For centuries, Aelmor Monastery near the port town of Sestone was a safe haven for scholars, monks, and pilgrims seeking enlightenment, its renowned library home to an enormous collection of ancient manuscripts, tomes, and peculiar writings. After suffering a devastating attack at the hands of a possessed monastery elder, Aelmor fell into ruin, its troubled past forgotten. When villagers start disappearing and turn up horribly mutated days later, fear takes a grip of Sestone. What sinister forces are at work? And to what end? The Claws of Madness is a standalone adventure carefully designed for a group of 1st-level heroes, including new monsters, magic items, and a thrilling story arc. Edited by Michele Carter (co-editor of the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook), this dungeon crawl combines the best elements of classic adventures with fresh new exciting avenues. The story in this book also provides the perfect base for an epic, long-running campaign suitable for higher-level characters, in which the heroes unravel the dark mystery of the mythical Hand of Narkul . . . Published by LoreSmyth SmiteWorks.
From time immemorial, the rulers of the mortal world have been counseled and tempted by capricious primordial spirits who rule over the elements. The greatest and most sinister of these was a half-kraken medusa known as the Maelstrom Queen, who sought to supplant the mortal races with her own line of immortal tentacled monstrosities. On the verge of her ultimate triumph, when the leviathans at her command rose from the depths, a legendary assassin murdered the Maelstrom Queen in her half-submerged palace with her own weapon. But the primordial mistress refused to let something as trifling as death put an end to her designs. Every 13 years, she regenerates enough mystic power to rise again, and the world’s greatest heroes are sent to murder the Maelstrom Queen once more.
The Lotus Blossom Steppes have long been a land of disjointed tribes, squabbling with one another for central rulership. In the past, great rulers laid claim to the Steppes, bringing the tribes under a single banner for a great purpose—be it under the terrible dictatorship of a half-rakshasa khan or an enlightened visionary khan that leads the tribes beyond the borders of the Steppes. Yet there is great power tucked away behind the tribes’ individual banners. All it takes is an individual with enough ambition and enough power to change the destiny of the Lotus Blossom Steppes... and one ambitious man is on the hunt for the fragmented powers of the NewGod war. Can the PCs put an end to a rising warlord's ambitions, or will the Lotus Blossom Steppes fall again into tribal conflict?
The adventurer awakens buried in a coffin only to be inadvertently rescued by a goblin grave-robber. With no recollection of how they came to be buried alive, the adventurer is thrust into an encounter with the goblin and his party who have stolen a precious heirloom off their unconscious body. Before starting this adventure the GM and player should discuss what heirloom item the adventurer possesses. Though having immense sentimental value, the heirloom shouldn’t be magical, and it should be of minor monetary value. It should be a worn item that can easily be removed such as a ring, bracer or necklace.
The small town of Boldon, and its surrounding villages are afraid. Dozens of people are missing, some speculate lost to some nefarious purpose. A broken drunkard tells fantastic tales of an evil temple and the horrible things within. The rare few who know the legends and history of the region are beginning to think the dark times have returned; not seen since the fall of the first age of man. People are beginning to feel the icy fingers of fear closing in. The party becomes aware of these events, and is inspired to investigate. This leads them to a broken man who tells them a story of a lost temple. Has it been rediscovered by men seduced by its forgotten evil? The drunkard’s tale leads to others who might help the party discover more before they face The Lost Temple of Forgotten Evil. Published by Fat Goblin Games
"Investigate a mystical valley where stones can speak and monsters roam." "The Singing Stones" is a wilderness, point-crawl adventure for characters levels 3-5. It is set in a mystical valley known as Opera Valley, which is filled with sentient, speaking stones. It emphasizes exploration, interaction with unique environmental features, and solving mysteries through dialogue and puzzle-solving rather than straightforward combat. 23 keyed locations Written for the Old-School Essentials (OSE) rule system
A free adventure for the Pathfinder RPG, focusing upon a city ravaged by a natural disaster and besieged on all sides. Party levels 4-5 will face off against a half-dragon, half-demon overlord known as Ymial, a demonic seductress, goblin warbands, and drow slavers beneath the ground all while trying to discover the secrets of the city of Fairhaven. Works well for players who are looking to visit a large town and face off in a high-stakes conflict even at low levels. Includes lots of details on the town, from rumors to residents.
The Necropolis of Nuromen is a modular quest designed to let the referee introduce a group of 1st level characters to the thrills of Underworld exploration as they attempt to unravel they secrets of the evil necromancer’s lair and deal with some bandits, too. The Necropolis of Nuromen is set in a fantasy realm, beginning near the small town of Camlann Castle and leading adventurers to explore the sinister Necropolis of Nuromen. The narrative unfolds around Nuromen the Necromancer, who fell to ruin by dabbling in forbidden magic, leading to the downfall of his tower and the town known as Law's End. The adventure includes exploration of a haunted forest, encounters with various creatures, and a quest for lost treasures and magical artifacts hidden within the depths of the necropolis. To play this adventure you also require the BLUEHOLME™ Prentice Rules or the BLUEHOLME™ Journeymanne Rules. This is an updated Version of "Maze of Nuromen" from 2013.
Only True Heroes Can Find Honor Among Thieves … They lurk in the Ralferst Forest, striking out at all who pass through, robbing traders, assaulting farmers, even killing with impunity. Working from a secret base deep in the forest, a band of thieves has struck fear into the heart of Brandon's Bridge, the little village at the crossing of the Azure River. But now a band of heroes has come, seeking glory and adventure - heroes that might just be up to the challenge of driving away the Thieves in the Forest. Thieves in the Forest is a beginner-friendly, introductory OGL adventure. It features: A wilderness adventure segment featuring the Ralferst Forest, a dense wood crisscrossed with paths and fraught with perils. The nature of the forest and paths makes it easy for less experienced players and GMs to deal with this non-dungeon environment. A double-sided, fold-out poster map (17" x 22") of the thieves' hideout - an ancient ruined temple - suitable for tabletop use with miniatures or counters, for easier handling of tactical combat. Maps created in Profantasy Software's Campaign Cartographer 2, and available for download on the Atlas Games website. GMs can customize and manipulate these maps themelves, if they own CC2, and integrate them into their own game worlds. Published by Atlas Games & Truant Spiele
The chapel, once populated by the priests and priestesses of Eldath has now been desecrated by cult of necromancers who sought its secrets to prolonged life. They soon discovered the bodies of the chapel’s clerics they slew, and those interred in the catacombs below, were unnaturally strengthened and preserved by the chapel’s white waters. Their bodies were soon used to create powerful undead. Seeing this desecration of her followers, Eldath stemmed the flow of her life-giving waters. The cultists remain in her chapel, seeking to corrupt the well and harness its powers for their vile plans. Published by Arcana Games.
People keep asking for "beginner" dungeons. Everyone can name "classic" dungeons - Tomb of Horrors, Barrier Peaks, Ravenloft, etc. - but in order for those adventures to make sense, there needs to be some sort of introduction. It's like all the adventures we have are Bach concertos. People keep writing amazing works of staggering genius, but someone needs to write a book on how to play the piano. I had the same questions, and since I couldn't find anything satisfactory, I decided to write the kind of dungeon I would have loved to find. I wanted to write the best basic OSR dungeon for beginners that I could, and I also wanted to show the design process. If you like this dungeon, please share it, tell people about it, print copies and leave them lying around local game stores, or email this post to friends who have "always wanted to try D&D but don't know where to start". The entire thing is and always will be free.
A wizard has kidnapped a young lumberjack... What macabre ritual will he preform with his blood? What devil will he conjure to occupy his body? In to what kind of aberration will he transform the young man? A maiden wants to recover her fiancé, a father wants to recover his son, a village wants to recover it's hero. The village anxiously hopes the road will bring courageous characters, who have the valor they lack to undertake the journey to the tower of the wizard. A caravan can be seen on the horizon... Un mago ha secuestrado a un joven leñador… ¿Qué macabro ritual llevará a cabo con su sangre? ¿Qué demonio conjurará para ocupar su cuerpo? ¿En qué aberración convertirá al joven? Una doncella quiere recuperar a su prometido, un padre quiere recuperar a su hijo, un pueblo quiere recuperar a su héroe. La aldea espera ansiosa que el camino traiga valerosos personajes que tengan el coraje del que ellos carecen para emprender el viaje a la torre del mago para rescatar al joven. Una caravana se divisa en el horizonte… Published by Caravana
It's feeding time at the zoo and you could be the main course! Raven Aldritch, mysterious and beautiful, runs the Aldritch Research Centre and Zoo for her father, a powerful mage. He enjoys turning dangerous creatures into terrifying monstrosities. But daddy is away and the magical shields that hold the creatures in their enclosures have failed. These monsters are rampaging through the research centre endangering the lives of the innocent workers. Raven desperately needs help to regain control, and she’s willing to pay the right group of adventurers handsomely. Will you come to her rescue? An adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game. Fifth edition compatible. A one-shot for a party of Level 3 adventurers
A short adventure for the Midnight campaign setting from Fantasy Flight Games. An important resistance member has been captured by the Shadow, and the adventurers are called upon to ensure--through any means necessary--that the information he knows is not passed on to the enemy.
A level 1–3 dungeon adventure by Giuseppe Rotondo. The secret workshop of a long-dead jeweler-magician is now open, as his grandson wants the place finally cleared of all dangers. What treasures might remain within, and what might be watching over them? This adventure combines classic dungeon crawl elements with the intrigue of uncovering a magician’s legacy, making it a rich experience for both new and seasoned players. For Old-School Essentials (OSE) Included as one of four adventures in "Old-School Essentials Adventure Anthology 1"
Undead minions turn on their master - When the necromancer's staff is broken, a party of undead become self aware. Play as undead and choose to side with your former master, or the paladin order assaulting his tower. Published by Limitless Adventures.
In what became known as the Age of Madness, an astral lich calling himself the Crimson Hand descended from the sea of stars, setting his fell gaze upon Gaea. Her red moon he made both his temple and his phylactery, and from there he sought to enslave those who would be ruled and devour those who would not. The Ancients of the four corners of Gaea united their knowledge against this threat, constructing a colossal golem, and inscribing the four POWER WORDS upon four scrolls. These scrolls they fed to the colossus, who ascended to the crimson moon in an instant. The sages of the realm watched as the flashes of battle signaled in the night sky, ending as the crimson moon itself split in half. The lich and the colossus were destroyed, and the Age of Madness was ended. Millennia have passed, and now a new threat rises from the netherworld. The four POWER WORDS have been forgotten, lost among the shattered remnants of the moon. The sages have once again united what remains of their power, this time to teleport a paltry handful of crusaders to retrieve the lost scrolls before the world is doomed.
Revenants are terrifying. They are powerful and undeterred by magical concealment; if they are slain, their tortured spirits merely seek out new bodies to continue the hunt for their killers. Their only weakness is a ticking timer: they have one year to exact their revenge before their spirits fade from this world. But not Gorm. Gorm has no time limit. Gorm will pursue its target to the ends of the earth, taking new bodies as it goes, in pursuit of its ultimate goal: the utter eradication of its killer’s entire bloodline. Tyrants and Hellions is a Dungeon Master's aide, containing fifteen villains complete with schemes, lairs, backstories, and everything else you need to drop them into your own 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Within its 400 pages you'll also find the methods, both mechanical and thematic, used to create villains that spark the imaginations of your players. Hex is one of these villains, and his adventure takes up 15 pages (pg 94-109). Published by 2CGaming
"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.
The Dark Tide of Damodan is an underwater rescue adventure, where time is of the essence. A mysterious disease is killing of locals and visitors alike in the port town of Havenword. While the adventurers are in town, Havenword is attacked from the sea by nasty fish-headed creatures. After the battle, the characters learn that the creatures dragged off several townsfolk. They have been tasked with finding the captives and returning them safely. The only problem...they were taken out to sea. The characters must delve into the depths into an underwater keep to rescue the captives. Using the knowledge the captives to help locate one another, all the while, avoiding the sinister Damodan's forces. Will the characters turn the tides in their favor? Or will they swim with the fishes? Published by Crit Academy