Everyone who’s anyone has heard of Starburn Academy. The elite boarding school is famous for teaching students to excel in magic, history, fighting, and anything else a precocious child in the city of Seledor needs to know. But now, one instructor at the school is using his position to carry out a nefarious plot which is at best unethical and at worst deeply dangerous. The only people standing in his way are a mage with an unreliable reputation and the handful of talented children she picked off the street to infiltrate the school and get the evidence needed to take him down. That is, you.
Can you stop the haunting before tea? The ghosts of two warring wizards are trapped in the basement of the house. It is up to the party to end this old feud. Pgs. 68-70
The island of Viledel, the mighty Sea King, was sacked by a pirate army 60 years ago. Its destruction was so complete that even the location of the island was lost and forgotten. Despite the rumors of immense treasures still hidden in the ruined stronghold, no one ever found the Sea King's island again. Until now. Through a cruel twist of fate, a small band of unwilling adventurers is washed ashore on a small, barren island, and discovers what remains of Viledel's settlement. But they aren't alone; marauding ores and goblins have found the island, too, and are frantically searching for the lost hoard. In this desperate treasure hunt, the real payoff may be survival. TSR 9185
The sleepy village of Raven's Lake has a secret: A terrible god lives in the depths of the settlement's namesake. The citizens of Raven's Lake know that something lives in the lake. People who go out on the lake after dark go missing far too often and frequently turn up weeks later with no memory of where they've been. The local church of St. Cuthbert has been abandoned no fewer than seven times in the last two years, each time its lone cleric packing hastily and fleeing town without a word. Adventurers who come to Raven's Lake have a habit of vanishing forever. The truth is that something does indeed live in Raven's Lake but it is far from a deity. It's an exiled aboleth by the name of Zlorthishen.
The desolate, uneven country known to locals as Battlefield Downs is strewn with the scattered remains of the ancient dead. During the last terrible years of the old empire, a series of grinding military engagements played out across the rolling fields of Battlefield Downs. In one battle that was part of a wider, disastrous campaign that contributed heavily to Nerath's downfall, the Empire of Nerath's legions clashed here against ravaging gnoll packs. It is now a haunted place, where only the bravest dare to tread. Pgs. 72-79
For better or for worse. It's up to you to make sure this is the happiest day of their lives - not the most embarrassing! A wedding and a jealous lover what could go wrong. A small and light hearted adventure perfect for kicking off a campaign in a city. Pgs. 50-57
A terrible thunderstorm batters a seaside port, yet thunder and lightning are nothing compared to what is about to be unleashed by the diabolic crew of the Rabid Dawn. Casters with access to control water, control weather, or control winds will prove especially valuable, as will characters with strong Swim skills. The adventure is best suited to a predominantly good or neutral aligned party of PC's. Strike on the Rabid Dawn takes place in the port city of Hardby (Dungeon #109). As most of the action takes place within a lighthouse and on a ship at sea, however, any suitable port from your campaign makes an appropriate substitution for Hardby. Pgs. 12-32
Sometimes its better not to know... Citizens are turning up in the city in catatonic states, alive but devoid of personality. Are they the victims of an illness or disease, or is there something more sinister at work? Encountering one of these poor souls, the characters are drawn into an investigation of politics and treachery, seedy underworld dealings and rooftop chases, culminating in a fiery conclusion. Can they discover the cause of this epidemic before it’s too late?
The hunt for the white hind is the stuff of myth – according to legend, those who can keep up with the mystical stag will discover treasures lost to time. In truth, the heroes in these stories are being tested, but not for anything as simple as stamina. During the hunt heroes face hard fights, questions of morality and opportunities to show their skills.
Magical trinkets, unusual creatures, strange and mysterious artifacts, and more can be had at a discount at Gwen's Relics on Church Street. Now, the store's most outrageous acquisition has arrived, and the resulting chaos threatens to destroy the shop and release a plague of monsters into the town. Can the PCs stop the catastrophe before it spreads too far? What happens when a vagabond finds a weird snake down by the river and gives it to the local curio shop? Find out in "The Menagerie," winner of the Origins/DUNGEON Side Trek Design Competition. Pgs. 78-83
Haggofik the dwarven prospector has a nose for ore. And he believes he's found a vein of rare metal up in the mountains. The only problem is that this territory is claimed by a tribe of birdmen. A two-hour adventure for 3rd level characters,. Includes the 5th edition writeup of the thoqqua.
Who ever heard of a civilized gnoll? Stories of a secluded valley full of peaceful gnolls have been swirling for years, the occasional nonviolent encounters dismissed as tall tales or unique oddities. Now you are about to discover these gnolls for yourself. The rumors are true...but the full truth is a secret more terrible than anyone knew. A sect of the tribe maintain the magical peace by a terrible ritual sacrifice--not of blood, but of memory. The gnolls who undergo it become Forgotten, losing their identity and becoming a stranger to the clan who once knew and loved them. What is the truth behind the valley's protection? Will the gnolls be allowed to continue living in peace? Or will their only hope become Forgotten?
This adventure concerns a once-proud fortress that fell into the earth in an age long past. Now known as the Sunless Citadel, its echoing, broken halls house malign creatures. Evil has taken root at the citadel's core, which is deep within a subterranean garden of blighted foliage. Here a terrible tree and its dark shepherd plot in darkness.
Long ago, before the arrival of civilized humanoids, a large colony of ogres thrived in the local area. When a great invasion from another dimension threatened this colony, their king, Koptila, prayed for his people to be spared. The gods heard these pleas, but commanded Koptila to sacrifice himself. The leader did so, and the clan disappeared—whisked away by the gods and lost to time. Over the years, a city grew up above the former subterranean home of the ogres, and no aspect of Koptila’s ancient bargain was preserved or remembered. Even so, the stars are aligned for the return of Koptila and his people. These powerful repatriates are unlikely to appreciate the changes in their old home. A sage has found dusty documents prophesying this return, and he asks the PCs to investigate the catacombs to defeat the potential threat to the city. The PCs travel down through city sewers and subterranean passages before finding the catacombs that the ogre colony once called home. Pgs. 48-53
The Approaching Swarm is a short adventure for four 9th-level characters. The party can consist of any mix of classes, but it should include at least one character that is good in wilderness settings, such as a druid, ranger, or barbarian, and at least one cleric. This scenario should prove a reasonable challenge for characters from 8th to 10th level. The adventure takes place in a swampland that is near a small settlement. The characters attempted to cross back through the swamp to their base of operations. Along the way, they may have got stuck in mud and probably were attacked by a variety of flying insects. They arrive just a bit too late to stop a massacre that occurred back at Crivdall -- the fort is ruined and it appears that almost everyone is dead or missing. Aleretheral, an insane half-orc druid who has mastery of vermin and insects, attacked Crivdall with his insects. He has often infiltrated Crivdall by posing as a harmless elf hermit who lives in the wood. In reality, he wants the settlers destroyed and out of his swamp.
A group of snaketongue cultists has occupied an abandoned, partially sunken temple near a swamp. They grow impatient waiting for their yuan-ti master to join them, unaware that he has been slain by a rival faction of yuan-ti. Frustrated, the cult strikes against nearby villages in the hope of drawing the favor of Zehir. Investigating rumors of a serpent cult harassing a nearby town, the PCs have explored the swamp and discovered the overgrown temple. Its once-ornate stone door now hangs off its hinges, providing a narrow space for one character at a time to squeeze through. Pgs. 42-47
The party makes their way into a small mining village by the name of Skalintown. They quickly realize that the people here are terrified, hiding behind closed doors and peering out through boarded up windows. A gang of criminals that call themselves The Calamity have promised to destroy the city and everyone in it if they don't receive a tribute of twenty thousand gold by the end of the week. This is a poor town and even with everyone's wealth combined, it doesn't come close to that value . . . but they are fighters. Perhaps all they need to hold back these invaders is some help. The deadline is four days away and the closest town that would be able to help is three days travel one-way. Skalintown tried to reach out for aid, but no one cared enough to risk their own lives to help them. Now they must rely on your players for help. The party will need to rally the townsfolk and strategically decide how to prepare for the assault. Do they dig trenches to trip up enemy wolves, do they train the townsfolk to use crossbows, or perhaps they create explosives to detonate when the bandits make it into the city? Each of the party's decisions affect the final battle and means that every group will have a unique experience in their fight against The Calamity. This adventure is heavily influenced by the traditional Wild West shootout. Try to capture that feeling for your players by playing music of that era, in the way the townsfolk act and speak, and the way the town itself is operated. There are thousands of different options for the fight and if your players play their cards right, they make quick work of the gang and earn a pretty penny while they do so.
A tribe of evil norkers led by a human illusionist threaten the town of Nolivari. The heroes must brave the wilderness, find Grakhirt's lair, and defeat him to ensure the safety of the local villagers. A straightforward dungeon crawl against lots of norkers! When do you get to see those guys in an adventure? Lots of monsters from the AD&D Monster Manual II as well. This adventure features a little bait-and-switch; the titular bad guy Grakhirt is assumed to be a norker, or gnoll, or some other monstrous humanoid, but is in fact a human illusionist/assassin! Note: The adventure doesn't feature caves AND a dungeon, but since the caves are treated like a dungeon with doors and numbered rooms, this is listed as a dungeon adventure as well. Pgs. 28-37
The PCs pass through a fey crossing, arriving in a heap in front of the throne of Princess Daneliean Dandelion. Wherever the PCs were trying to go, and whoever they were trying to chase down, isn’t here. Instead, they are the captive audience of a petulant, semidivine Archfey who demands to know how they came to be in her throne room. She will be lenient with them, provided they can complete a grand collection of quests on her behalf. What follows is all very storybook logic and strange whimsy. This adventure is focused more on roleplay than combat.
"The end times approach. To everything there is a season. Every campaign has to come to an end sometime, so why not go out with a bang? The Apocalypse Stone is an epic adventure to challenge high-level characters, but beware, it will destroy your world. This adventure has it all: gods and devils, plague and pestilence, rains of fire, and world-shattering conflicts. Here is an opportunity for PCs to display undreamt-of heroism. . . or fall to ultimate defeat. The Apocalypse Stone is a tool for Dungeon Masters to present extremely challenging encounters for high-level parties, to wrap up a long-running campaign. . .or both. This adventure is a literal universe-ender. Past a certain point in the campaign, there is nothing the players can do. The world *will* end.