of dense black energy shot straight up from the burial mound and into the night sky. Thick darkness enveloped the area, and the suddenly blinded alseids heard terrible roars. An instant later, the darkness dissipated to reveal a mysterious pool ringed with skulls among the standing stones. Two large, dragon-like creatures with black scales and burning red eyes glared at the confused alseids. One the ground lay the body of Riatha, deathly still. Terror and chaos followed as the creatures brought swift and sudden death, killing most of the alseid tribe members with razor-sharp teeth and deadly, black breath. The alseids that survived the inital, bloody attack fled into the forest. They counterattacked a few hours later, desperate to reclaim their grove and recover the body of their beloved leader, but the attempt was a fiasco and they were quickly driven off. Now, the few remaining alseids hide in the forest, frightened and unsure of what to do next.
God of Ore by Tom Knauss is a 3rd-level adventure that takes the PCs from the quiet, mountainside town of Miners’ Refuge into the heart of the Stoneheart Mountains in pursuit of a failed pilgrimage to discover a phony religious relic deep inside legendary Mithral Mountain. The dark, twisting tunnels that bore into the fabled mountain soon reveal that some mysteries are not what they first appear to be. Between a Rock and a Charred Place by Tom Knauss (for 4 to 6 characters of 7th level) The characters will be thrust into the middle of an epic confrontation between the dwarves of the Stoneheart Mountains and the hobgoblins just beyond their borders. Under their new leadership, the hobgoblin warmongers deploy an innovative grand strategy: to forge an alliance with one of the dwarves’ old enemies and a traitor in their foes’ midst. The dwarves’ dominance over the region and very survival hangs in the balance if the characters cannot thwart the monsters’ ambitious plans. The Covered Bridge by Kevin Wright (for 4 to 6 characters of 4th to 6th level) Are the characters up to the challenge of solving the centuries-old murder of a historic hero? Within the adventure, the characters are caught up in the haunted memories of the ghostly knight and help him to accomplish his heroic deeds. While doing so, the party becomes familiar with his world and the murder suspects, picking up clues to their motivations and actions along the way. At the end of the adventure, an enraged spirit confronts the characters and demands that they name his killer. If they can do it, they are richly rewarded; both in treasure and the knowledge that they let a good man finally find rest. If they fail, they must face the chilling wrath of the deathless phantom. The Hunter’s Game by Tom Knauss (for 4 to 6 characters of 4th level) This adventure will find the characters traveling into the foreboding Dyrgalas Fens, a temperate swamp in the Harwood Forest nestled between the Wolf Hills and Low Hills. Dyrgalas Fens is overrun by an eclectic collection of malevolent monsters, xenophobic humanoids, and foul beasts. When some of the region’s finest gentlemen and ladies never return from their excursions to the Answin Hunting Lodge, the characters must investigate their mysterious disappearances. The journey leads them into the figurative heart of darkness, taking them not only deeper into the dreadful Dyrgalas, but also plunging them into the harrowing abyss of hatred and greed. The Missing Pin by Alex Kammer is a 2nd-level adventure designed for 4 to 6 characters. In the Lost Lands setting it takes place in the Unclaimed Lands north of the Borderland Provinces at the point where the Great Amrin River meets the Glimmrill Run. At the confluence of the Great Amrin and Glimmrill Run rivers sits the small town of Gumspur, a small backwater town known only for its convenient location and its only real export, pottery. So, when an audacious theft victimizes one of the leading families of Gumspur, a group more capable than the local constabulary is needed. On its surface, what looks to be a simple theft conceals a much deeper and much more dangerous conspiracy. In the Time of Shardfall by Michael Curtis (for 4 to 6 characters of 5th to 6th level) In this open “seek and destroy” adventure, a relic from the prehistoric past — a mystical prison containing a powerful proto-dragon and other creatures from long ago — has been flung forward in time to arrive at the characters’ current era. The prison, an enchanted pane of obsidian called the Akaata, fractures upon arrival, breaking into several shards that fall to the land below. Soon, the prehistoric menaces trapped within wander out of their broken prison to threaten the realm. The characters must search for the five shards and destroy them and their former prisoners, then confront the now-free proto-dragon before it recovers its full strength. War of Shadows by Tom Knauss (for 4 to 6 characters of 8th level) This adventure can pick up where Between a Rock and a Charred Place left off or stand on its own. Erod Flan weathered the dark folk’s storm, yet the conspirators are not done. Their focus now turns to the critical outpost of Tyr Whin. The characters and the outnumbered defenders must somehow stop the hobgoblin warlord, Grugdour, and his army from overrunning the citadel and opening a beachhead for invasion into the Stoneheart Mountains. A Little Knowledge by Tom Knauss (for 4 to 6 characters of 5th level) This module takes the characters across the Stoneheart Mountains onto the forbidding Feirgotha Plateau to investigate the myths and tales surrounding the ancient and presumably deserted Library of Arcady. The PCs soon discover that the venerable building is not as abandoned as originally believed, and its unusual caretaker keeps more terrible secrets than any of its fabled lost writings. Awakenings by Steve Winter (for 3 to 5 characters from 1st to 3rd level) Strange things occur after a meteor streaks overhead in the night sky. Combining elements of a fairy tale with elements of cosmic horror, the characters will confront a community of these evolved animals with evil plans that involve finding the fallen star and confronting an unknown entity. Cave of Iron by Steve Winter (for 4 to 8 characters from 2nd and 4th level) When a wagon train fails to return from a supply run, the characters must investigate what happened to them and the riders that were dispatched to find them. The Desperation of Ivy by Lance Hawvermale (for 4 to 6 characters from 4th and 7th level) A once-imposing residence called Coltherstone Hold was abandoned years ago, and in the decades since, a fantastic amount of vegetation has grown up the walls and rooftops, covering the structure. Many of the plants are dangerous — deadly, even — and reclaiming the hold will require more than just a few machetes to chop down some weeds. Much worse, a few of the plant specimens possess intelligence as well as an undo degree of malevolence. They’ve infested a nearby village — all but burying it in overgrowth — and have absorbed a few villagers along the way. Fishers of Men by Tom Knauss (for 4 to 6 characters of 6th level) The Dragonmarsh Lowlands is a forsaken land blighted by the vile demon lord Tsathogga and countless foul denizens. When Quaywright Fishery inexplicably falls silent, it takes those of stout heart to determine what dire fate befell the former inhabitants and what monstrosity now lords in their place. The grisly carnage leaves even the most seasoned adventurers shaken to the core, as they witness firsthand and may personally experience what it feels like when the tables turn against humanity. Forgive and Regret by Tom Knauss (for 4 to 6 characters of 8th level) The sins that stained the blighted Wytch Bog more than two centuries ago still linger as the villain who perpetrated a genocidal act longs to free his tortured soul from his undead bonds. In his warped mind, only more violence can garner his freedom, placing the innocent descendants of his long-deceased conspirators — and an entire region — in his crosshairs. A Midnight Council of Quail by Lance Hawvermale (for 4 to 6 characters from 3rd and 5th level) The characters explore a village to locate the lair of a monstrous murderer — but the villagers don’t want the murderer to be discovered. The Archdruid Cadrryn is so old and mystical that his very presence often affects the natural world around him. Over the years, his close association with the region’s quail population has bestowed upon the birds a sentience uncommon to normal avians. With slightly advanced intelligence, the quail now act as local sentinels, reporting back to Cadrryn on all matters that transpire in his domain. But the druid has been away for more than a fortnight on business of the Druidic Order of Oescreheit, leaving the quail to decide on important events without his wise hand to guide them. When the birds learn that a sinister force has infiltrated the nearby village of Eorls Gedreas, where many of them roost upon the thatched rooftops, the quail convene to determine a way to fight back. Nightstone Keep by Ed Greenwood (for 4 to 6 characters from 4th and 6th level) This location-based adventure is centered on a ruined, long-disused stone keep in a temperate wild forest area (possibly not far off a caravan road or forest trail). The characters will be able to explore the ruins of the keep, which have become a plant colony, and attempt to wrest a powerful treasure from the clutches of the araunglyd, a gigantic sentient fungus. The araunglyd will attempt to thwart the players at every turn, using its drone-like minions to harass and hinder them as they go. Pictures at an Exhibition by Dr. Dennis Sustare (for 4 to 6 characters from 4th and 6th level) This adventure takes the characters on an exotic cruise in a parallel reality known as “the Real World”. During a stopover, they find themselves on a museum tour where the vivid paintings draw them into a world of fantasy. Also available for Pathfinder and Swords & Wizardry
It begins in the marketplace or main square of a town when the calm, peaceful day is interrupted by a hulking golem trouncing through town, smashing objects, and attacking townsfolk. The party witnessing this should intervene and stop the rampaging golem with combat or by luring it into a nearby warehouse to trap it so it can be damaged and, eventually, destroyed by the town guards. When the party examines the golem’s remains, they find bones encased in the metal armor and the name 'Quartztoil' written in gnomish script. The town guard explain that this is the eighth construct they have encountered in the area in the past six months. The party can then go on to investigate the name 'Quartztoil', leading them to learn of an old, gnomish, aspiring artificer, Penaral Quartztoil, who had a lab and workshop in a tower in the nearby mountains, but who has not been heard from for close to a century. Published by Nord Games
The set-up is interesting in a way – the PCs are plain folks of the Vale, everyday people, and the module begins promising, with the Thor-ordained sporty trek around the vale that inevitably results in trouble. The module, obviously, tries to chronicle the step from everyday-Joe/Jane to hero and the tidbits on culture provided are intriguing. But this, as much as I’m loathe to say it, is one of the worst modules FGG has ever released. If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t expect Mr. Ward’s pen at work here. Let me elaborate: The premise, is unique and hasn’t been done much recently, but it suffers from this being an adventure – to properly invest the players in the setting a closer gazetteer, nomenclature, suggested roles and origins for casting talent – all of that should have been covered. They’re not. Worse, everything here is a) clichéd and b) a non-threat in the great whole of things.