Hi! I am pleased to present the official English-language release of the Italian best-selling adventure: La Seconda Alba Nera – The Second Black Dawn! If anyone is looking for a good starter adventure for 5th edition but wants something a bit grittier and darker may I recommend it. The Second Black Dawn is coming ... The king is missing. Hordes of undead spread across the kingdom like a plague. Outlaws attack and pillage defenseless villages. A party of adventurers is called upon to explore the region and investigate the mysterious disappearance of the king. Main Features: - A compelling, dark adventure estimated to last over 30 hours of gameplay and bring the characters from 1st to 5th level. - Five new monsters and one new weapon - Random encounters designed specifically to integrate with the tone of the adventure. - A list of music suitable for use as a soundtrack to accompany the adventure, to engage the players and emphasize the adventure's atmosphere. - Four pre-generated characters usable for the adventure. - Hypertext links in both the index and the text and bookmarks included. - An optimized PDF also available in a printer-friendly version. Find out what is bringing the kingdom to its knees... before it’s too late! Thanks to Marco Fossati for the translation and Simon Collins for the English-language editing. Any questions, please ask!
Many centuries ago, the dwarven kingdom of Sarphil stretched out across the Galena Mountains east of the Moonsea. They dug for the precious metals hidden beneath the rocky terrain, and they established numerous cities and settlements to aid in their excavation and manufacturing efforts. This was during the early days of Myth Drannor, the elven kingdom in the forest of Cormanthor, and the dwarves and elves initially clashed as each sought resources and expanded their territories. Myth Drannor and Sarphil eventually settled their differences, and many dwarves moved into the elven city to offer their services and expand their knowledge. In the Galena Mountains, Sarphil continued to flourish. Unfortunately, these days of prosperity did not last long. The last great king of Sarphil was lost in the dwarven city of Mount Throndor, beneath the mountain peak of the same name, and Sarphil withered under bitter clan disputes since no single family could claim legitimate lineage over the fragmented kingdom. What happened under Mount Throndor has been a mystery for thousands of years. Many attempts have been made to reclaim the lost riches and legacy of the last Sarphilan king, but powerful wards have prevented intrusion under the mountain, wards erected by the dwarves of Sarphil. Were the wards built to keep outsiders from intruding – or to keep something inside from escaping? An enterprising dwarven leader wants to find out, but she is going to need some help from a band of heroes. Horrors of Mount Throndor is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure of exploration, darkness, and terror featuring a lost dwarven city overrun by forces from the Far Realm and the journey to cleanse it once and for all. The adventure is designed for a group of 11th-level characters, and successful completion of the adventure should put the characters at 16th level. Here There Be Monsters Mount Throndor has become infested with madness from the Far Realm. During their journey to penetrate the ward and through the city itself, the characters are going to face gibbering horrors, unpredictable slaadi, fanatic stone giant cultists, degenerate star spawn horrors, mutant derro, undead dwarves, and countless golems. The ancient breweries of Mount Throndor have produced alementals who slither in the darkness, and a great dwarven war juggernaut named Big Hans stomps through the city. Legendary Villains and Epic Moments Though it has been sealed, Mount Throndor is not empty. The characters have opportunities to meet, interact with, and (likely at least) combat against powerful foes within the legendary dwarf city. A dwarf lich, a Far Realm spider goddess, an iron-encased demilich, and a melted flesh derro warlock monstrosity all await, along with a mind-bending force - Great Cthulhu! The characters have a chance to face an avatar of Great Cthulhu in the dwarven depths in the final confrontation of the adventure to free Mount Throndor and rid Faerun of a Far Realm invasion! An Adventure of Exploration Mount Throndor is a big, sprawling complex, a dwarven city with two major strongholds, a bridge system spanning a massive underground lake, and a deep mining complex. The scale is difficult to grasp and convey. Previous examples of adventures featuring these elements have included maps - usually lots of them, great spawling maps connected at ends to make huge subterranean dungeons. It is the classic image of a D&D dungeon crawl, and the map is a key component to its visualization. However, in this adventure, the maps are handled differently. There are certain areas, ususally outside the dwarven city itself, that include maps that are suitable for use at the game table, either in theater of the mind style or grid-and-miniatures. Mount Throndor itself is presented with an abstract map, and exploring it utilizes the exploration procedure outlined in Appendix A. Characters traverse the huge subterranean system using this abstract system, and during their travels they are going to run into random encounters and sites with more interesting and complex encounters.
This one-shot, horror-themed adventure is set on the lightning rail of the world of Eberron! Will your party of 6th-level adventurers be able to rescue an innocent before it all comes crashing down!? Nightmare on the Mournland Express features: An example lightning rail to explore. Updated 5th edition rules for running all sorts of encounters on the lightning rail. A bestiary appendix containing 9 stat blocks, including dragonmarked NPCs and nightmarish monsters! Enough material to run an alternate scenario: a train heist!
Tyrrattizi's Prison is a D&D 5e adventure, written for a party of 2nd-level characters. A recently unearthed temple found in the swamp has attracted the attention of a local Bullywug Shaman who seeks to free an evil trapped within. This adventure may be dropped in any campaign, or run as a one-shot.
This book goes over the various rules around the faction of the Zhentarim in Phandalin and the Forgotten Realms, making it easy for any new or veteran DMs to integrate it more into the core stories being told, and making the faction feel more useful for the players that choose to join. The adventure, Barrhindlun sees the adventurers working for the Zhentarim and traveling to the town of Leilon and finding their way beneath to the muddy lost city of Barrhindlun, where bandits of the Xanathar Guild have been sent to reclaim a Crystal Orb.
Delve into the depths of the tomb of the long forgotten elven king to bring the eternal peace onto its disturbed dwellers. A 4-hour adventure for two 4th level characters. Small Party Adventure: Though the party size of 3–5 characters is considered optimal in D&D, there are times when you can only gather one or two players at most. This adventure is designed exactly for such occasions.
About: This encounter was cooked up in the Write your First Encounter workshop by the Storytelling Collective. It CAN be slid in as a side quest in any urban or sub-urban context, or be adapted to add confusion to any rescue mission you are presently running. Synopsis: Through the doorway a young woman shackled to the wall matching the description of Helena can be seen. Though disheveled and looking to be in great discomfort, her beauty is remarkable. But on closer inspection, there are other people here — three identical Helenas! Noble woman Elize Cleron has hired the party to infiltrate the catacombs under the Schaefer Estate and free her twin sister Helena. Helena is being held captive by the Schaefer family, trade rivals rumored to have ties to the underworld. Elize has been unable to free her sister herself because of her identical appearance. Rather than pay an unrealistic ransom, Elize has provided the party with what they need to break her out. This encounter is intended for 3rd level characters.
Cheese Goblins III — The Church of Lavache A Level 4 Adventure of Holy Havoc and Dairy Doom by Infinite Initiative High on a lonely hill, the Church of Lavache has gone strangely silent. What was once a peaceful chapel now glows with sickly yellow light. Locals whisper of cheese-scented smoke curling from its windows… and giggling shapes scampering through the graveyard after dark. Inside, something ancient stirs. A deranged warlock—Darius Manchego—has seized the sanctuary and begun a ritual to summon Lavache, an obscure archfey of dairy, indulgence, and decay. Cheese Goblins swarm the halls, corrupting pews, altars, crypts, and even the sacred dead. If the ritual completes, the Matron of Cheese will step through the veil—and the town below may drown in holy curdled chaos. Adventurers must storm the defiled church, navigate its cheese-slicked catacombs, disrupt the ritual flames, and confront Darius before Lavache fully manifests… or face the archfey herself in all her gooey, bovine glory. Inside the Adventure A complete 5e one-shot for characters level 4 • A hilltop church overrun by goblins, traps, riddles, and corrupted magic • A branching dungeon with dynamic time pressure—delays strengthen the final encounter • A cheese-slick sanctuary fight, a cursed family crypt puzzle, and a summoned archfey showdown • A chaotic boss battle with Darius Manchego and (if the party is too late) Lavache, the Matron of Cheese • A new magic item: Curdled Charm of Cheese Conjuring Adventure Hooks The Sudden Takeover – Overnight, the church begins oozing cheese and goblins barricade the road. A Priest in Panic – A trembling clergyman begs the heroes to reclaim his overrun chapel. Bounty on the Cheese Warlock – A wanted poster offers coin for the capture of Darius Manchego, last seen near the church. Part of the Thirsty Tiger Tales series by Infinite Initiative—short, atmospheric adventures built to run in one or two sessions.
A Slumbering Serpent Hidden in the thick rainforest of Serpent Isle is a crumbled yuan-ti citadel. These foul snakefolk have been dormant for decades, but have been awoken in order to fill out some foul prophecy. Delving deep into their most sacred temple; Oss’Ithek, is the only way to uncover the dark secret which they hold so dear. Do you have the nerve to face the serpent?
When a priceless relic goes missing from the archives of an ancient monastery, only one party of stalwart adventurers has the determination and strength of character to go forth and recover it from a dangerous underground fortress. That party is yours.
Meaningful decisions, unexpected twists and memorable characters are the foundations of this dark 4-hour adventure for 5th to 10th level characters. A chance encounter on an unassuming road leads to a dangerous and lucrative opportunity. But what seems simple on the surface turns out to be much more below. Thrust into a world where every enemy has an enemy and everyone has their own dark motive, the only chance to survive is to ally with the right foe. Sometimes “doing the right thing” comes only in shades of black. Six Summoned Swords is a stand-alone adventure that begins on the side of the road leading to Phlan and can be easily accessed by any adventurers traveling through the Moonsea region. In addition to a world full of intrigue and complex character choices, purchasing this adventure includes: An Official Adventurers League magic item certificate Printable portrait cards with roleplaying tips for important NPCs Gridded reference maps for combat encounters Condition icons to help track character status Special Certificate Holder ideal for event play NEW: Season 8 Item Unlock Handout - prints 9 to a page, one for every player! * Looking for an adventure to run at your special game day or convention? This adventure includes a “certificate holder” that features specially created art of the adventure’s magic item. When printed in colour and on card stock, it perfectly frames the official AL magic item certificate from this adventure and makes for an unforgettable souvenir. About the Swords Below the Moonsea Saga The saga consists of three adventures, with this adventure serving as a stand-alone prelude. The series continues with Six Striking Swords and Six Swords Unbound, the two of which should be played in tandem.
An introductory adventure for a 1st level party for D&D 5th Edition. The party is asked to maintain order at the local mage's festival, and things get a little weird.
Bale, the kind gnome and owner of Bale's Outfitting Outpost, requests that the adventurers track down a group of youngsters that rented horses from him. The horses are overdue and Bale believes that he may have been swindled. Unbeknownst to the gnome, the party of young adventurers has met a dark fate. Will your adventurers accept Bale's request to track down the youngsters and, in doing so, find out what really happened? Or will they leave more blood on the trail? The module includes an introduction to Bale's Outfitting Outpost, encounter stat blocks, maps, and a battle stat tracker. Note: You do not need the Bale's Outfitting Outpost module to run this adventure.
Centuries ago, a beholder named Yeryl fled from the place of his birth and wandered the countryside in search for a place to call home. After many sleepless nights spent carving out a safe nook for himself in the wilderness, he at last slipped into slumber. In his dreams, he found an ideal place for his lair: long-abandoned ruins hidden amidst a dull and barren valley. Yeryl spent years transforming the place to suit his paranoid designs. Visitors were rare enough, and the few that made it to Yeryl’s lair were quickly destroyed or forced into the beholder’s service, building the lair ever deeper and more magnificent. As time went on, Yeryl finally completed his task. Safe at last, but with nothing to occupy his mind, Yeryl was struck by melancholy; was this lonely and empty life truly what he had chosen for himself? On that day, Yeryl made a decision: next time an adventurer came to his lair, he would welcome them in. With this resolution in mind, Yeryl began to dismantle his traps and replace them with ones he considered to be more fun. Unfortunately, for all his good intents, Yeryl has not yet realised that killing people is a bad way of getting them to like him. Yeryl's Super Happy Fun Murder Dungeon is a highly obnoxious and mildly ridiculous collection of traps, combat and puzzles designed to test your players' wits and patience. It is optimised for a group of four to five 3rd level players, but the text also contains a guide for level adjustments for different sized groups.
In this adventure for the Eberron Campaign Setting a group of adventurers travels to the well known but seldom explored thorp of First Tower, 27 miles north of Sharn, the City of Towers. The adventurers must solve a terrible event that happens on the House Orien lightning rail, but then will have some time to relax and have fun in the many events and fun things that happen in the festive town of First tower. In the third act, the adventurers must find a way to fight or negotiate with an orc tribe that claims a section of the land as theirs.
A dispute erupts between a trade ambassador and a wealthy merchant and the players are hired as champions only to learn that they face a brutal and savvy opponent. Will the players be a second in time? "A Second in Time" is a two-hour adventure for 3-6 players. It is written for characters 1st-3rd level. The players act as a champions in a harsh blood sport that is as much the court of a river city as it is entertainment. This module includes a new poison, a new type of item and a rudimentary rule for addiction. The river city of Lotian is a rough place, where might often means right and the thirst for blood is nigh unquenchable. Gold may be the currency of the realm but justice is paid for in blood...
An evil cult gathers for one night of dark acts, and on this night a group of brave adventurers enter their hide out. It is a mission of stealth and subterfuge for the dark forces are powerful, and quick thinking is needed to succeed for one night amongst the necromancers. The adventure introduces several new monsters and magic items. Originally from the Danish convention Fastaval as part of the living campaign, Hinterlandet. Now presented here for the first time in English. It is an adventure with emphasis on exploration and meeting the unknown.
It's the day before Christmas and Santa's sleigh is stolen with the party on board! Can they retrieve the magical Cheer Core in time to save Christmas? The party takes on the roles of Santa's Helpers, gnomes that work in a new and industrialized North Pole. They're sent into the belly of this year's sleigh (a coal-powered machine the size of a warship) to deal with some minor pests. While they're inside, the sleigh is hijacked by redcaps that work for an evil witch that is jealous of Santa's popularity and wants nothing more than to steal Christmas for herself. Includes Christmas-themed monster stat blocks and magic items, all custom-built for a fun and lighthearted holiday adventure for a level 5 party.
A behir has been hired to destroy the herds of aurochs necessary to feed the hobgoblin city of Glip Dak. Patrols and scouts continue to go missing, forcing the hobgoblins to hire mercenaries to track this behir as they recall their troops to the capital to maintain order as food riots break out.
Modrons, Mephits & Mayhem is a Dungeons & Dragons 5E tier 2 adventure for three to five characters of levels 5-8. It is primarily set in a modron-designed research facility that has been abandoned by its creators but retains guardians that are still active. Additionally, two groups have broken into the facility with their own goals in mind; the githyanki and their red dragon cohort are antagonistic and provide the main source of combat in this adventure, while a modron traveling with a few mephits may prove friendly although ultimately troublesome. Inspired by adventure games in which the protagonists explore baroque, esoteric technological fortresses, and seeded throughout with factions that sport competing and often bizarre goals, Modrons, Mephits & Mayhem is sure to test the mettle of any group of players, and will provide endless amusement for Dungeon Masters seeking something different from the typical hack-and-slash dungeon crawl. This 70-page adventure features: *Two wilderness areas, random wilderness encounters, and a massive, interlinking 3-level dungeon filled with bizarre puzzles. *Ancient machinery powered by elemental portals, all of which can be activated, turned off, or manipulated by the player characters and the various factions within the modron facility. *Planar creatures like githzerai and githyanki, modrons, mephits, and elemental guardians, skillfully placed into the High Moor area of the Forgotten Realms setting. *Monsters and NPCs that have detailed (yet easy to run!) personalities and goals that will provide tons of roleplaying opportunities. *Notes and sidebars on running the NPCs with added complexity, or simplifying the NPCs' motives to make the adventure more straightforward. *Tactics notes for every single encounter! *An appendix that features all monster stat blocks, and both tagged (DM) and untagged (Player) versions of the dungeon maps. *Wilderness hex map by Elven Tower Cartography! Three interlinked dungeon levels by Dyson Logos...and one of them is a flying fortress! Cover art by Patrick E. Pullen!