Far from shore, in the cold depths of the ocean, lies a legendary whirlpool, five fathoms wide, hungry for sailors, their ships, and their goods. By its side sits a man-eating monster, many-headed and hungry for any who escape the maelstrom. But beneath these perils are the ruins of a palace, rumored to be filled with treasure beyond imagining and, maybe, a history of secrets lost to time beneath the waves. In the midst of a storm, the party’s ship is caught in a strong current. The whirlpool traps them inside of the ruins of an underwater palace, which was once home to a group of nymphs and now is the last vestige of the story of how the nymph Scylla was transformed into the infamous peril she is today. Pgs. 165-171
A Ghastly Mess is a one-shot adventure for a group of 3rd-level characters that takes place in a haunted mansion Unlike your regular haunted house, the inhabitants of this building are far from scary. The ghosts of the former staff still live in it—or, well, unlive—not realizing they’re deceased and unable to move on because of it. The Lord of the mansion still awaits the return of his beloved, Lenore, for which he has commanded the staff to have the house in pristine condition. Help the only alive member of the staff, a sleepwalking old-man, clean the house, defeat any and all monsters that might be lurking in the somewhat abandoned building and help the ghosts pass on to the great beyond in this short but exciting adventure! The story includes a host of interesting characters for your players to meet, each with their own unique personalities and accompanying art; an array of unique monsters specially designed to challenge your party in more ways than one; and an intriguing mystery surrounding Lenore’s fate and what happened to the members of the staff. Now, you might be thinking “hey, this ain’t spooky at all, what gives?” and to that I say: how dare you?! Nothing is scarier than doing your chores! That’s why we built an adventure around it! That being said, A Ghastly Mess is not meant to be a scary story, but rather an interesting mystery-type of social adventure. Most combats can be resolved by running away, the stakes are low, and the NPCs don’t think of the situation as anything more than a normal day in their lives. The tragic aspects of the story have already happened by the times the characters show up, and the intent is for everything to go well from there.
The Hag's Hexes is a 66 page guide designed by Dungeon Masters Guild luminaries like JVC Parry and Janek Sielicki alongside rising stars and old stalwarts like Matt Butler, Matthew Gravelyn, and Tim Bannock. It was created with one thing in mind: to make hags more than the sum of their (often meager) Challenge ratings, giving them the mechanics, roleplay potential, and weird magic that can inspire campaigns, lay low kings and warlords, and potentially ensnare unwary Player Characters into campaign-changing curses or long-term bargains that force them into terrible moral quandaries! Split into five chapters, the authors have provided everything a DM needs to terrify their players for years to come. The Bestiary features over a dozen monsters; some are new hags, some are their minions or even their mobile lairs, and one of them -- the Shaitan AKA Desert Hag -- was featured in Monsters of the Guild! Bargains & Curses is a chapter filled with ideas that can kick-start campaigns, threaten valued NPCs, or put Player Characters' very existence and morality at stake. Chapter 3 includes two dozen items of wonderment, weirdness, and dread, ranging from fairy tale-inspired items of whimsy to terribly cursed items of horror. Chapter 4 is titled "Filthy, Vile & Downright Dirty" and provides dozens of roleplaying tips to make hags come alive, new mechanics inspired by and expanding on Volo's Guide to Monsters (coven spell lists, aunties, grandmothers, alternative coven members), and ends with useful combat tactics for each of the hags from the Monster Manual and Volo's Guide, as well as tactics for covens. Finally, Chapter 5 presents five encounter groups (with sub-encounters) to give you quick story seeds and monster lists that you can put together in minutes to create a single encounter or to inspire a full campaign, and ends with three full-length adventures -- each with 3-5 encounters -- that showcase many of the new monsters, rules, magic items, and so on that appeared in earlier chapters. Each of these adventures comes with an encounter map meant to act as inspiration for hag lairs, and they include useful mechanical ideas for terrain effects and descriptive keywords listed directly on the map for added inspiration and easy customization! Designed by Tim Bannock. Written by Matt Butler, JVC Parry, Janek Sielicki, and Tim Bannock. Edited by Matthew Gravelyn and Tim Bannock. Cover Art by Elena Naylor. Cartography by Tim Bannock using Inkwell Ideas' Dungeonographer (Dungeonographer is copyright Inkwell Ideas). Layout & Graphic Elements by Elena Naylor with Tim Bannock. Interior Art by Arcana Games, Bruno Balixa, David Lewis Johnson, Dean Spencer, Earl Geier, Filip Gutowski, Jacob E. Blackmon, Joyce Maureira, Petr Kratochvil, Jayaraj Paul, Brian Brinlee, and Wizards of the Coast.
A wasting sickness creeps through city streets, powerful spells and cures only pausing the disease. Talona’s name is called out in anger as the possible culprit and in prayer for the disease to be cured. Only she knows the truth: An ancient deity’s corpse, sequestered millenia ago by Talona, floats in the astral sea and is the source of this affliction. Will adventurers be able to stop this sickness at its source? And what will they do with the knowledge they discover?
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐙𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐬. It includes the hinted at, deeper dungeons and darker secrets of Zenopus. This adventure details the Tower of Zenopus located in the map found in Ghosts of Saltmarsh and is a quick side bar for adventurers level 1-3. It has been 50 years since anyone has seen or heard from Zenopus. Rumors abound concerning cultists and marshland creatures roaming near Portown. Could it be that Zenopus is behind it all? Return to the dungeon that started it all. Additional material based on Dr. J. Eric Holmes’ original sample dungeon. More levels, more monsters, more treasure await under the Tower of Zenopus! 4 new dungeon levels included!
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?
In The Black Midwinter is a Festive adventure, designed to be played in one session. The PCs battle an ancient evil threatening a remote village in the subarctic north. Very much the same as most D&D adventures, only this time, it’s Christmas themed! The adventure includes a new Legendary Item, The Deck of Merry Things (with full printable art to create a prop deck), five new monsters including Krampus (obviously) and The Yule Lads (not so obviously, unless you're really into Finnish Christmas Folklore), ten additional magic items and four new alignments (really!). This adventure is ideal for a one off, not entirely serious game separate from your regular campaign. Mulled wine, stupid hats and holiday cheer not included, but very highly recommended.
Located in The Vast north of the Sea of Fallen Stars, Adhe Wood is a small but deadly place. Legends swirl of a mysterious temple in Adhe Wood where statues of snakes hold massive emeralds. But the citizens of Sevenecho, the town nearest to Adhe Wood, seem to know nothing of this legend and refuse to speak of it. Travelers into Adhe Wood rarely return, devoured by the mutated spiders that lurk in the trees.
This adventure has been designed as a one shot adventure for 4-8 players, pregen 5th level characters included, in 4-6 hours. It tells a classic story of the "good" races oppressing the "dark" races, with their warlike expansionist ways.
"Persuaded by a foreigner mage, the survivors of an expedition to the ruins of Castle Perilous return bearing old relics of the fallen Witch-King of Vaasa. However, after getting back to Castle Valls in Damara, the very stone structure is affected by these artifacts, infused with life and evil intent, setting its will against those who tread its halls." Perilous Awakening is an adventure for a group of 6th-10th level characters. It is set in the town of Valls, at the northern region known as the Bloodstone Lands, in the kingdom of Damara, in Faerûn, in Toril, in the Forgotten Realms. However, with little modifications, you can run this adventure in whatever world you wish. This adventure includes: PDF file including the 35-page adventure. 3 maps a simplified view of the town of Valls, Castle Valls and a part of the town, and Castle Vall's dungeon level, all ready to be printed or for use in the web. 10 new enemies between awakened objects, evil wizards, and one of the Witch-King's Book of Creation to antagonize the adventurers. The artifact known as the Book of Creation to tempt the adventurers into higher evil powers.
A tale of dreadful draconic sibling rivalry, this adventure is designed with ease of Dungeon Mastering in mind. Inspired by products such as The Lost Mines of Phandelver and 1991 Easy to Master Introductory Black Box it aims to provide a compelling story which will engage players while making that story easy to tell. It has prompts and advice on how to run each encounter making it ideal for beginning Dungeon Masters or Dungeon Master's ready to move on to the next tier of play.
Blackwater Redux is an Eberron adventure designed for a group of five characters starting on 1st level. It brings the group to the backwater of Khorvaire, aptly named the Shadow Marches. By the end of the adventure, the characters should reach 5th level or higher. To run this adventure, you need the fifth edition Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, and Eberron: Rising from the Last War (RFTLW). Blackwater Redux is a dark, hopeless adventure with strong horror notes. It is inspired by Apocalypse Now by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft. Consuming these before running the adventure is highly recommended. The adventure’s themes loosely touch on current and past real-world conflicts. If one or more of the players are former or active soldiers, make sure to discuss the campaign’s content beforehand.
Everyone in Moonfern Ford knows to avoid the Tainted Grove, a place of darkness and evil amidst the sylvan beauty of Cormanthor. When a young hunter goes missing in the forest, things in the village take a dark turn. Part 3 of the Elvenflow Saga.
As iron is eaten away by rust, so the envious are consumed by their own passion. — Antisthenes The destruction of Cyre and creation of the Mournland marked the end of The Last War. Since then, a towering wall of mystic fog has covered what used to be the nation of Cyre. Those who have ventured inside and made it out have spoken of unusual beasts, wild warforged, and other strange occurences. Most stay away. Others dedicate their lives to plundering the mysteries beyond the veil. House Cannith is the House of Making and, despite being split over the destruction of their homeland, they are still very adamant about keeping their monopoly over arcane creations and are very suspicious of anything coming out of the Mournland. Recently, rumours reached the heads of the Cannith South enclave that some scavengers working for the Daask organisation actually captured living spells from inside the Mournland and brought them back to Sharn for study, taming, and who knows what else. Now Cannith employs independent contractors to enter the secret lab, and destroy the research and its future. Another group will hunt down the actual scavengers and eliminate the spells themselves. This adventure takes place in Sharn, the City of Towers, some time before the formation of the independent adventurers organisation by 'The Twelve'. It is an infiltration mission in hostile territory which includes some investigation, maybe a bit of socialising, and some quick dungeon-crawl elements. It is designed for multiple possible endings. In my mind, this adventure is E for Everyone and doesn't contain anything dark, NSFW, or triggering beyond any other standard D&D adventure.
Small town merchants, frustrated after being continually conned with counterfeit coinage, want help capturing or defeating a magical thief. This 18 page adventure takes the party into the wilderness to storm a previously abandoned tower and capture a mischievous gang of bandits. The party must be quick and stop the gang before the criminals escape in the safety of the clubhouse they built in the branches of their awakened tree ally. This one shot adventure is balanced for four 3rd level characters. It should take between 3-5 hours to complete. It can also serve as a difficult challenge for 2nd level characters or a fun, but easier session for 4th level characters. It takes place in the Forbidden Realms with no set location. It can be easily run as a standalone adventure or fit into an existing campaign that takes place anywhere near forest, such Neverwinter Wood.
Cupid's Sparrow is a Valentine's Day-themed adventure for pairs and parties that allows one or more players and their DM to take part in a Sune's Day celebration filled with fun, flirting, and random tables. Ready to be incorporated into any campaign or setting, Cupid’s Sparrow invites chance and creative role-playing to join hand-in-hand in tribute to the goddess of love and beauty. Characters of any level can take part and enjoy the revelry, first experiencing and then investigating the strange and surprising occurrences taking place in and around town and at the romantic forest-side inn, The Lovers’ Nook. Whether two characters in your party have struck up a romance, you’ve finally convinced your partner to play, or you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with friends, a loved one, or your entire gaming party, this adventure is for you! This product includes: -1-3 hour adventure adaptable to any setting or party size -All necessary stat blocks for NPCs and descriptions of NPCs and their motivations -A menu and map for The Lovers’ Nook Inn and town map to aid exploration and gift-getting
Blackstone Cave was once a smugglers’ lair, but it was cleared out decades ago. Now there are strange noises coming from the cave, and local authorities are afraid smugglers and bandits have taken up operations again. What will the adventurers find? More importantly, will they be able to survive the machinations of the Mad Dragon Priestess? A straightforward dungeon crawl with combat and opportunities for role-playing. The party is tasked with investigating strange noises coming from Blackstone Cave, an abandoned smuggler's lair. They find kobold cultists have moved in, but they're not the average dragon cultists.
A nearly forgotten dwarven kingdom once ruled these mountains. Its rulers were wealthy beyond compare. Time and greed wore the kingdom to dust and now all that remains are ruins and wonders. Recently coins of that ancient kingdom have appeared in the streams of the foothills to the south of the mountains. Rumors have passed with tankards of ale that a vault laden with gold is waiting to be found. You and your friends, on a fortnight's furlough from guard duty, have set off in search of this lost horde.
What could happen while traveling the vast Savage Frontier? Just about anything! Encounters in the Savage Frontier includes 24 unique encounters of various difficulty that can be used while the adventuring party travels the Savage Frontier. It also includes several new creatures and magic items, digital hand-drawn maps (10 as downloadable .jpg files), and original artwork. Some of the encounters are short and brief, while others may take you a full gaming session to complete. Available for Fantasy Grounds
Your investigations into weird occurrences in Waterdeep's Field Ward leads you to the source of a disease that suddenly breaks out. You are the only ones who know of the cure, but you won't be able to procure it if you remained quarantined like the rest of the ward. The clock is ticking for you and your allies.