The Doom Desert in the Decanter of Delirium is an exotic OSR romp through a mysterious world of riddles, puzzles, inscrutable denizens. 5e compatible, this love letter to psychedelia is as vivid and beautiful as exciting and surreal. Get wrapped up in conversation with the dead drunks at the last saloon on earth, solve the sphinx riddle and discover the secrets of the Ziggurat, or break bread and wine with whispering harpies or the sun itself. This compelling narrative is written by Austin Holm and captures the exploration, social, and challenge pillars of a great game with the deft prose of a poet. With art by Maya Bee that captures the essence of the adventures many stunning scenes and characters. Your players will thank you for this one.
In The Black Midwinter is a Festive adventure, designed to be played in one session. The PCs battle an ancient evil threatening a remote village in the subarctic north. Very much the same as most D&D adventures, only this time, it’s Christmas themed! The adventure includes a new Legendary Item, The Deck of Merry Things (with full printable art to create a prop deck), five new monsters including Krampus (obviously) and The Yule Lads (not so obviously, unless you're really into Finnish Christmas Folklore), ten additional magic items and four new alignments (really!). This adventure is ideal for a one off, not entirely serious game separate from your regular campaign. Mulled wine, stupid hats and holiday cheer not included, but very highly recommended.
Terror roams the dark and brambled paths of the Kryptwood. A pack of giant spectral hounds rule the night, savaging those foolish enough to brave the forest. The villagers of Hendenburgh cower in the shadows of the ancient boughs as each morning heralds a newly savaged corpse. Explore the ancient paths of the Kryptwood in a 25-hex hexcrawl. Discover the mysterious Tyrant's Tomb. Negotiate, serve or betray the factions of the Kryptwood (a ghostly despot, a gang of highwaymen with excellent PR, a horrifying witch coven, and the eccentric inhabitants of Hendenburgh). Fight new monsters such as owlboars, kryptwood hounds and ghostly tyrants. Hounds of Hendenburgh is designed for use with Cairn by Yochai Gal but compatible with other OSR systems. If using OSRIC, OSE or other OSR rulesets then the adventure is best suited to low-level parties (1-3). Reviews Hounds of Hendenburgh is an adventure brimming with potential energy, like a domino run—any prodding by the players is sure to set off a chain reaction, but where any individual piece will end up is anyone’s guess . . . For me, Hounds of Hendenburgh is a major highlight of A Town, A Forest, A Dungeon. I’m eager to bring it to the table, and I expect it’s the sort of adventure that will reward referees who run it multiple times. - Dododecahedron Blog This 22 page adventure presents a delightful little romp through a colourful town, a dreadful forest, and a small haunted dungeon/crypt. Would that everything I reviewed were at least this good. A credit to county Donegal! - Bryce Lynch (tenfootpole.org)
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
Towering obelisks stab the sky. Monstrous knights with blazing lances prowl the night. Huts burn, and entire villages are taken as slaves to be fed darksome pits. The cries of terror and panic give the horrors a name: the Beakmen have come. But you are no mere peasant or serf, cowering the in the dark. You and your companions are reavers, with bloodied blades and spells wrenched from the dreams of demons. You stride through chaos while others flee, turning your steps towards the great stone obelisk, the source of the beakmen and their alien magics. Whether for the cause of justice or merely to acquire these strange blazing weapons for you own, tonight there shall be an accounting: a blazing brand thrust into The Shadow of the Beakmen.
The northwest corner of the Duchy of Bast is ruled by Sir Elwin of Monoth the 4th Earl of Kawall. This pudgy ruler sits in his tower in the small city of Phillipsburg which is a hub of the Caravan trade. The town is rather dirty and mostly considered a backwater area for good reasons. This city is a stopping point on the upcoming release of “FQ4 In the Caravan Service” Get a jump on the next adventure by getting used to one of the main settings. Phillipsburg, along with the Barony of the Knolls are point “A” and point “B” in the next adventure!
Sekarvu is a typical beholder. It spent much of its youth exploring underground realms and killing everything it found. One day, it came upon a large cavern filled with violet fungi. At the edge of the cavern, it found a small band of adventurers who had all but succumbed to the toxins of the fungi's tendrils. They offered little resistance to Sekarvu as it approached and began to feed on their still-writhing bodies. With its first bite, the beholder's life changed forever. Pgs. 52-55
By a well-trodden road lies the estate of the Eryx family. At some point the estate was converted into a roadside inn. The merchant Robert E. Wardlove has received an urgent letter from his daughter Derleth. She begs of her father to arrive in haste to the faraway inn and take her back home safely for the Evening of Still Streets draws near... Enigma of the Eryx Estate is a break from the usual dungeon crawls of the Shadowdark RPG system recommended for characters of lvls 1-3. During this adventure players get to solve a murder and the mysteries that surround it. Exploration and intrigue are emphasized as player characters gain XP for uncovering secrets. Combat is in a more minor role during this adventure, but if the players don't figure out the mystery by midnight, they might be in a fight for their lives. The adventure is designed for ease of running with punctual room and character descriptions.
Giants stalk the shifting sands as the lost city of Stylos awakens from its deathless slumber. The Fourth Age of Man is at hand! All that stands between the gigantic hordes of Stylos and their conquest of the world is your band of adventurers. Sinister traps, implacable foes, and the crushing tread of the dread Colossus all lurk within these pages, eager to test the courage and cunning of even the most accomplished adventurers.
A Slumbering Serpent Hidden in the thick rainforest of Serpent Isle is a crumbled yuan-ti citadel. These foul snakefolk have been dormant for decades, but have been awoken in order to fill out some foul prophecy. Delving deep into their most sacred temple; Oss’Ithek, is the only way to uncover the dark secret which they hold so dear. Do you have the nerve to face the serpent?
A gang of ogres is raiding a farming community, stealing crops and livestock, and advancing closer and closer to the town, and the townsfolk need your help!
Steal gifts! Fight Reindeer! Save the holidays! Take on the dreaded devil Belsnickel and save the snowy gnomish town of Cheerington from his grasp in this fun-filled adventure for one-on-one parties or small groups level 4-5. Inside you'll find: -A one-shot adventure involving roleplay, exploration, and combat! -4 new festive creatures! -2 maps ready for print or import! -6 exciting new magical items to gift to your players! This adventure also has lots of fun mechanics like mistletoe and corrupting coal! We put together some of our favorite wintery stories and holiday tales in this fun holiday one-shot! It's perfect for a side narrative to try out one-on-one play for the first time, introducing someone new to the game, or taking your party to a festive demiplane for a unique Christmas-y one-shot adventure.
Will You Venture Into the Low Crater? When the party stumbles across a ragged, battle-scarred band of knights they are amazed to hear that the hardy veterans were soundly beaten by mere kobolds. The crafty little fiends have set up in the rubble of a fallen Earthmote thought to be home to a long-dead dragon and - more importantly - its horde. When the Sable Spears charged in to drive them out, however, they were confronted with ambushes, traps and a whole lot of pain. Dare you venture where the Sable Spears failed, and explore the Low Crater in search of treasure, glory and adventure? Or will you join the sheepish ranks of adventurers turned aside by the prospect of tangling with Kobolds? Take your party through an adventure that will teach them that CR isn't everything, and that even the weakest foe can prove dangerous when they're cornered (though having the power to animate long-dead dragon bones helps too, of course).
The Blacktooth Ridge, fabled for its string of long abandoned fortreses, treasure houses, temples, and underground mansions lies far to the north and east of the civilized lands. Dangerous journeys and the promise of treasure invite many an adventurer to the wilds along the Ridge. There they sek fame and fortune. But it is an altogether dangerous place, tainted with the evil of the Horned God, there in hidden caves and darkened temples some linger stioll who call him their master. Of late these creatures have issued forth to plague the few people who call the ridge home, the toen of Botkinburg most of all. Now, raids and plundering confound the settlements near the Blacktooth Ridge. Rumors of Rottenkip the Goblin King and his fearless warriors taking up residence in the Blacktooth Ridge are circulating. Ogres and Trolls are raiding villages and looting caravans. Few are coming to the aid of those beset by the depredations and the evil denizens of the Blacktooth Ridge continue to spill out ever further across the lands. The call has gone out, the mustering of militias is at hand, and the Blacktooth Ridge beckons to any and all willing to come to their aid and discover what is calling forth these foul creatures. Also available for 5E
A force of orcs has taken over a small hilltop keep. The PCs are engaged by the local lord to rid his home of the intruders. Fortunately for the PCs, the keep’s main doors are still damaged from when the orcs took possession, and entry is relatively easy. Unfortunately, the orcs are determined to stay. Pgs. 24-29
Minotaurs are fond of mazes, but rarely build them. Hex is an architect, engineer, and overlord all in one. A self-declared "Minotaur Lord", he is the only one of his kind known to exist. His lair is all he has, a gargantuan, ever-expanding labyrinth in which he keeps the spoils of his many conquests in youth. Now an ancient veteran, he works tirelessly to keep his hoard safe and to entice new adventurers to test themselves against his gauntlet of lethal traps. Tyrants and Hellions is a Dungeon Master's aide, containing fifteen villains complete with schemes, lairs, backstories, and everything else you need to drop them into your own 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Within its 400 pages you'll also find the methods, both mechanical and thematic, used to create villains that spark the imaginations of your players. Hex is one of these villains, and his adventure takes up 33 pages (pg 110-143). Published by 2CGaming
The Great Trial is a 5e adventure for characters starting at 7th-level and ending at 10th-level. It's a dungeon consisting in the 3 levels, where the first level is the lowermost one and the last is the uppermost one: First level is composed by mean traps, puzzles and combat; Second level is a labyrinth with a construct Minotaur - the Minotal - and an iron wyvern, brand new creatures; The last and uppermost level is actually a jungle-like demi-place filled with dinosaurs in an open world format. Aenor Gleenwith, a powerful elf wizard, wants to make history alongisde Acererak for his Tomb of Horror and Halaster for his Undermountain. So he created his own dungeon. To test its efficiency, he captures adventurers and puts them in the lowermost level, where they need to work together to survive and leave the dangerous place. At the end, Aenor himself greets the group offering them apologies for the harm caused, to fix all damage caused and also rewarding them for the forced help. This module can be run in any setting, campaign, or as a one-shot. It should take around 10 to 14 hours to complete it since it contains 3 Chapters.
The quest continues…kind of! After enjoying the accolades of your previous successes in the Barony of the Knolls, your group begins to get that adventuring itch and finds a job opportunity and will allow you to see more of the Duchy of Bast at the same time. The local caravan service is in need of a few hearty individuals that can handle themselves in a fight. A quick trip to Phillipsburg should give you an idea of where you would like to go next right?
"The broken outline of Cear Ferros emerged on the horizon. Its ancient walls stand silent and looming as you approach them, casting long and eerie shadows across the land." An adventure through a cursed castle crawling with undead in search of missing merchants. For Shadowdark Published as part of the Shots in the Dark collection.
Most adventurers like to think that when their number is finally up, their colleagues will bring them home, either to be raised or at least returned to their families for a proper burial. But how far will the PCs go in order to do right by a fallen adventurer? And will they draw the line at hauling his coffin out of the Underdark? Pgs. 20-40