People in the Blight begin to awaken at night burning with an all-too-real fire. Most of them die horribly, spouses or lovers staring in shocked horror at their sudden death throes in the grip of consuming flames. A few of the truly unlucky actually manage to survive -- if living in such a state can be called survival. There seems to be no rhyme or reason in the victims of these incinerating dreams, as those among the high and low fall victim to its touch, and the locals each pray that he or she will not be next. Now no one dares to sleep. By renowned author and creator of the Blight, Richard Pett, The Crucible is a 7th-level stand-alone adventure of urban horror set in his own crooked city of the Blight. This adventure may not be suitable for children below the age of 13.
Ancient port city on the edge of a desert. The city is stratified by social class and some of the slaves have formed a cannibal cult to Kthulhu. City + hexcrawl + dungeon. The Anthropophagi of Xambaala™ takes players into an action-packed realm of adventure: the mythical world of Hyperborea, a sword-and-sorcery campaign setting inspired by the fantastic fiction of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and others. This adventure is inspired by Robert E. Howard’s “The Man-Eaters of Zamboula” and by various short tales of H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. It is designed for use with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea ™(AS&SH™), a role-playing game descended from the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. AS&SH is compatible with most traditional fantasy role-playing games (c. 1974 to 1999) and their modern simulacra, such as OSRIC™ and Swords & Wizardry™. This work is both a setting and an adventure. The setting describes the town of Xambaala, noting key people, locations, and local lore. The adventure proper provides players with a variety of environments and the several factions fighting over them for their own goals. With a bit of skill and luck, stalwart adventurers may emerge richer and maybe wiser. The situation that will develop in Xambaala will be determined by the players’ choices.
The village of Saxham has been struck by a terrible curse! Or perhaps it’s being terrorized by demons, ghosts, and the undead? Or… was there a terrible storm? Maybe? No one seems to know exactly what happened here. But the villagers are terrified, bizarre monsters roam the forest, and strange lights strike the woods every night at midnight… ADVENTURE TYPE: Small Sandbox Mystery DESIGN NOTES: This adventure includes a small village, several wilderness areas, and a simple network of tunnels to explore. Each area contains various encounters and unique magical items. There are many opportunities for combat, but it is possible for players to explore every area and complete every interaction without any combat at all, depending on their choices. INCLUDES: Story hooks, dialogue prompts, original creature stat blocks, original treasure/items, area overview map, and illustrations. Produced by Dungeon Age Adventures
Wise rogues join the government, where their larceny has the cover of “legality” and the cash comes in heaps and piles from deceitful receipts and pocketed procurements rather than in small, bloodstained purses from breaking windows, scaling walls, and risking traps and long-fanged guard dogs. Wise rogues do not, by choice, go up against towering giants armed with clubs larger than the tallest rogue in the guild. Nor do they try to nick treasure from dragons without a group of powerful fellow adventurers behind them, who can hurl mighty spells, hack and hew toe to toe with an angry wyrm, heal the injured, and (when things go as they usually do), resurrect the dead. There are wise rogues, and then there are player characters. Emeralds of Highfang awaits them with open arms, offering special challenges and rewards to rogue characters—but as always, the prospects are much better for a party of adventurers from a variety of classes, with wide skills and experience, and of high level. Some might find that a broad base of experience is not only helpful, but essential for survival.
Eurich Gunshoff IV, Count of Kleaves, is beset by powerful enemies. The King to the north has laid waste his holdings beyond the Tot River and even now threatens the river castles. Only the coming winter holds him at bay, giving the Count time, if only a little, to muster his strength. Long have the people of Kleaves worshiped the gods of the south, and it is to these people that he turns, striking a bargain with the powerful King of Kaymor. In exchange for a precious gift the Kayomarese promise to aid Eurich and his people, but it is Eurich’s charge to deliver the prize. He can spare few troops, and with spies all about he cannot be too careful. The prize he sets in a wagon in a caravan and as escort he calls upon those who dwell upon the fringes of society, adventurers who seek fame, gold and glory. They are charged to cross the wilderness and deliver the wagons safely. But the road is fraught with danger. Walls of stone block the road and winter upon the open plains carries dangers beyond the biting cold. But more than stone and frost, the end promises fire without comfort. Designed in 3 parts Giant’s Rapture offers overland travel, dungeon, and intrigue and pits the character’s wits against the open road and one another.
Part megadungeon, part underground expedition, Operation Unfathomable serves as both a one-shot adventure and a campaign framework. PCs are (optionally) drafted at swordpoint to recover the Nul Rod, a priceless artifact that was recently lost in a local prince's foolhardy attempt to destroy the Chaos Gods of the Underworld. The PCs have been drafted as an expendable set of pawns to venture into the vast and bewildering Underworld and retrieve the Nul Rod. With the Underworld's innumerable beasties being on high alert after the prince's expedition, the PCs must sneak through the incredibly dangerous Underworld. Fighting is not as important as stealth, fast-talking, and running away rapidly. This is the expansion from Sholtis's original Operation Unfathomable, released in Knockspell #5 (2011).
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝! Step into a town where darkness has taken root, and every shadow hides a deadly secret. In The Return of the Blackflame Curse, you and your party will unravel the twisted mysteries of Whitethorn Rose, a cursed town teetering on the edge of doom. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 • 36 rooms across 4 floors (Basement, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor, Attic) • 5 detailed maps with day/night and transparent variants Explore the haunted Huxley Manor, a sprawling, intricately detailed estate with 36 rooms and 4 floors, each filled with terrifying encounters and bone-chilling secrets. With 5 beautifully illustrated maps, including day/night variants, you’ll be fully immersed in a tale of fear and survival. 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 • 13 monster statblocks, each with their own lore • A intense boss fight with the vengeful Morgana Blackflame Face off against 13 custom monsters, each with unique abilities and terrifying backstories. From creeping apparitions to vengeful spirits, every encounter will test your players’ courage and strategy. And when it comes time for the ultimate showdown? Prepare for a climactic boss fight with Morgana Blackflame herself, a ghost hellbent on consuming the town in flames once more. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 • 13 tragic ghosts, each with chilling backstories • 8-page Ghost Hunting Compendium as a player handout • Solve mysteries and exorcise spirits to lift the curse But it’s not just monsters you’ll have to worry about. The town itself is alive with haunted events and 13 restless ghosts, each carrying a tragic tale. Investigate, exorcise, and piece together the dark history that binds them to this cursed place. To help your players dive deeper into the supernatural, we’ve also included an 8-page Ghost Hunting Compendium as a handy player handout. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 • 7 homebrew magic items, including a powerful Fated Item with 3 variants • 6 different charms to protect your players from the curse • 9 Magic Item Cards to print and hand out to players, with artwork, in 2.5 x 3.5 inches (MTG-sized) • 43 haunted events to keep players on edge Don’t go into battle unprepared. Arm your adventurers with 7 custom magic items, including 1 Fated Item with 3 powerful variants. Stock up on 6 unique charms to ward off the curse, and keep your party on edge with 43 haunting events that can strike at any time. 𝐑𝐮𝐧 • 17 monster cards for easy reference, with artwork, in 88mm x 125mm (Tiny Epic size) • Ghost Tracking Sheet for smooth management of the adventure • 36 small room cutouts for quick navigation during gameplay • 24 VTT tokens for easy integration into your online games For GMs, we’ve made running the adventure easier than ever. With 24 VTT tokens for monsters and NPCs, a Ghost Tracking Sheet to manage exorcisms, and 17 monster cards for quick reference, everything you need is at your fingertips. Plus, 36 cutouts in the description of every room, provide clear guidance for navigating the sprawling manor. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 • 7 detailed town locations for investigation • 7 NPC background and roleplay sheets to add depth to the world • 1d12 Superstition Table to bring the town’s eerie atmosphere to life Bring the town of Whitethorn Rose to life with 7 detailed NPC background sheets and 7 town locations, giving your players more ways to explore, interact, and investigate. And for added flavor? A 1d12 Superstition Table to bring out the eerie quirks of the locals. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 • Battle against the darkness with strategic challenges and eerie storytelling • Solve the murder mystery, lift the curse, and guide your players through an unforgettable experience With The Return of the Blackflame Curse, every decision matters, every room hides a deadly secret, and every ghost has a story to tell. Get your copy now and take your players on a journey into the heart of darkness. This is more than just an adventure—it’s a test of survival.
In the port city of Nakamaru, the masks of deceit and treachery embroil the entire city. Plots and counterplots, loyalties, revenge...all can be found in this city of Wa. You have been thrust amidst this cauldron of intrigue. You must pick your loyalties with care. Will you side with one of the yakuza gangs in their secret battle for control of the streets? Will you throw your fate into the political whirlwind that surrounds the powerful families of Nakamaru? Will you sohei battle his rivals for the hearts of the people? Blood of the Yakuza is an adventure for use in your Oriental Adventures campaign. It includes a colorful map of Nakamaru and descriptions of the major NPCs, districts, and factions of the city. All of these make Nakamaru an exciting and dangerous place for adventure! TSR 9203
The insurgent agent Adan, a spy in Alvedara, came across plans for an upcoming assault on Bodrun, the largest remaining dwarven clanhold in the South. Though the dwarves were unknown to him, this Sarcosan rebel decided that he must do his best to get word to these allies in the mountains. He stole the plans and abandoned his cover identity, fleeing east along the Eren and hoping to find succor in the Forest of the Sahi before his trek into the Kaladruns. He didn’t make it that far. A legate spyhunter was on his tail within hours of his departure, and with his stronger mount and divinatory magic, was sure to run him to ground on the Horse Plains of Erenhead. Adan hoped to throw off the scent of his tracker in the town of Malima, where he had contacts and might be able to wait out the legate in a safehouse. Unfortunately, the situation in Malima had worsened since Adan had last been there, and it had become a place of exile for Alvedarans with the plague. It was a question of choosing the lesser of two evils: plague and possible death in Malima, or torture, betrayal, and certain death at the hands of the legate. Adan chose to hide in Malima, but contracted the plague while hiding from his pursuers. Though unable to contact the outside world, Adan sent his familiar, a raven, eastward in the hopes that it would reach a dwarven settlement that could send agents to aid him. The raven made it to the Hagaran Observatory in the Forest of the Sahi, where the PCs have been assisting the sages of the observatory. Midnight Runner Up - Gen Con 2005
Old-School Essentials Adventure A hole in an old oak tree leads characters down to a maze of twisting, root-riddled passageways, the chambers of an ancient wizard-complex, and the banks of an underground river where once a reptile cult built their temples. A classic expedition into the Mythic Underworld for characters of 1st to 2nd level. 60 keyed areas, rumour table, loot summary, dungeon background info, suggestions for expanding the dungeon. Keyed in a quick-reference, bullet point format. Unlabelled map included for VTT use. The Hole in the Oak can be linked with The Incandescent Grottoes to form a large, 3 level dungeon with over 115 keyed encounter areas!
The penninsula of Wa is no place to visit. The land is poor, the people wary and suspicious. Yet this quiet backwater has been the site of strange disturbances - mysterious disappearances and omens of dire events to come. Why do the animals of Wa disappear, only to return a short while later? Who are the Blue Kumi bandits, and why are they so active? Why do the black geese fly into the Jusofu Mountains? And what fell creature lurks along the southern coast of Wa? Or does the stench of corruption emanate from the Celestial Bureacracy itself? Could the danger, unchecked, grow great enough to doom all living creatures in Kara-Tur? Which clues will lead to the truth, and which are merely traps for the unwary... Test of the Samurai will take the players across the Wa peninsula and to the unknown land of Qui. They will encounter such legendary beasts as the feng huang (phoenix) and the chi'-lin (unicorn) as they attempt to discover the secrets of Wa. Test of the Samurai is a scenario for the Oriental Adventures supplement to the AD&D game. It is set in Kara-Tur, the oriental world in the Forgotten Realms. Although Test of the Samurai follows the events of module OA6, Ronin Challenge, it is an independent adventure for five to eight characters of levels 6-9. TSR 9258
In this adventure players are set first on a simple task, to solve the disappearance of the local witch before outside forces take an interest. But as the players get deeper, they will rapidly kind themselves on a quest for far more, as they range from an alchemist's lair on a crumbling tower down to a dark swamp full of mystery and danger, seeking a holy relic that might lead them to the outskirts of Hell itself. All in service of the sleepy Village Sujeira and the dusty souls within. 1452: Saving Sujeira’s Soul is an adventure set in northern Portugal on an alternate history Earth during the year 1452, in a world where history is much the same, but for the fact that the Rus are all hirsute dwarves, the hordes that poured out of central Asia were orcish (and half-orcs are mostly janissaries split among the Ottoman Empire’s demesnes), and elves are creatures of rumors and myth. Halflings live among the English and Portuguese in villages and farms, while goblins are pests best left for dead in the wilds between civilized countries. The Church arms its inquisitors with holy blessings, for witches are not mere milk-souring old women but vile devil-pacted souls, and wizards and sorcerers seek human and kine for sacrifices to fuel their darkling magics. There be dragons on the edges of the world, and ogres and sea serpents and giants, but the alchemists of this world know things beyond mortal ken and fight these horrors with science and canny concoctions. Published by Coldlight Press
April, 1453. For a thousand years, the Byzantine Empire has been civilization's guardian, carrying on Rome's legacy. Now 100,000 battle-hardened Turkish warriors have surrounded the great city and are making ready to storm its mighty walls. Find the young empress - if she even exists. Stand alongside the last Roman emperor in a climactic fight to the death. Fight Vlad the Impaler, nastiest of the Sultan's allies. Meet the Eastern world's most exotic temptress. Wield new weapons: Greek Fire, arquebuses, and the Great Cannon. And as the Turks pour into the breaches, opportunities to hack abound. A stand-alone adventure, or use its detailed background as source material for your own campaigns! Published by Avalanche Publishing
A genius inventor - Anthony Karstark, founder of the "Karstark Inventions", has recently reached a new level of reclusiveness, when he stopped showing up at his company events. A concerned friend and employee, Holly Amberfell, hires an adventuring party, to figure out what happened to him. As adventurers enter and explore the quarantined manor of the great inventor, they have to deal with his mechanic inventions, figure out minor mysteries of past and present, and finally - face Anthony himself, changed by a strange disease into a Slaad-spawn. Guesting at Artifice Manor is an 8-10 hours long mystery and exploration adventure, that should roughly take two playing sessions (or can be squished into one - suggestions on how to do it are inside the book!). It is optimized for 4 to 5 characters of 8-10 levels. This adventure can be used to kick-off a campaign, exploring the origins and history of Slaads.
An Adventure for Odysseys & Overlords Standing on a lonely, bare mound in the bottom of a dell full of swirling fog, a castle from the time of the Schism crumbles, forgotten. Inside, treasures—and terror—await. A writ of salvage has been posted in Chandra's Haven: 500 gold coins to the brave adventurers who find Misthollow Castle and secure it for Salamon Castos, a wealthy merchant. Castos claims to be the scion of the noble family which ruled Misthollow and built the castle generations ago. Castos grudgingly agrees to allow the characters to keep whatever they find in securing the castle, though he insists on right of first refusal on anything of value. The Odysseys & Overlords Player’s Guide is available at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/275042/Odysseys--Overlords-Players-Guide The Odysseys & Overlords Game Master's Guide is available at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/275040/Odysseys--Overlords-Game-Masters-Guide
"Mysterious Ways" is a D&D adventure set in the Holy Land (Israel and Jordan) during the time of the Crusades (1114 A.D.) in an alternate-Earth setting. This is a world where the portals to otherworldly realms, particularly the Lower Planes, are closed--sealed shut by the power of the True Cross, a holy relic sought by evil thieves who would see the gates to the Lower Planes flung open. Magic exists in this alternate world, but it is less prevalent than in other D&D campaign settings. This paucity of magic serves the core of the adventure's storyline and should be preserved, if possible. This adventure is designed for a party of four 7th-level player characters (PCs). It is recommended that the party include at least one lawful cleric or paladin. Consult the "Adapting the Adventure" sidebar for ways to incorporate the adventure into generic D&D campaigns and modify it for higher or lower levels of play.
An elder warlock from the goblinoid swamp village of Urzin has been kidnapped by soldiers of the Dwendallion Empire. Now the machinations of an evil imperial inquisitor might unleash an evil that could threaten the garrison at Fort Venture and the goblinoids of Urzin alike.
The companions find adventure outside Lake-town and are given the chance to discover why even the hardiest of adventurers shun the forest of Mirkwood and its depths. In the process, they go and see Elves, meet a crazed hermit, and stumble into a wood of ancient and angry trees. Published by Cubicle7
This self-contained game gives you and your friends the experience of playing the Dungeons & Dragons game in an easy-to-learn format. In this Fast-Play Game, you and your friends take on the imaginary roles in a fantastic tale of mighty heroes, mythical dragons, and powerful magic. This demo version of the game is designed to give you the feel of playing the Dungeons & Dragons game. The full game contains all sorts of options to help you create your own on-going sword and sorcery campaign. We'll tell you more about that at the end of this booklet.
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.