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.
In a small hamlet, things are strangely becoming tidy in the night. Far from being pleased, the citizens are alarmed by these events. A local painter has gone missing, as has a travelling scholar. What is going on here?
Up the river "Just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip..." Pgs. 58-67
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!
The PCs must infiltrate a city ruled by monsters to search for the spymaster that holds the key to saving a besiged nation.
A "Fast Play" introductory adventure to Dungeons & Dragons. Rather than requiring a d20, it is written for 3d6, and is meants specifically to teach new players how to play the game. The story is a simple dungeon crawl: players enter a small cave system to investigate an orc attack. After defeating a few orcs, they find an ogre's den, and must fight the ogre.
Ages ago, a religious order known as the Druun practiced rituals from inside sacred oak groves, ceremonial pools, and stone henges. In time, the Church of Law and Order suppressed the Druunic teachings, and the ancient holy sites were lost, forgotten, or converted to other uses. One such former site is located in the capital city of Dolmvay in the center of a small neighborhood known as Whiteoak Square. This neighborhood has recently been experiencing a strange phenomenon: At night, small dancing lights have been seen floating throughout the neighborhood. The residents were afraid of this sorcery at first, however, the lights seem to exude a feeling of peace and contentment, and the locals have grown used to them. How it Started: A few weeks ago, a butcher named Walton Brand was clearing out his cellar when he stumbled upon a secret underground passage that led to an ancient Druun hall. This hall was filled with lost relics, arcane lore, and forgotten treasures of the Druun. Walton told his friends, Loomis the Baker and the chandler Stefan of Walsbury, and the three men began sneaking away from their wives at night to dress in Druun finery and pretend to be men of wealth. A harlot named Red Kirsten was hired to attend them as they drank, feasted, and cavorted in the sacred hall. Unbeknownst to the revelers, the Druun hall still retained some of its magical powers and their merriment awakened the ancient guardian spirits of the grove. These creatures, known as faerlings, are the lights that have been seen dancing throughout the neighborhood. The faerlings were given life by the revelers' glee, and they project that joy and happiness onto the other residents of the neighborhood. This glee, however, is about to turn to horror. . . Oak Grove Whispers is a Labyrinth Lord™ adventure designed for 3-6 characters of 1st-3rd levels (about 10 levels total). The adventure is broken up into three chapters that take place in a small neighborhood located in the capital city of Dolmvay (the Labyrinth Lord is free to substitute any medium- to large-sized city from his own campaign world). Oak Grove Whispers involves a mixture of roleplaying, investigation, and dungeon crawling, so a diverse range of classes is recommended. As the adventure is set in a civilized city, the characters must also be careful their interaction with NPCs does not land them on the wrong side of the law. Published by Small Niche Games
Tillius Morganstein aka the Mad Mage has selected your group to investigate an ancient temple hidden below the peaceful waters of Lake Springwood. The wizard is too old to investigate the area himself and has enlisted your help. While he has studied the ancient texts dedicated to "Bulu" he cannot define what dangers may lurk or what treasures may await those brave enough to delve into the submerged halls but surely the rewards will be great!
The Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path begins with "The Hellfire Compact," an exciting new adventure in which the players take the roles of evil characters in the diabolical empire of Cheliax! A paladin of Iomedae and knight-errant of the Glorious Reclamation comes to the town of Longacre, inspiring the citizens to join the uprising against the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune. First as amoral mercenaries, then as retainers of the wicked archbaron of Longacre, the evil adventurers must move quickly to put down the insurgency and keep the town from falling to the knight's rebellion.
"A spiteful ghost haunts an abandoned courthouse in the metropolis of Absalom, and on the ten-year anniversary of a grave injustice it seeks its revenge. The heroes must unravel the mystery of the ghost’s demise before they too are given a guilty verdict and sent to the gallows." This adventure is different from many others in that it progress according to 1 hour increments, rather than according to the player's exploration. The party is trapped in an old courtroom, trying to solve a decade old murder. Though one of the villains is listed as a "revenant," this is primarily due to the thematic similarity. The actual undead antagonist is a unique type called a "croaker," which bears a similarity in that it is driven by vengeance.
A strangely delivered advertisement has led you to a sage named Demetrios. He needs a rare component to complete a desperately needed potion. The journey to retrieve it will take you through a large, unexplored swamp to a ruined keep, the former headquarters of a vile cult that once claimed the lives of many innocent youths. You cautiously accept the mission... To solve the mysteries of "Baltron's Beacon," the characters must excel in handling wilderness, building ruins, traps, puzzles, and new monsters. This adventure, originally designed for tournament use, is now available for your own campaign. TSR 9152
After basking in the glory of your accomplishments, you learn of a problem with a caravan attack. A group of possibly Goblins have brazenly attacked the Hamlet of Kako, burning it to the ground. The information comes from a local farmer that witnessed the carnage. Pack your gear…time to go back to work in the Principality of Lockerbie!
Eons ago, the demon lord Shomarrah defamed Lolth the Spider Queen, condemning herself into the cursed life of a massive purple worm. Now Shomarrah's desecrated body serves as a drow fortress, guarded by a mad sorcerer and his team of driders. What deeper evils lie within? "The Fasting Worm at the Spider Feast" is a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Editionmodule for a party of 3-5 players at level 8. This one-shot module is perfect for introducing your party to the Underdark and drow society, featuring a dungeon dive through a demon lord's snake-like carcass. Clerics in the party, upon completing the adventure, will be able to obtain access to the Feast domain. Details are provided at the end of the module
In this Adventure, the heroes explore the lair of an adult green dragon who has become a dracolich. She is served by living and undead minions and slaves. Pages 302-307
Attack the Shop! is a Dungeons and Dragons adventure optimized for four to five player characters. The adventure is designed to play in one session of approximately four to five hours. Five premade fourth level characters are included to facilitate getting into the action quickly. The adventure takes place in the city of Scornubel in the Forgotten Realms but can be placed in any city without trouble. The characters are mercenaries hired to take an overnight job that pays very well. The instructions from the employer, Malikhar, are simple. Keep the cargo safe in his shop for the night and get paid handsomely.
In Prisoners of the Drow, a band of adventurers storm a drow outpost, confront the drow mage in charge of it, and rescue prisoners held within. The heroes must bypass traps and devious defenses to reach their goal and accomplish their mission. The adventure is designed for a party of five adventurers between levels nine and twelve. It features: Encounters by Level - Varying types and quantities of creatures are suggested based on the party's actual level, allowing each encounter to present the appropriate challenge to the party. Encounter Notes - Suggestions for how to run combats are provided for game masters who place an emphasis on engaging, tactical battles. Inciting Action - Suggestions for ways to present the adventure to players are provided. Ease of Use - The format and style of the document allows the game master to find information quickly while running the game at the table. Detailed Maps - What's an adventure without maps? Not much else to say here. This adventure is designed as the first in a two-part series. The second adventure Into the City of Spiders takes the adventurers into a drow compound far from the surface. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/247674/Into-the-City-of-Spiders
FVC12 – Trollhaven Manor begins with the party finishing up a retrieval mission and finding themselves enjoying the safety of Shadyhaven city. During their stay they are approached by a wandering cleric with an intoxicating personality. He presents the party with a strange item that he is willing to part with…for a price. The padre also offers to show the party where he got it only a few days away. Will the PCs trust this stranger to risk more wealth and fame? Will Trollhaven Manor provide more mystery than answers? Will the PCs pick up some of their famous grapes while they are there?
When the Pathfinder Society receives word of a promising, unexplored ruin in Osirion, the PCs set out to uncover the site's secrets. Yet upon arriving, the PCs learn that a different group of Pathfinders has already entered the ruins. Has there been some mistake, is the site's magic playing tricks on everyone, or is there something more nefarious afoot? Tags: Repeatable
The young heroes of the town of Kassen are ready for their coming-of-age ceremony, an old tradition in which they retrieve a piece of the eternal flame burning in the tomb of the town's founder. Yet when they arrive there, they find only the corpses of their fellow townsfolk, dead bandits, and mysterious animated skeletons. The novice heroes must brave the traps and perils of the Crypt of the Everflame, discover the source of the corruption that has awakened an ancient evil, and defeat a menace that seeks vengeance against Kassen and its people. Part One of Price of Immortality.
A "web Enhancement" adventure for the D&D 3.5 Frostburn supplement. Arctic / Frostfell / Cold Several decades ago, a down-on-his-luck half-elf known as Captain Kerakes lost his ship after a run of bad luck in a game of dice. So when an investor approached him with an offer of a new ship and three-month mission, he jumped at the chance. His new employer was a rich but somewhat miserly nobleman named Jarren Skein. Having heard rumors of the glacier dwarves and their amazing weaponcraft, he had become obsessed with obtaining some of their weapons as trophies. Skein made Kerakes the captain of a ship called the Rusty Walrus and promised him a sizeable commission upon his return with the desired glacier dwarf weapons. The PCs must board the wreck of the Rusty Walrus and defeat the undead that infest it. Later, the ghost of Captain Kerakes begins to wreak vengeance on Jarren Skein s heirs. The PCs must determine the reason for the string of murders and track down the perpetrator.