The players are invited to a Winter Gala in Waterdeep. After a guest is killed, investigations ensue to the fiendish nature of the home that the gala took place in. There are shopping opportunities on the way in.
*** WARNING: this adventure contains strong scenes and descriptions which may not suit all kinds of public. It's heavy on horror, suspense, gore and sadism. The entire adventure available in the Full Preview, so that you can self-assess the content and buy in confidence. *** The main theme of the adventure is horror, using suspense elements as well as gore and sick scenes to shock your players. The adventure is divided in 2 parts: the first part involves a mad vampire spawn who tortures as a hobby, full of scary stuff like you see in horror movies. The second part involves a lesser demon lord stuck in a kind of inverted world (Stranger Things/Silent Hill style) which has a dread passion for a very disturbing and wicked art. There are tips on how to set the mood and make your players actually tense or even scary.
This guide describes how to run a one-session festival for your players. It combines a black market, costumes, and various activities suitable for different PC skills. The setting is a beach at night near a coastal town or city, but it can be easily adapted for other locations. It is suitable for players with little experience, and characters of any level. It makes a good first session for new players since they can try various skills without risk.
What elder evils lurk in the depths of the freezing mountain ruins? Find out in The Stoneheart Ruin! The adventure features: An adventure set in a desolate, wintry mountain landscape. 16 pages full of intrigue and mystery, containing full color maps, plus 2 unique monster stat blocks. Provides a great introduction to Mind Flayer lore and mythos for Tier 1 players. Can easily be set in the Spine of the World for use in Rime of the Frostmaiden. Let your characters test their mettle as they climb and face the ancient dangers lurking in the cracks of The Stoneheart Ruin! “I have no explanation for any of these finds. We heard disturbing noises coming from further within the mountain; thunderous and growling.” Excerpt from a pamphlet, signed: “Koralia Meadring, Anthropologist Extraordinaire” Koralia needs you to investigate her most recent discovery: a ruined cavern deep in the mountains. Her small team of academics did a cursory walk-through and think they've found a big breakthrough! However, they left in a hurry after being frightened by the horrors they heard coming from deeper in the mountain. They escaped and found one of their team was missing - a goliath named Marek. You must climb the mountains and locate the ruin, make certain that it is safe for study by Koralia’s team, and if possible, find and rescue Marek, whose fate is uncertain. Made during the November 2020 RPG Writer's Workshop.
A plug in adventure that can be used as part of a larger campaign or run as a one shot for 3-4 Tier II characters. A village needs aid, as their small village is under a curse that they have been able to keep hidden from the villagers, but now that clock has run out and the piper demands to be paid. Can they find what is the cause of the curse and finally eliminate it.
Descend into the depths of a tomb which has remained undisturbed for decades. However, a few weeks ago, the gears of war started turning, grinding the northern folk to dust. An undead host marches, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. A decisive strike to cut off the snake’s head might save thousands of lives! Pgs. 16-39
The 13th Circle is an epic battle with one of the archfiends of legend, the demon Baphomet. Designed for Tier 3-4 characters (levels 15-17) and set in the Dread Domain of Kachelior, the adventure requires the party to navigate the mysterious and maddening mazes that protect the demon's castle, and battle fiends of all kinds to reach his throne room. But will they discover the truth of his machinations? Word has spread through the small collection of towns within the Grey Shade that a cult of Baphomet has been preparing something for their master within his palace. The players will travel to Baphomet’s palace, and make their way through the massive forest maze that surrounds it. They will find the corpse of one of the previous heroes enshrined near the center which hints towards the true purpose of the cultists. They will then have to infiltrate the dread palace either stealthing or fighting their way through the defenses. They then must make it past Baphomet’s Lieutenant, Aphalos, the Godeater. The characters defeat Aphalos or persuade him to leave his master to his fate. Once they enter the chamber, Baphomet’s plan is made clear. He wishes to create a maze within time, thus trapping this world in the same cycle of pain and doom as before.
Katha is a fully built city with nearly a hundred NPCs, dozens of shops, and many different factions all vying for power over this growing city. Katha is a growing city-state that can expand (or regress) in any direction depending on the choices of your group. It can easily suit any party of any size or level but is designed for mid-level parties with money to spend. The city will grow (or shrink) and change at the party's every move, making it a city full of potential. The document also includes a map and key for the city, four stat blocks for two major NPCs, a new monster, a boss fight, and a dungeon map. Katha is designed to be placed into any setting with only minor alterations. Advice for how to fit Katha into your setting is provided throughout the document. Included is also a plotline that can span anywhere between four and ten sessions. The Cult of the Storm, a mysterious and millenarian cult, hopes to bring about the end of the world so that it may be reborn. Several of the groups and NPCs in Katha are secretly working for the Cult. Will your party realize that they are accidentally helping them in time to stop the Cult from assembling the four parts of the weather control artifact and starting The Storm? The plot will also develop the city and reward your party not with wealth, but with property and the ability to build what they want and invest their time and energy into growing Katha.
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑-𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐏! 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐔𝐒 is a fifth edition (5E) conversion of 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. Holmes advanced the "Sample Dungeon" 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. An adventure for 1st to 2nd level characters; four pregenerated characters are included. Also includes ideas for using it as an adventure site in 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡. 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: Using this conversion requires a copy of the original dungeon found in the (1977) Basic D&D rulebook. However, Wizards of the Coast has provided a free pdf of this dungeon since 2008 on their website, see the first page of the pdf for the link. 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒: Introduction, page 2 The Setting, page 3 About the Dungeon, page 4 Dungeon Master's Map, page 5 Areas of the Dungeon, pages 6-13 Appendix A: Further Reading, page 13 Appendix B: Dungeon Factions, page 14 Appendix C: Portown Rumors, pages 15-17 Appendix D: Use with Ghosts of Saltmarsh, pages 18-19 Appendix E: Pre-generated 1st level characters, page 20 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐍𝐏𝐂𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟓𝐄: Cleaning Cube, Veteran Smuggler, Thaumaturgist, Monstrous Sand Crab, Lemunda, Monstrous Rat, Brazen Head of Zenopus, Verminslayer Longsword, Lesser Wand of Petrification, Scroll of Stone to Flesh The Ruined Tower of Zenopus was featured as part of the "D&D Classics" column in Issue #32 of Dragon+ magazine! Go to 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐠.𝐜𝐨𝐦 or find the link on the Wikipeda page for Dragon magazine. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐒: Original Dungeon: J. Eric Holmes Conversion, Added Content & Cartography: Zach Howard Content Review & Editing: Scott McKinley Interior Art: Chris Holmes (“Octopus Attack”, page 9) Cover Art: “Italian Coast Scene with Ruined Tower” by Thomas Cole, 1838. Open Access Image from the National Gallery of Art at images.nga.gov Format: Derived from the “Adventure Template for Open Office/LibreOffice” by Dale Robbins on DMs Guild Dungeon Maps drawn using the application Gridmapper by Alex Schroeder
When a Thayan research expedition returns from the Glacier of the White Wyrm with only two survivors that are reduced to whispering about an ancient pyramid under the ice, perhaps it is time to discover just what scares the life out of a nation of necromancers. The events of DDEP2 Mulmaster Undone resulted in terrible geographic upheaval all around the southeastern region of the Moonsea. Massive landslides, earthquakes, tidal waves, and gnashing tornados devastated the land and the city of Mulmaster was nearly scrubbed from the face of Faerun. Fortunately, these events also revealed previously hidden artifacts—trinkets, mostly—from the ancient Netherese all around the city. The Thayans have long held an interest in the port city and wasted no time in assisting in the rebuilding efforts. They simply asked that a blind eye be turned to their archaeological interests, and in return they would continue to spend their own resources (at no expense to the Mulmasterites or even the High Blade) to rebuild the city, bigger and better than before. It wasn’t long before their interests paid off with the discovery of a research laboratory beneath the Glacier of the White Worm, far to the east of Mulmaster and nestled in the mountains. The Thayans sent a sizable expeditionary force but only two acolytes returned. The visiting Zulkir has found this particularly troublesome, and with the assistance of Rastol Shan, the head of the Cloaks, has arranged for a mercenary force to perform a more pointed investigation of the area. In return the Thayan noble has promised significant compensation. Upon arrival at the dig site, the characters are quick to discover that the laboratory hides ancient and palpable evil. The purpose of the facility can be discerned with careful investigation, and the effect of the still-active fragment of the Dark Obelisk has empowered (some may say attracted) servants of the Worm that Walks. Danger and death await, certainly, though the characters always have the option of running away and living to fight another day…
The Hardest of Hearts is a gothic horror adventure for 4-5 characters of 5-6th level. It can be played over the course of 6-8 hours and should roughly take one playing session if the party is quick, or two if the party is progressing slowly. This is the first part of the Carnival of Lost Souls campaign. It can also be played as a standalone adventure. The Hardest of Hearts features: - Exciting journey through the cold wilderness of Lamordia, which features a special travel system and survival rules - Exploration of the old mansion which has been taken over by the vicious local gang - the Corpse Collectors - Several custom diseases to challenge your players - Moral dilemma at the end of the adventure which the characters will have to solve - New custom monsters to make combat encounters truly memorable and exciting - High-quality maps, also available in universal vtt format Look out for the next adventures in the Carnival of Lost Souls series: Dementlieu: Dance with the Devil, Kalakeri: The Forbidden Temple and Valachan: Hunter’s Moon! They will be released over the course of the next two months. Once all four adventures are out, we will also release a special Campaign Guide, which will explain in detail how to best set up and play the campaign. However, if you want to start your campaign right now, don’t worry - we have included a short appendix at the end of each adventure which will explain the basics!
A group of dwarves in the Hulburg region are in need of help. Strange lights have been seen at night and a deadly terror has struck their mining camp. Venture into the ancient ruins and discover the source of this terror before it's too late.
In the beginning, a pair of sphinxes — one male and one female — guarded a desert temple in relative peace. They watched over a vault that held a magical ring that could change the world. The androsphinx — Bazymoros — succumbed to corruption; he denounced the trickster god who created him. Bazymoros forged a pact with the demon god, Baphomet, becoming violent and sought to claim the item in the name of his patron. In an effort to save the world, the gynosphinx Asmuzi defeated him. She locked Bazymoros away, never again to see the light of day. The androsphinx remained as an example of what not to become. It has been so long since this battle that much of the knowledge of Bazymoros has disappeared from the collective memory of the races that inhabit the world. All that remains is the knowledge of the dangerous gynosphinx made from the flesh of human and creature. . . and the treasure she keeps.
The characters are introduced to the coup occurring in Whitehorn and are tasked with warning a friend, whose family is involved, about it. (characters can choose one instrument as a reward)
The hunt for the white hind is the stuff of myth – according to legend, those who can keep up with the mystical stag will discover treasures lost to time. In truth, the heroes in these stories are being tested, but not for anything as simple as stamina. During the hunt heroes face hard fights, questions of morality and opportunities to show their skills.
A cleric has tirelessly tended to the medical needs of his fellow villagers for decades. There have been occasional cases of madness among his charges over the years, enough to cause rumors, but now there is an outbreak, including people known for years to be quite sane. Can you discover the source of these terrible troubles and return the village to normal life?
Mount Black. A mountain filled with a myriad of creatures’ lairs, a crippled dragon that wants to control it once again, and a friendly kobold who can guide you to glory - for a price. Pgs. 8-17
This quest is for a party looking to acquire diamonds to use as components for higher-level resurrection spells. To gather what they need, the characters embark on a brief expedition to the Elemental Plane of Earth where diamonds are fairly abundant. However, the party only has an hour to gather as many diamonds as they can before the portal—and the entire cave area—collapses. Includes a quest-related NPC that a player can control if they're waiting for their character to be resurrected.
Who ever heard of a civilized gnoll? Stories of a secluded valley full of peaceful gnolls have been swirling for years, the occasional nonviolent encounters dismissed as tall tales or unique oddities. Now you are about to discover these gnolls for yourself. The rumors are true...but the full truth is a secret more terrible than anyone knew. A sect of the tribe maintain the magical peace by a terrible ritual sacrifice--not of blood, but of memory. The gnolls who undergo it become Forgotten, losing their identity and becoming a stranger to the clan who once knew and loved them. What is the truth behind the valley's protection? Will the gnolls be allowed to continue living in peace? Or will their only hope become Forgotten?
Undermountain: The Caverns of the Many-Legged is an adventure detailing a hidden mini-level for Dungeon of the Mad Mage for characters of levels 12-13. It uses some of the story and lore of that book, but it can be incorporated or dropped into any setting or homebrew campaign. In a hidden part of Undermountain, former slaves feed their fat, monstrous queen who is fixated on revenge. A broken drow house has finally found a place to call home – only to become abominations. And a massive beast slithers, hunting for anything to satiate its hunger and quell its madness. Welcome to the Caverns of the Many-Legged. Which side, if any, will adventurers choose as they explore this hidden mini-level for Dungeon of the Mad Mage? In this adventure, you will find: a mini-level that can be easily incorporated into Dungeon of the Mad Mage a vivid cast of unique monsters and NPCs, including chitine warriors, a choldrith queen, a spellcasting draegloth, a mad yuan-ti anathema, and others (stat blocks provided for all creatures not in the Monster Manual) locations that could be used or adapted elsewhere, such as a chitine colony and a drider-controlled drow fortress a combination of roleplay, exploration, and combat encounters