Welcome to How Not to Host a Murder, a short D&D experience that captures the details of Mike Krahulik (Penny Arcade)'s adventure run at the Acquisitions Incorporated live game at PAX East 2016. The wizard Elminster is hosting a murder mystery party, and you are invited. When you arrive at his demiplane home with the other guests, however, the night quickly turns sour as it is discovered that Elminster has truly been killed! It falls to the party to investigate the death and identify the culprit before they can escape the premises. When they've been identified, it's a race to apprehend the murderer before they can escape amidst the kooky chaos of Elminster's sanctum in this comedic adventure for sub-optimal 7th-level adventurers.
Rogues in Remballo is a city adventure set in Frog God Games' Lost Lands campaign world. As an introduction to adventuring in the Borderland Provinces, the City of Remballo immediately gets first-level characters embroiled in strange plots, sinister intrigue, and fierce battles. Is the thieves’ guild of Manas encroaching on the territory of the Remballo guild? What is hidden in the sanctuary-courtyard known as the Four Corners? How is the powerful banking house of Borgandy involved with all of it? What starts as a straightforward mission actually involves a host of complications — some of which can be deadly if the characters don’t play their cards right.
When Pathfinder alchemist Andrax d'Aponte contracted a mysterious wasting sickness, he set his mind to feverishly researching the disease and its cures. With the rare skeleton moon hanging in the sky above Absalom, the Decemvirate sends you to an ancient siege castle outside the city to recover d'Aponte's research notes and inquire about his involvement in recent Pathfinder deaths in Osirion. What you find, however, is a man changed by madness and paralyzed by paranoia and fear. Will you survive the night of the skeleton moon?
A pall hangs over the frontier town of Wellspring, casting this once-vibrant place into corruption and death. Strange people stalk the streets and unexplained murders occur each night. Nagging fears that more horrors will spill forth from the Kadagast Mountains instill a pervasive paranoia within the townsfolk. Suspicious people watch their neighbors, and temple attendance has never been higher. Folk keep to themselves, hiding in their homes. They avoid darkened streets, lock their doors when night falls, and shutter their windows to close out the screams and shouts echoing in the dark. If the grim threats pressing the town are not stopped, the fl ame of Wellspring might very well flicker out.
With survival being the hardest thing at low levels it’s important that PCs are careful and find help where they can. Xavier’s Wand offers a fledgling adventurer the opportunity to shine on their own and find a little help on the road as well. This adventure pits your new “hero” up against a bully and other challenges that will bolster a young adventurers experience and pockets! A thorp, humanoids, and potential henchman are some of the encounters in this adventure.
Set Sail with the Pirates of Chaos! A thousand welcomes, noble friend! I see your eye is as keen as the eagle and your mind as sharp as my jambiya, for you hold in your hand a great treasure. This box contains everything needed to launch an epic adventure featuring corsairs and mamluks: - A stunning poster map of the Corsair Domains and Zakhara's northern shores. - Six full-color cardstock sheets containing maps and player aids. - An 8-page booklet filled with new monsters, including the dreaded ghul-kin. - A 32-page sourcebook detailing the wily pirates of Hawa and their greatest enemies, the stalwart mamluks of Qudra, plus several new magical items. - A 64-page adventure book presenting a fabulous array of tales set in or near the Corsair Domains. Meet the beautiful and notorious Jayani al-Jasir, called by some the Queen of pirates. Face untold perils to fetch the wondrous waters of the River of Gold. Save Hawa's people from the horrible Soultaker, and much, much more. But beware! Treachery awaits at the hands of those you trust most! Recommended for use with the Arabian Adventures rulebook. TSR 9449
Everyone in the city eagerly anticipates The Arena's opening at the end of every month. This month, an unexpected change to the lineup just days before is rife with rumours! The most feared and respected gladiator in history, Imhullu, the Dragon of Marduk, has issued a challenge to an unknown rival—a fight to the death on charges of heresy. Rumours of insults and slander are spreading throughout the Great Market, though the truth remains inscrutable. The crowds gathered outside The Arena are beyond belief; people must have come from every dimension. Gaining entrance to The Arena is going to be next to impossible. Also, you don't have a ticket! Fortunately for you, you haven't spent your youth in a particularly productive manner! Centred around a gigantic arena full of gladiators, your adventurers must brave the depths of The Pits evading and fighting strange, horrifying creatures, in order to gain entrance. Once inside, they must hold strong against social and political pressures in the hopes of finding a seat in time to watch the main event! But have they gotten themselves caught up in secrets best left alone? There’s only one way to find out!
The vile city of Scuttlecove is the home of murderers, thieves, demon whorshipers, peddlers of vice, and monsters. Here, anyone can find a place to hide, provided they can survive the terrors and dangers that infest the city streets. Scuttlecove is also the home of the Crimson Fleet, a notorious band of pirates who have long held the Vohoun Ocean as their private looting grounds. The time has come to take the fight to these legendary pirates, to confront them in their own depraved lair. "Serpents of Scuttlecove" is the eighth chapter in the Savage Tide Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon Magazine. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon magazine's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #344 of Dragon magazine features several additional locations the PCs might wish to visit during their stay in the city of Scuttlecove. The characters once again board the Sea Wyvern, this time to sail for Scuttlecove – a hideous city of pirates, slavers, cannibals, and worse – in search of clues to the final Savage Tide and the rescue of their patron. Pgs. 42-75 Also see Pgs. 76-85 for Backdrop: Scuttlecove City of Chaos.
A short adventuring interlude focusing more on encountering something unusual, rather than fighting anything. The PCs come across a tree and a pool inhabited by elves. The nearby brook fizzes with "energy gas" that grants a temporary HP boost. The players can explore, but there are no real "answers" just a weird thing they found on the way from somewhere to somewhere else. Rated for between 1 and 4 characters, this could easily be run for solo play, but it is short and a little weird. There are roleplaying opportunities with the elves, but there's scant data here, the elves are flighty and capricious. Pgs. 38-41
An Introductory Adventure for Storm King's Thunder. As evening approaches, you spot a wooden signpost next to a trail that heads north into the hills. Nailed to the post are three arrow-shaped signs. The two marked “Waterdeep” and “Daggerford” follow the High Road but point in opposite directions. The third, marked “Nightstone,” beckons you to follow the trail. If memory serves, Nightstone is roughly ten miles up the trail. This is Chapter 1 of the greater story available for free on the Dungeon Master's Guild.
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.
Start your own duet campaign! Teleport your way out of the confines of a castle to an ancient mountainside cavern with a secret waiting just for you... First Blush is the inaugural adventure of D&D Duet, bringing you high quality, ready to play material focused on supporting adventuring parties of 1 Player and 1 DM. This adventure is written for a first-level character in a one-on-one 5th edition D&D campaign. It encourages collaborative storytelling between the DM and the player and takes the PC through low-stakes social and combat encounters, culminating in a high-stakes combat far from home. You’ll find everything you need to jump-start your own two-person game. This product includes: 2-4 hour introductory adventure adaptable to any setting and spanning 2 parts All necessary stat blocks for monsters and NPCs 3 print and play battle maps 3 ready to go player sheets complete with background information and personality traits This adventure is perfect for a first-timer or an experienced player looking to explore the hobby in a fresh (sans traditional group) way. This would also make for a great session zero or breakout adventure for a player before the character joins a larger party. Published by D&D Duet.
A 26-page low level adventure for OSE and other OSR rpgs. "The swamps? Oh, that's a long time since someone got out of there. Vines and crocodiles they say in the big city. But down here we don't believe everything they say up there. Everyone knows what's up with the swamp! The hydra is hungry! We tried to hunt it down last year... that's how i got this wooden stump! What? you? killing the Hydra? well... i didn't make you out for the brave type, that's all..." -Old Mika, fisherman of Gren Against the Hydra The swamps near Gren are infested with strange creatures preying on travellers, the hydra has begun her yearly hunt and the river woman’s daughter has vanished. Last year the neighbouring towns have all gathered together to mount an expedition inside the swamp, but none returned. With nothing more to do priests, druids and citizen have gathered a 2000 gold pieces to clean out the swamp and save the river woman’s daughter from certain death. The adventure comes with detailed tables to explore the swamps, a complex dungeon riddled with encounters, treasure and lore for you to explore. Handouts are also included in the adventure pdf, for you to give to your players and excite their imagination.
The idyllic town of Evershade is about to get a lot less peaceful. Nestled in a small valley near the border of two kingdoms, Evershade is a small but prosperous town. But ranchers have been finding their livestock slaughtered, with no idea what's behind it. What begins as a simple mission to scare off a predator, turns into a race across hills and mountains to prevent agents of evil from destroying a future force for good. Includes A adventure for 4-5 characters of 3rd to 4th level A regional map of the areas surrounding the town of Evershade Descriptions of the town of Evershade and several of the notable NPCs that live there A map of the dragon's lair on a cliff near the sea Stat blocks for all monsters Unnumbered map suitable for use in your favorite VTT Published by Goblin Scrawl Games
Dreams of the sleeping wizard seep into reality. Manifest familiars war over the fate of a remote islet. An infinite garden houses an escaped experiment. The god of purity is fooled for his blessings. Into the nightmare we go. 16 pages contain 3000+ words describing 10+ keyed areas to explore (complete the wandering monsters table), 10+ friends and foes to talk to, 10 magic items to use, and thousands of gold worth of treasure to plunder. The adventure is designed for B/X, or like-systems. It is suitable for 4 to 6 characters of levels 1 to 3. It is heavily inspired by the dungeon synth album The Sleeping Wizard by Umbría, which may serve as a soundtrack.
Baron Rajiram’s forces have secured the Nelanther Isles and have scoured the Sword Coast for treasures. Now they have begun to explore a mysterious island that recently just popped into existence nearby. SEER seems to believe that an aboleth artifact is their goal. It is up to the adventurers, in competition with the baron, as well as aboleths, the Kraken Society, and the mysterious caretaker of the island, to locate the Eye of Xxiphu and avert catastrophic disaster. A Four-Hour Adventure for 17th-20th Level Characters. Optimized for five 17th-level characters.
To arms! To arms! The battle lines are drawn as desert men and inhuman tribes wait poised to strike on the fertile and rich lands of the east. The call has gone out through the civilized lands. The armies have been raised to match the invading foes from the west. Nobles and peasants have joined swords to greet the foes. But Fate or Chance has decreed another role for a small few. No glorious banners will wave on their march. No squadrons of knights will charge at their word. Instead, they will fight the war with stealth, secrecy, and cunning. The risks they will take are great, but the fates of both armies lie with them. It begins one night for your party far from the fighting. Suddenly you are entrusted with the most dangerous mission of the war. Can you cross the Sind Desert, occupied now by enemy armies, to find the Great Pass? Can you find the one known only as The Master? What will you do if you find him? So begins your adventure in The Master of the Desert Nomads, the first module of a two-part adventure that can be concluded in the exciting Temple of Death or played entirely on its own. Can your party do what must be done? TSR 9068
Some weeks ago, a tiny sliver of shadow crept into Yarralanya Swamp. It fed on the worms, then on the fish and snakes, growing larger over time until it threatened the lives of the swamp folk, who took up their weapons and fought back, to no avail. In order to buy time for a second attempt, the swamp folk began to steal livestock from the nearby village to satiate the beast’s hunger. After all, who but those villagers could be responsible for unleashing this threat? Soon after, a band of adventurers visiting Rishel’s Hollow find themselves tasked with a simple mission: end the theft of cattle by whatever means necessary. This adventure should run for 3-5 hours, either as a standalone one-shot or as part of an existing campaign, especially one featuring creatures from the Shadowfell or the experiments of a mage. Encounters assume a party of 4-6 level 4 characters.
Bastion Bay has become a bustling trade hub under the guidance of the cunning Capa Meriosa - but all is not well in the former pirate town. A monstrous undead shark stalks the seas, sinking any ship that gets too close; the newly built light house has gone mysteriously dark; and rumours swirl of twisted witches and other horrid things stalking the night. The port has been shut with no ships allowed to leave and tensions are running high. Bastion Bay is on a knife edge, and a new ship is just pulling into port... The Beast of Bastion Bay is an adventure for the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons! It is designed for 3-5 5th level characters, and assumes a wide range of skills and abilities. It is designed to be played across multiple sessions and should take between 5 and 10 hours to complete. The adventure centres on the port town of Bastion Bay but can easily be transferred to any small or medium port town as long there are nearby islands and caves. This adventure was designed to have an equal balance of combat, exploration, and role-playing encounters.
The rough ground on the outskirts of the village of Col Fen once served as a graveyard for an evil temple destroyed long ago. A recent disturbance released some of the ancient evil buried here, and now the dead in this graveyard are beginning to walk. Several villagers have already vanished and more will die if the undead are not put to rest. Pgs. 56-63