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.
This is an adventure for four 6th to 7th level PC's that may be completed in a single session. The Untamed are a street gang in a busy city. A recent change in leadership has transformed the members from pickpockets and second-story thieves into kidnappers for an inter-dimensional aberration named Xlrieh'oc. Their hideout is now a strange and wicked factory, capable of extracting the firm essence from a person; the process leaves the victim partly ethereal and their form no longer casts a shadow. Although most victims die during the procedure, those who survive are conscripted into the gang. The extracted essence is crated and shipped to the aberration's home plane through a breach between worlds in the hideout's backroom.
A Giant Ransom is a short adventure for four 11th-level characters. There are opportunities for diplomacy, stealth, and combat, based on the choices the PCs make, so any mix of classes is appropriate. The adventure can be set in any campaign world, in a frontier region near glacier-covered mountains. The newly appointed Duke Castaril Ambrinigan has recently relocated to a modest, newly constructed keep near the frontier town of Ormanlak. He and his family arrived safely, but a caravan containing family heirlooms was waylaid by a band of frost giant raiders. Most of the items were of no consequence to the Duke, with the exception of one: a three-foot tall golden statue of a lion. The Duke, wanting to avoid a war, sent an emissary to the frost giants. He offered gems totaling 10,000 gold pieces in value as ransom for the lion. The giants accepted, and a time and place was set for the exchange. But there is more. A white dragon named Whildenstrank lives in the midst of a nearby glacier, and has maintained a network of winter wolf spies, including some in the frost giants' camp. Through these spies, Whildenstrank learned of the capture of the golden lion, and the upcoming trade. Thinking that the lion would make a fine addition to his frozen treasure hoard, Whildenstrank has prepared to strike.
Nothing living guards this island - that's the problem. The party must clear a burned out abbey, only recently the home to a group of evil clerics.
Inside the woods near Burke's Crossing lurks a very real danger. It began as a sense of unease, a feeling of being watched, but now people are disappearing. The lumberjacks who have stayed in the little village talk of ghosts and other superstitions. Or at least they did - until a mysterious statue appeared in a clearing near the logging camp. As if matters weren't strange enough, two mages have arrived and begun hiring armed guards to escort them into these very same woods. Is there a connection, or is it just coincidence? Either way, be prepared! You never know what's out there waiting... and watching. "Eye of Pain" is the first of three Monstrous Arcana adventures featuring the cunning and deadly beholder. If can be played as an individual adventure or as part of the series which continue in "Eye of Doom" and concludes in "Eye to Eye." For four to six characters of levels 4-8.
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.
The Thieves Guild Ebonclad has assigned to party a mission to find the missing Ebonclad Seeker, Osme Sunshadow, as well as investigate the prospective thief Korina Ren. The mission’s conclusion takes the party on a “traditional” dungeon dive in search of a missing guild member, however, how they get there will depend on the work they do in the city. Finally, the mission gives you, the GM, multiple scenarios to choose from that will affect its outcome.
Explore a cult-ridden village in this adventure for 2nd-level characters set in the world’s greatest roleplaying game! Syra Fallbrook, a talented blacksmith, is due to be executed. Her only crime was trying to prevent the Cult of the Engine from taking and sacrificing her daughter, Ariadne, in a dark ritual beneath the town. The party find Bleakwash a closed off and inhospitable town, with zealous cultists and downtrodden citizens so tightly entwined that nobody trusts anybody else, and nobody can be trusted. Eventually, the quest takes them to the dungeon beneath the town, a dank, sodden crypt where the cult’s enigmatic leader seeks to awaken The Engine Of Salvation. This second-level adventure is perfect for new DMs and players alike. Visit the grim portside town of Bleakwash, save Syra and her daughter, investigate a dark cult, and do battle in the salt-crusted catacombs! Included in this adventure: A quest to clear a town of corrupting influence. An open-ended investigation in a full town map. Broken, sea-washed catacombs. 5 random encounters to support you during travel. Approx. 4 hours of fun. A gripping adventure for 2nd-level players. Visit the grim shores of Bleakwash for a holiday you'll never forget!
Your group of fledgling adventurers has come together from their respective backgrounds to seek out their fame and fortune in the wilderness. Upon their initial foray they uncover the lost ruins of a forgotten city. Little do these young adventurers realize that they may come into contact with a page and cover of the relic known as the Codex of Gamber Dauch!
Two feuding kobold tribes have been left alone in their dragon queen's lair. Without supervision, surrounded by the wealth of nations and piles of magical artifacts. How long before things devolve into utter chaos? Set inside an enormous dragon's lair, the adventure allows players to take control of the best and brightest among the kobold tribe known as the Redscales. Their entire lives they have been the Dragon Queen's minions and her lair's caretakers. But the Dragon Queen has been gone for some time now and an ancient feud with another kobold tribe (the Bluescales) is about to be a rekindled. And the trap- and treasure-filled lair is to become their battleground. The gameplay is a mix of roleplaying, involving some tough moral choices (well, tough for kobolds), solving puzzles and wacky combat with kobolds wielding powerful ancient artifacts. There is an abundance of magic items, specially chosen for their potential to lead to hilarious situations.
Rules for playing any level with any number of players without a GM! Have you and your friends ever sat around the gaming table wanting an exciting, perilous dungeon adventure but no one wanted to be the Gamemaster? Do you find yourself with little time to read through lengthy adventure modules and memorize them? Do you want to get down into the dungeon as quickly as possible and start killing monsters and finding treasure? Then look no farther than “Unbound Adventures”! In this rules supplement, players will find the information necessary for using the 3.5 d20 core rules without a Gamemaster. Players will form a party, find an adventure, travel to the dungeon (which will be generated for them as they explore) and fight the monsters they find there.
Stormy seas rock your vessel, tossing her about like a toy in the jaws of a hound. Thunder rolls in the distance. Then, an arc of lightning splits the sky, and the sound like an exploding fireball all but bursts your eardrums. Your mainmast, struck by lightning, burns, splinters, and topples onto the deck like a felled oak. The last thing you hear is the cracking of wood as the deck explodes into splinters, and the ship is torn asunder. All goes black. You awaken in shackles, half-submerged in water, and surrounded by salmon-pink coral. You survived, but what fate awaits you now? The sound of soggy footsteps echo down the hallway. A creature approaches with an answer. This week’s encounter is Coral Colosseum, a combat encounter in which the characters must prove themselves as worthy gladiators to escape the clutches of a ruthless sahuagin baron. This encounter can serve as a follow-up to Encounter of the Week: Sharkfin Shipwreck, or as a stand-alone mini-adventure. It could also serve as an introduction to Ghosts of Saltmarsh, which releases on May 21st, 2019.
An adventure for 3-4 characters of Levels 3-4 exploring a ruined temple in a deep forest, with new monsters, new magic items, and all new original art. Deep within the Forest of Legressia lies a ruined temple of a long forgotten goddess. This ancient, crumbling temple is rumored to contain an artifact of the faith deep within its bowels, but also to be guarded by a shadowy malevolence. Your party has been tasked with reconnoitering the temple and retrieving the artifact. Great rewards await those courageous (or foolish) enough to delve into the Shadowed Temple of the Forgotten Goddess... https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/475049/OSR-One-Shot--Shadowed-Temple-of-the-Forgotten-Goddess?src=hottest_filtered The adventure includes: 5 fully fleshed out encounters within the temple. Traps, monsters, riddles, and mysteries abound Four new monsters, two of which are variants of the shadow-bound Umbrathi, charged as guardians of the temple's secrets Harvesting and crafting options, for defeated and destroyed foes A new magical item, the Amulet of Redemption Lore connected with the world, including tie-ins to adventures to come A professional battlemap/sitemap from the superb Silver Compass Maps Incredible orginal artwork from Simon Underwood and Carlos Castilho Map Pack: includes gridded and ungridded versions of both GM maps and player friendly maps. Also includes VTT compatible maps
The Haunted Hamlet and other hexes details four unique modular locations for your game. Made for old school essentials, but can easily be used with other old-school systems or even 5E. The four locations detailed in the zine focus on gameable content and being easy to use at the table. The locations are not connected to one another and can be sprinkled onto your campaign map however you like, or run as one shots. The PDF is graphic and art heavy and utilizes random tables and other tools to make it easier for GMs to run in a pinch. Details: 40 pages Single column text 8.5 x 5.5 aspect Black & White Bookmarks Four hex locations Random tables A rival NPC party A sky merchant A one page town Two hirelings
It Fell From The Sky is a science-fantasy adventure for 7th-9th level characters in which the player characters investigate a meteor that turns out to actually be a crashed interplanar craft containing advanced technology and alien creatures.
The Dark Tower A Worlds Without Number Compatible Adventure The adventure is set up so the Player Characters [PCs] can encounter diverse types of situations and different adventure styles, allowing for role-playing within a rural situation, with wandering monsters, and a dungeon/Deep encounter. The module offers a chance for the GM to immerse themselves and their players with as much, or little, detail as they want to put in. Rolling countryside surrounds The Dark Tower for miles. Giving you, the GM, the opportunity to fit the adventure into almost any setting within your game. I have left the ending open, allowing the GM to slot in further encounters or adventure twists to keep the game moving but with enough happening to turn it into more than one session if so desired. The Plot There are several options for the plot: A local innkeeper would like you to investigate the haunted tower on the hill. He is willing to offer a good reward. A local village Elder could ask the PCs to seek out/investigate/destroy the walking dead that have been seen around the tower. Please investigate the tower to see if the rumors are true. A Local priest would like the PCs to remove the possible undead worrying the locals from the tower.
A medium sized city is perfect for adventurers who are adventuring in or near a large plains environment where natives/barbarians can be found. Landos is set in a vast plains where natives simliar to American Indians would be from. The city itself is seeking to "civilize" itself by giving more space to upscale businesses as the native population moves back out to the plains. Landos is run by the Caravan Masters who are responsible for trade throughout the civilized lands. See also F6 - Euriduis of Santos. Landos is also the setting for the murder mystery Butchery of the Geldamore.
A hobgoblin force is expanding and threatening the land. Confronted with the relentless advance of Azarr Kul’s horde, the characters must undertake vital missions to influence the outcome of the war. Can they shatter the armies of the enemy, or will Azarr Kul’s dreams rain destruction upon the human lands? The adventure is fast-paced and time-sensitive, and requires almost constant movement by the party. WoTC 95385
The nefarious master wrestler Dib, the goblin, is "terrorizing" the streets of the town (or city). Since his defeat in his roadside fortress, the would-be chieftain has plotted his revenge. Gathering to him a new batch of dim minions, Dib has transformed a stolen merchant wagon into a machine of war. The wagon is powered by several goblins inside who, while devoted to Dib, lack the strength to pedal the thing quickly or consistently. Dib's plan to wreak a path of havoc through the streets has resulted in something a bit more disappointing. In this light-hearted and quirky adventure for four first- or second-level PCs, the party must confront the war wagon, gain entry to it, and defeat its defenders—the lives of several potted plants and a few market stalls depend on it!
A man built a temple to a woman who died. It became a shrine for those who lost a spouse too soon. Later. Much later. A young couple came. Their tribes warred so they could only marry in death. It was poison. Which angered HER. They walk the temple ever since, cursed by a shrine spirit. She has a hatred of suicide only dead widows can know.