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.

(EQ1) The Cursed Ring is a generic fantasy short adventure for low-level players, themed around puzzle hunting, traps, and monster combat. It is designed to be solved in approximately 5-6 hours, depending on the size of the party and skill of the players. This adventure takes place in a cursed fortress, where they must find a powerful mythical ring capable of granting great power, in exchange for enormous sacrifices. Players must recover the ring and get out of this dangerous place alive.

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

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.

Morgansfort: The Western Lands Campaign is the first published campaign setting for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. This module includes a brief description of the Western Lands: A campaign adventure area consisting of the remnants of a once-great empire, a pair of important free cities, and a vast wilderness territory, plus Morgansfort, a detailed "home base" for adventurers set in the western lands. Also included are three adventures designed for a part of new player characters, comprising a total of six dungeon levels: The Olde Island Fortress: a two-level dungeon environment suitable for beginning adventurers, located near Morgansfort. The Nameless Dungeon: a three-level dungeon designed to be a bit more challenging. The Cave of the Unknown: a one-level dungeon filled with strange monsters led by a fearsome master. This campaign module combines: The Western Lands, a briefly sketched campaign area; Morgansfort, a detailed "home base" for an adventuring party; The Old Island Fortress, a two level dungeon suitable for beginning adventurers; The Nameless Dungeon, a tough three level dungeon; and The Cave of the Unknown, a dungeon controlled by an evil magic-user. This campaign module is highly suitable for starting a new group, even a group of new players. Published by basicfantasy.org

The Dread tunnels of Ruxbar were created by a cult of a lesser evil deity of the giant pantheon, known as Jargain to serve as a planar gate in hope of bringing chaos and destruction to the natural order of the world and power to the one who would control the gate. Ruxabar was the high cultist who completed the ritual but to his surprise nothing of what he expected came through the gate. Plague creatures, toxic gases and vapors, diseases of all kinds and decay lay quick waste to him and his cult. For some time the gate remained open and the settlements nearby were afflicted with diseases never seen before. The nearby town of Stagwood was quickly abandoned due to the plague. Rumor has it that the gods have weakened the gate and the cult has been destroyed. The remaining villages that managed to somewhat resist the plague are now hiring brave adventurers to venture into the tunnels and close the planar gate for good! Are you capable enough of surviving the horrors that reside in the Dreaded Tunnels of Ruxabar? Published by Mistfactor Press

The Tranquil foothills of the Sword Mountains are quickly plunged into chaos, as a series of earthquakes spread their way through the region. Adding to this danger, bands of vicious, flesh-eating monstrosities have clawed out of the shattered earth, attacking travellers and local residents. Rumours of wealth and riches have drawn the adventurers to the area; little do they know that it is not gold and jewels these monsters protect, but a volatile portal into the Underdark with a disturbing secret.

"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.

You are aromantic, and your best friend is aromantic. There’s only one thing to do: go and fight a dragon. Two Aromantics Spend an Entire Day Doing Everything Except Experiencing Romantic Attraction is an unapologetically no-romo single-player adventure for a level 4 character. It should run for approximately 3-5 hours. This adventure requires at least some knowledge as to what it means to be aromantic. There are many useful resources available online for those unfamiliar with this term.

The Tower. Standing on a grassy hilltop, it seems unremarkable from a distance. Two stories high, cylindrical, thatched roof. Simple and idyllic. There's even a whisper on the breeze, or maybe a thought in the back of your mind: There's nothing to see here. What brought you in the first place? Just turn around and go back. Those that venture nearer find that it's much more than meets the eye. The closer you get, the taller the tower seems to be... until standing at its base, the tower rises dozens of floors and pierces the sky. Do you have the courage to enter the unknown sanctum? What could possibly await you within? Gather your allies and find out!

Centuries ago, the four deities worshipped by mortals – Kishar, Kotaresh, Lyth, and Asar-Segt – threatened to drown the world in a flood of saltwater to punish the living for their impiety. The oracles and witches of the realm struck a desperate bargain with the gods, however, and convinced them to spare the world. In exchange, the mortal kingdoms were bound to demonstrate their faith once every generation by sending their most courageous and adroit warriors to the Crucible, a ziggurat in the lowest valley of the land. Every quarter-century, on the first full moon of summer, an eclipse darkens the night and the sealed ziggurat opens. Many traps, tricks, and guardians lie within the Crucible to test those who enter. Few who heed the challenge of the gods survive – most find only quick death. If the races of the world are deserving of the gods’ affection, their champions will overcome the trials of the Crucible and light the Divine Brazier hidden in its uppermost chamber. If they are not, the flickering candle of civilization will be snuffed. Little of value will have been lost. Published by Defy Danger and Save Versus Death

It begins in the marketplace or main square of a town when the calm, peaceful day is interrupted by a hulking golem trouncing through town, smashing objects, and attacking townsfolk. The party witnessing this should intervene and stop the rampaging golem with combat or by luring it into a nearby warehouse to trap it so it can be damaged and, eventually, destroyed by the town guards. When the party examines the golem’s remains, they find bones encased in the metal armor and the name 'Quartztoil' written in gnomish script. The town guard explain that this is the eighth construct they have encountered in the area in the past six months. The party can then go on to investigate the name 'Quartztoil', leading them to learn of an old, gnomish, aspiring artificer, Penaral Quartztoil, who had a lab and workshop in a tower in the nearby mountains, but who has not been heard from for close to a century. Published by Nord Games

Ever wanted to face the cold, dark, and dangerous unknown without the advantages of a fantasy hero? This is your chance! Fifth Edition Funnel puts a spin on character creation. In the Funnel, each participating player quickly generates several 0-level characters blessed with the abilities and low survivability of your average commoner. Those that survive will be promoted to 1st-level heroines and heroes. The Funnel bonds characters over common challenges they meet and (hopefully) overcome. The surviving 1st-level characters share a common origin as adventurers. Instead of merely rolling dice, there is a trial by fire where average people succeed against the odds to do something heroic (or hide under a table in a tavern).

The Therayle farm, which has been in the family for generations, was the best producing in the region. It now faces ruin. Hugh Therayle, the current owner, is at wit's end trying to reestablish even a modicum of control over the disrupted land. But, when Hugh saw the ancient doorway jutting up from the middle of the field where his corn used to be, he knew that this wasn't the type of problem a plow could solve. More than two centuries ago, a red wizard by the name of Houn made a discovery that shook the foundations of magic on Toril. Yet, due to a considerable amount of effort on his part, it never saw the light of day. The exact nature of this discovery is unknown but it involves the location of the skeletal fragments of an ancient being. The weave, which governs all magic on Toril, reacts strangely to the fragments. More information existed before Houn destroyed his research and fled Thay. His current whereabouts are unknown but many of his peers have attempted to track him down and steal his research for themselves.

The adventure takes players from a town devastated by an unexpected flood, through a drowned land where nature is turned upside down and desperate families cling to the roofs of their ruined homes, hiding from the monstrous products of a disordered world, through the strange tomb of an ancient race, to a profundal zone, hidden for millennia and now exposed, and finally to the Observatory itself, an eerie abandoned treasure palace, where they will encounter a pale and unexpected terror which will seek to claim their lives. The adventure is suitable for a lucky mid-range party, a stupid high-level party or an exceedingly clever low level party. It is difficult, with a meaningful possibility of character death. Should you find them, and defeat their guardians, the treasures of an ancient culture will be yours. At the final point of the Observatory is a glimpse of another world. Published by False Machine Publishing

Questing through the forest, you will be tested. Which side will you take between a wizard and the Keepers of the Veil? Will you be able to find the materials necessary to help cure your friend of the ancient evil that assails him? And when it comes down to it, what are you willing to sacrifice for your beliefs? Third Time’s the Charm picks up where Second Glance left off and invites the PC to find a wizard who can help heal the Crystalline Curse slowly paralyzing the PC’s friend and protector. As the party grows closer on this adventure, learning to depend on one another, they must also navigate the Veiled Wood’s changing landscape, deciding who they can trust and who they will help as much lies in the balance. Though this was written as the third installment in the Crystalline Curse Trilogy, this adventure can be inserted into any campaign setting and scaled accordingly. Third Time’s the Charm is part of our mission to bring you high-quality, ready-to-play material that supports adventuring parties of 1 Player and 1 DM. This adventure is written for a third-level character in a one-on-one 5th edition D&D campaign. Everything you need for your own two-person game is inside! This product includes: -A 3rd or 4th-level adventure adaptable to any setting -Stat blocks for one new creature and two NPCs -A region map, two sitemaps, and a hand-drawn dungeon map to aid the PC’s investigations -A fully realized forest region with fleshed-out NPCs and places to explore -Detailed backstory for the ancient warrior sheltered inside the PC’s treasured amulet -Four custom magical items And helpful tips for DMing a one-on-one game This adventure is perfect for those looking to begin or continue their duet campaign. Published by D&D Duet.

A millennium has passed since the Green Death swept across Hyperborea. In that bygone age of pestilence, a noble family fled the City-State of Khromarium. Far beyond the walls of the city, they entombed themselves in order to elude the inescapable plague. Their necromancer placed them in a deep slumber from which they never wakened. Also he summoned a mythical serpent to guard the vault, a beast reputed to shed gems for tears from eyeless sockets. Tales speak of this beast as the Sightless Serpent. Now, a knave of Khromarium claims to have witnessed the legendary beast. For a pittance he will lead your party to its trail in this swords and sorcery style adventure

Something fell. A sickly gloaming lit up the night like mock daylight, just for a moment, and then the hills trembled. Now, an alien entity lies brooding in a crater gouged out of the moor. Local folk are enraptured with the toothsome jelly exuded by this being, but are blind to the true nature of the events unfolding in their rustic little backwater.

A vast, sprawling mega-dungeon beneath the ruins of a nearby castle. Reports have surfaced of stockpiles of wealth within the passages. Regions previously devoid of monsters are reported to teem with renewed activity. Magical and mundane traps have brought foolhardy explorers to their doom. Changes within the passages and chambers have rendered old maps and knowledge dangerously unreliable if not outright useless. To the bold and daring, only one message needs to be heard: the castle and its dungeons are once more ripe for exploration, and new legends are ready to be made. Note: This adventure requires three books for it to be complete (sold as a package): Adventure Book, Map Book, and Illustration Book. Published by BRW Games

In times ancient, an infamous paladin-artificer named Khaldun unearthed a cursed tome bound in the flesh of the first medusa. Driven to madness by its secrets, he used the necromantic magic contained within to call forth an army of dread warriors from the Netherworld. Though his assault was devastating, he was ultimately unsuccessful, and the mightiest crusaders of the realm banished Khaldun to the Netherworld, where he would rot for eternity at the bottom of the River Dis. Unfortunately, rather than perishing in that bleak plane, Khaldun escaped his silt grave and thrived, amassing a legion of undead followers and erecting a Tomb in which he could perfect his mechanical craft without interruption. It was not long before he shed his body and became a demilich. After several centuries of scheming, the undead warriors under the command of the ‘Iron Lich’ have burst free of the Netherworld, laying waste to not only the mortal kingdoms that exiled him, but also the exalted domains of the gods themselves. The crusaders’ quest is simple – stead the Tomb and destroy the Iron Lich. Published by Defy Danger and Save Versus Death