A community for lazy dungeon masters
381 adventures found
Cover of SND-02: Fane of the Heresiarch
SND-02: Fane of the Heresiarch
4th Edition
Level 6
38 pages
0

None know from where the Heresiarch first came, but all remember the night that it did. It rode down from the bleeding stars on a great serpent, hurling bolts of obsidian lightning that shattered the monuments and capitols of every nation. Its infernal army swept aside the defenses of the mortal empires in a single hour, decimating legions once thought to be the invincible fist of humanity's god-kings. Faceless priests - each bearing the symbol of the trident - drifted through the fallen cities and scorched villages on a frigid wind, and when they rose to greet the huddled men and women ringed by their festering, bloated dead, they spoke a single, simple offer: worship the Heresiarch or die. Thousands of crusaders fell tonight so that you might be given this chance. In a last stand that, for the first time, united all of the empires of humanity as brothers and sisters, a way was cleared into an infernal stronghold said to contain a gate to the Heresiarch’s fane. All is silent save for the clangor of distant battle. Surrounded by grim-faced knights and teary-eyed peasants – their hands clasped in desperate hope – you step through the glowing, churning doorway, knowing there will be no help and likely no return. Published by Defy Danger and Save Versus Death

Cover of Flameless Forge of the Dverg
Flameless Forge of the Dverg
OSR
Levels 1–3
25 pages
0

Long ago the dwarf-like "Dverg" established a "forge" hidden deep beneath the earth where they forged weapons of "cold" iron. Cold iron was considered a far superior material and was especially effective against Trolls and could even damage ghosts. The forge is thought have been long abandoned and priceless artifacts of great power are rumored to lie forgotten beneath the Altis mountains. Among them is rumored to be the fabled Axe of Mortality - a weapon said to be powerful enough to slay a god. Is your party brave enough to venture out in search of these valuables? Flameless Forge of the Dverg is a free/pwyw dungeon crawling adventure designed for level 1-3 Shadowdark RPG characters. The adventure is assumed to take place in a viking-esque fantasy setting, but can be adapted by tweaking some names and figuring out replacements for the nordic gods.

Cover of The Camp Clearwater Massacre
The Camp Clearwater Massacre
5th Edition
Levels 2–5
? pages
0

There’s someone out there. Lurking in the woods. Hacksaw in hand. Eager to draw the blood of those who dare tread within its lair. Its lair: Camp Clearwater. Any other summer, Camp Clearwater is a haven for young, aspiring adventurers to hone their skills and relax with others like them. But this year it’s different. Bodies are turning up. Teenagers are running for their lives. There’s blood on the water. Can the characters save the counselors and campers from the Camp Clearwater Massacre? The Camp Clearwater Massacre is a Fifth Edition adventure designed for four 3rd-level characters but can be adjusted for three to five characters of 2nd- to 4th-level. The adventure works particularly well in horror-themed Fifth Edition games, especially those involving shadowy realms where a single evil presence acts as the domain’s dark lord or lady.

Cover of A Ship in the Mist
A Ship in the Mist
5th Edition
Levels 1–2
17 pages
0

A Ship in the Mist - A Horror One Shot In A Ship in the Mist, the players are hired to recover a lost skyship known as the Sky Scythe and retrieve an experimental artifact called the Veil of Aramis. The Sky Scythe disappeared decades ago under mysterious circumstances, only to resurface in a desolate region. As the players investigate the ship, they uncover its eerie connection to a plane of madness and horror. The adventure features a blend of horror, mental manipulation, and high-stakes combat, culminating in a tense race against time as the ship’s fate hangs in the balance. This adventure is meant for low levels (1-3) and a cast of 3-5 players, contains some combat, but mostly exploration oriented encounters. Expected playtime 4 hours (1 session) - One shot The adventure is leans heavily into horror, with no real redemption ending. This adventure can also be a replacement for Death House as a starter quest for Curse of Stradh, where at the end of the adventure they would end up in the mist outside Barrovia.

Cover of The night of the Scarecrow
The night of the Scarecrow
5th Edition
Levels 1–2
8 pages
0

This 5th edition investigation one-shot is planned to be played by 4 to 6 level 1 characters. The characters will face a spirit in the form of a scarecrow out to wipe out the villagers of a town, the group will discover that all is not what it seems and that this spirit is actually out for justice... or revenge.

Cover of Beyond the Veil
Beyond the Veil
3rd Edition
Level 9
40 pages
0

"The creatures are just too intelligent, too crafty, and too strategy-minded to "rampage." Rampaging brings the wrath of oath-bound knights, powerful mages, and divinely-protected priests. Why would a dragon want such attention, unless it had some special secret, or unless it was insane? Or both. The northern reaches of the Derideth Swamp were once plagued by a rampaging dragon. This black dragon, named Storamere, took a mad glee in attacking human villages, wiping out orc camps, driving off the lizardfolk, and decimating farmland. He met his untimely end, though, in an ambush devised by the monks of the Order of St. Chausle. Storamere died with a curse upon his draconic tongue: "you could not have defeated me in my lair," he told his slayers. "I am forever invincible in my lair." Now Storamere is back, with a horde of his misshapen half-dragon offspring, to have his vengeance. All that remains of the once-heroic monks are two old men driven mad by their last encounter with the black dragon, so it falls to a band of adventurers to again defeat the mighty dragon -- this time in his palace, where the boastful Storamere claims he is at his strongest." Includes maps and damage rules for navigating Storamere's lair, a semi-solid palace made of a dangerous, corrosive liquid five feet thick and located on the ethereal plane. Most of the monsters in the lair have the Half-Dragon template applied. Published by Atlas Games

Cover of Wicked Little Delves, vol 1
Wicked Little Delves, vol 1
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
22 pages
0

These are three one-shot dungeon delves. Each delve features nine rooms or locations full of challenges and interactivity. Each delve has only one type of monster, but they are complex, and there are lots of them! This volume of Wicked Little Delves includes three small dungeon adventures: - a new twist on the classic spiders-in-the-cellar, - a prison full of attack dogs, and - an abandoned cult lair full of pirate treasure and killer crabs. SYSTEM: Each monster has stats for Fifth Edition, Old School Essentials, and Into the Odd. These adventures are intended for characters at levels 1, 2, and 3. They are mainly focused on exploration and combat, with some minor social encounters. Estimated run time for each: 1 session, or 2-5 hours. Each adventure includes one complex original monster and a variety of unique treasures. ADVENTURE TYPE: Low Level / Combat / Exploration / One-Shot / Dungeon Delve

Cover of Mists of Akuma: Scourge of Róbai-Shita Temple
Mists of Akuma: Scourge of Róbai-Shita Temple
5th Edition
Levels 3–4
42 pages
0

Heroes are needed in the mountainside town of Shibai—though thought to be spared from the horrors of the demonic Mists of Akuma, recently the supernatural haze has started to fall onto the settlement and a monster lurks through the evil fog. Despite the presence of the infamous Mubo Brothers, hired by the local mayor, a Sukochi bengoshi calls upon the party to get to the bottom of what ails Shibai. The truth of the matter lay within Robai Shita Temple, though what the adventurers find inside may see them undone!

Cover of Banquet of the Damned
Banquet of the Damned
5th Edition
Levels 3–5
23 pages
0

Every year, on the tenth of Nightal, the villagers of Womford organize a large banquet in honor of their patron goddess Chauntea. What started out as a small reunion between neighbors has turned into the most important event of the year: the Womford Pie Contest! Carla is a would-be witch came in contact with a gulabus (a demon of gluttony), she made a pact with the fiend, hoping that it could help Mortimer (a villager she felt sorry for) win the pie contest. The demon possessed the witch and placed a curse on Mortimer. If the PCs don’t stop him, the gulabus might actually gain control of the entire village. Produced by Goblin Stone

Cover of Breaker Of Chains
Breaker Of Chains
5th Edition
Levels 6–8
26 pages
0

The shrine on the edge of town has been little more than a landmark for generations – but now eerie runes have begun pulsing across its surface, and rumour has it a dark force is growing. Now the party must investigate the threat, and destroy whatever lurks inside the Hall of Lament once and for all. The Legend of Zelda meets Hellraiser in the latest adventure from Chris Bissette, creator of Bulette Storm! Breaker of Chains is a 4 hour old school adventure, featuring tricks, traps, exploration, traps, and ritual sacrifice. Never again will your players waltz into a dungeon convinced that you aren’t willing to kill them in new and horrible ways! Published by Loot The Room

Cover of Barrow of the Raging Storm
Barrow of the Raging Storm
OSR
Levels 1–3
3 pages
0

Your party approaches a barrow at the base of the mountain. A raging storm brews overhead, and as you approach, a bolt of lightning strikes down on the peak of the mound, lighting up the world all around you. A thunderclap momentarily deafens you, and as your eyes adjust to the resuming grey of the dark day, you see a flicker of firelight emerging from the two gaping holes built into the side of the hill. You’ve found the pirates camping within the Barrow of the Raging Storm. As I delivered it to my players, the premise of this Midnight Sun adventure is that some pirates have been attacking ships returning from raids. They have been stealing the loot and the corpses of any slain Nords. Among their victims, a ship from Valthis returns to tell them that the pirates sailed upriver (to hex 506), where I placed the Barrow in my Shadowdark RPG campaign. The adventurers started from there and explored the dungeon thoroughly. The adventure was created using the tools described in the Shadowdark RPG core rules. I created it in about 6 hours between 2024-03-08 and 2024-03-09 and ran it for my group on the 9th. It took about 2.25 hours to play to completion. The party consisted of two level 1 characters and one level 2 character. I had so much fun making and running this that I will continue creating more Midnight Sun Adventures, so stay tuned!

Cover of Doom Desert in the Decanter of Delirium
Doom Desert in the Decanter of Delirium
5th Edition
Levels 2–3
15 pages
0

The Doom Desert in the Decanter of Delirium is an exotic OSR romp through a mysterious world of riddles, puzzles, inscrutable denizens. 5e compatible, this love letter to psychedelia is as vivid and beautiful as exciting and surreal. Get wrapped up in conversation with the dead drunks at the last saloon on earth, solve the sphinx riddle and discover the secrets of the Ziggurat, or break bread and wine with whispering harpies or the sun itself. This compelling narrative is written by Austin Holm and captures the exploration, social, and challenge pillars of a great game with the deft prose of a poet. With art by Maya Bee that captures the essence of the adventures many stunning scenes and characters. Your players will thank you for this one.

Cover of Dungeon Full of Monsters
Dungeon Full of Monsters
OSR
Level 1
352 pages
0

Dungeon Full of Monsters is a modular megadungeon for use with Labyrinth Lord and other old school fantasy role-playing games. The megadungeon is composed of 50 individual sections, separated into 5 different levels. You can assemble these in any configuration you like, either randomly or not, either before the campaign or on-the-fly in play. You can also use these sectiosn on their own, without reference to the larger dungeon itself. The second half of the book contains dozens of monsters, illustrated in full colour, often with multiple variations and types. Combined with the unique monsters located in specific dungeon sections, this book contains over 150 different monster stat blocks. There are criminal organizations, insane cultists, meddling deities, evil wizards, undead kings, infernal demons and other invaders from beyond the stars, numerous unspeakable horrors and arcane beasts, and even a few rival adventurers. Use these monsters with this dungeon or any other. Specific conversion guidelines for The Nightmares Underneath are also provided.

Cover of 13 Weird One-Shots
13 Weird One-Shots
5th Edition
Levels 1–5
66 pages
0

The ancient world of Harth withers beneath its dying sun…but it’s not dead yet. The land is still riddled with villages in danger, cultists in caves, angels gone mad, eldritch horrors making strange deals, raging dragons, bandits in the woods, and cruel monsters lurking in every shadow. These 13 adventures span a wide variety of locations, environments, creatures, and genres. They are meant for use as quick-play sessions or one-shots, or to be dropped into campaigns as side-quests. These are linear dungeons and mini-quests full of interactivity and strangeness, encouraging exploration, risk-taking, and creative combat. ADVENTURE TYPE: One-Shot / Low Level / Combat / Exploration / Village / Wilderness / City / Subterranean / Dungeon Delve DESIGN NOTES These 13 adventures are intended for low-level characters around Level 3 Overall, these adventures tend to be linear dungeon delves in caves or single buildings 93 unique encounter locations 69 original magic items 71 original monsters (with 28 illustrations) 13 maps/diagrams Each adventure runs 2-4 hours in length

Cover of Arachnophobia! [2017 edit]
Arachnophobia! [2017 edit]
OSR
Levels 3–5
63 pages
0

... for hundreds of years, the monks of Sheargardt Manor at Luci Vale have provided spiritual guidance (in the name of their deity—Caelis) and world-class ales to the folk who live in nearby Luci Village. At the head of the high-mountain valley Luci Keep is tasked with keeping the pass over the high mountains safe fortravelers throughout the year. However, in recent months, word has come down from the mountains to the port city of Galan that the Abbot Christoph has allowed evil to enter the Manor. And now, a representative of the Caelian order is sent to learn the truth of the matter, and remove Christoph if necessary... Published by Usherwood Publishing

Cover of The Goblin Cave
The Goblin Cave
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
6 pages
0

Everyone starts with goblins. And The Goblin Cave helps you do just that. Using any of several story hooks, this adventure provides a short romp through a goblin-infested cave where the party will encounter traps, treasure, and the perfect start to their adventuring career. An introductory adventure for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level characters.

Cover of Three Days to Kill
Three Days to Kill
3rd Edition
Levels 1–3
34 pages
0

"Deeptown lies in the shadow of mountains, a town where anything is for sale if you can only meet the price. But in the wild surrounding valleys of the Deeps, it's the bandits who make the darkest deals - and their ambition comes at a cost far greater than the contents of any wayward caravan. You and your team have just been handed a new job: disrupt a meeting between a bandit lord and his mysterious new allies. At a remote mountain villa, you will strike hard and fast and leave terror in your wake. They give you the tools. You provide the talent. Survive, and you'll be well rewarded. Fail, and you'll pay the price. You've got three days to raise some hell." This was one of the first third party adventures under the OGL for 3rd edition published by Atlas Games under the Penumbra line. The attack on the mansion is not a dungeon crawl, but feels like a commando raid aided by some unique magic items.

Cover of Don't Leave the Path
Don't Leave the Path
5th Edition
Levels 1–2
13 pages
0

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

Cover of Glaive of the Revenant King
Glaive of the Revenant King
5th Edition
Level 3
40 pages
0

Deep within the dark recesses of the Tomb of Nihalar, the final resting place of elven kings, the weapon of the wood elves of Imfe Aiqua stirs. Two individuals are drawn to the weapon—but only one can accept it. Who will take up the glaive of the revenant king and become the ruler of the forgotten elven city? Glaive of the Revenant King is a 3rd-level Fifth Edition adventure for 3-5 characters. Characters who survive the adventure should reach the 4th level by the adventure's conclusion. This is the major side quest in the Hand of Eight adventure path. It can be played as the kickoff for the larger adventure setting or as a one-shot adventure for your players. The campaign is intended to be set in the DMDave crowdsourced campaign world of Omeria. However, it can just as easily be inserted into any other mysterious, untamed wilderness. The adventure is written by renown Fifth Edition author, DMDave Hamrick. It's 40 pages of fast-paced fantasy adventure that includes zombie hordes, horrible monsters in dark forests, battles with orcs, and tombs filled with dangerous traps.

A Traitor Amongst Us
3.5 Edition
Level 5
25 pages
0

An adventure for the Midnight campaign setting from Fantasy Flight Games. The adventurers make contact with the Baden's Bluff underground to investigate a pair of recent murders. This adventure emphasizes information gathering and deduction, rather than combat.