Several days ago, a colony of myconids were born from the gloom and rot of a swamp near a small fishing town. They found a place to form their new colony, and settled on a crumbling mausoleum in a long-forgotten graveyard. Their rapport spores have been spreading unchecked, and have begun to infect the dead buried underneath the marsh. These dead have risen as spore servants, which the myconids are using as watchdogs to protect their new home from unwelcome intruders—like the adventurers. In this encounter, the characters stumble upon an old country graveyard in the middle of a swamp. When they investigate, they fall under attack by the living dead! Once they fend off their undead assailants, an investigation of the mausoleum reveals the true villain behind the attack: a group of mycanoids that infested the corpses with their spores, turning them into telepathically controlled puppets. From here, the characters can either negotiate with the mycanoids or kill them. This encounter’s three acts are: The Discovery: the characters find an abandoned graveyard. The Trial: the characters are attacked by undead. The Revelation: the characters learn that the zombies are really mycanoid spore servants, and can try to reason with the mushroom-people or destroy them. Either way, there’s treasure!
The party is caught between warring goblin and kobold gangs, occupying an abandoned dwarven mine. Will the heroes ally with one of the sides in this quarrel, try to make peace between old enemies, attempt to eliminate both sides, or achieve their goal stealthily and unnoticed? The choice is completely theirs! Small Party Adventure: Though the party size of 3–5 characters is considered optimal in D&D, there are times when you can only gather one or two players at most. This adventure is designed exactly for such occasions.
The Vault of Pallon the Pious is an adventure for four 2nd level PCs. A famous pirate captain came to worship a lawful god in his final years. After a lifetime of plundering, pillaging, scuttling, and murdering along the coastline, the fear-inspiring Pallon the Merciless rebranded himself as Pallon the Pious. But, a history of violence is a hard thing to reconcile, and the salty old dog slowly succumbed to madness. His most precious possession was a set of scales that reflected perfectly his own inner conflict. The Scales of Misjudgement are buried deep in the treasure room of his crazed rock-island vault.
A mysterious tower beckons. Recently a strange tower hidden in the forest was rediscovered, but only one scout returned to tell the tale, but a strange tale of cults, bandits and ghosts it was. Dare our heroes explore this forgotten place? Originally from the Danish convention Fastaval as part of the living campaign, Hinterlandet. Now presented here for the first time in English. It is an adventure with emphasis on exploration and meeting the unknown.
Blight of Biel is a standard “fetch” mission with a twist. After finishing one adventure the PCs head to Biel for some rest. Sadly upon arrival at the thorp they discover the community has “the fever”. Only one person in town has not gotten ill and she needs some ingredients for a cure. This mission will require a quick resolution or the gravedigger will be busy! Oh yea…this game is called Dungeons & Dragons for a reason!
A storm brews on the cliffs, and thunder takes wing. Near a remote coastal village, livestock vanish and tempests rage without warning. Locals whisper of a legendary beast: the Stormwing—a massive eagle wreathed in lightning, said to nest high among the windswept cliffs. But is the creature truly a menace… or merely a misunderstood force of nature? Dare your party scale the perilous cliffside, brave elemental hazards, and confront the Stormwing atop its thunder-blasted perch? Inside This Adventure: ✅ A lightning-charged dungeon crawl through cliffs, caves, and stormy ledges. ✅ A dramatic final encounter with the Stormwing—can your party fight, negotiate, or outwit it? ✅ A thunderous environment with gusts, static surges, and dangerous terrain challenges. ✅ Unique rewards, including the Gloves of Conducting, a magic item that crackles with power. ✅ Multiple adventure hooks for easy campaign integration. This adventure is part of Thirsty Tiger Tales, an ongoing collection of thrilling one-shots for D&D 5e! Perfect for a one-shot or a side quest in any elemental, coastal, or storm-themed campaign. Pay What You Want until the end of May! Suggested price: $1.00 Will your party tame the skies—or be cast down by the storm?
For centuries, the Great Swamp has hidden hints of an ancient culture of barbarian kings. While passing through this miserable bog, the PCs encounter Stygoth the Damned, a half-dead black dragon driven mad by a mysterious disease. Delving further, the heroes discover that the disease is tied to the very swamp itself. A great corruption once infested this place, destroying the savage barbarian kings and leaving only mighty statues as their legacy. Now this corruption has returned, and a terrible Witch Queen is mining the corrupted swamp-earth to produce evil, blighted artifacts. In order to stop the spread of these evil weapons, the heroes must enter the ancient caves of the savage kings, put to rest the corrupt legacy of their downfall, end the disease that scars the land, and then face off against the Witch Queen herself.
A centuries old evil has been cultivating an environmental disaster deep under the earth, waiting for the time when it will be unleashed on the world. A new mine has been created above and has broken the seal. The owner of the mine has lost contact with their foreman and shipments have stopped, and it’s up to an inexperienced but eager group of adventurers to investigate. This adventure is designed to present a challenge for a group of four veteran players using first level characters. While there are opportunities for roleplay scattered throughout, this adventure is heavy on the exploration and combat pillars of fifth edition. Death is a real and ever-present threat as they investigate the mine and the dangers below. Success and survival should bring them to the third level, and they may have found some treasure well worth the effort. So much so that they may become targets themselves from unscrupulous and more experienced NPCs. Written to be a seed for a larger campaign in any high fantasy setting, the outcome of this adventure could have world-changing consequences. It introduces a new and growing threat that, given enough encouragement, greed, time and apathy, could consume the world and beyond.
A bad of settlers awaits certain death upon the vicious blades of massing gnoll hordes. Can the PCs distract the ravenous army of savage humanoids long enough for reinforcements to arrive? A D&D adventure for 3rd-level characters.
Follow a crazy halfling into a vampire’s castle. Kingdom in the Swamp is an AD&D adventure for higher-level characters; 6th to 9th level would be suitable. While it is necessary to have strong combatant characters and at least one cleric, it is more important that the players be ready to find solutions beyond the sword or spell book. Adventure Background A few days ago, Candor Pletten, a halfling thief known more for his urban exploits, returned from a journey to the southern jungles and rain forests (or so he says). Few people have believed him in the past -- usually they have been too busy taking inventory of their possessions to even listen to him — but some are guessing that he may actually be telling the truth (certainly, he’s got a good story). Candor left town a couple of months ago with some other adventurers, but has come back alone. Most tavern patrons are of the opinion that he took his companions’ purses and ran, but why would he come back to town? And why, then, aren’t his former companions hot on his trail? Candor may be a thief, but he’s not a murderer. He even gets nauseated by cockfighting. Maybe the halfling's tale is worth hearing...
Kingdom of the Blind is a short adventure for four 8th-level characters. The adventure is set in a minor duchy that is fairly removed from the ruler of the land. As a result, trouble can brew in the land and the king would not know immediately. The PCs had just entered the citadel in the last episode. Are they now dealing with hauling statues or fighting angry staircases in their efforts to get to the second floor?
Darkness festers deep inside the forest of Logard. A beast has emerged, killing and abducting local villagers. A secret society of monster hunters has enlisted the heroes to help find one of their missing members and aid them in killing the beast… The Great Rebirth is a streamlined Draw Steel adventure with embedded rules references to make running and playing fun and easy. The adventure is laid out so players are introduced to a new mechanic (tests, combat, montage, and negotiation) one at a time, keeping the game and story engaging, without being overwhelming. What is this adventure about? The heroes have answered the call to eliminate a beast that has rampaged through the local village of Logard. They receive help in navigating Logard forest where they discover and explore a set of ruins while learning about tests. The ruins are trapped and a group of cultists send the heroes plummeting into their lair; combat ensues. From there it's a fast-paced journey of survival as the heroes escape a collapsing dungeon in a montage test, then negotiate with a speaking stone door in order to finally gain access to the monster they’ve been looking for: a being that has undergone the evil saint Eseld’s ‘Great Rebirth.’ Who is this adventure for? This is an ideal adventure for those wanting to run Draw Steel for the first time or looking to onboard newer players. The adventure is broken into various encounters, each focused on separate mechanics. This allows players to learn the different aspects of Draw Steel in a digestible and fun way. The Great Rebirth Features: - A 3-6 hour level 1 adventure for 5 players. (Balance suggestions included for various party sizes.) - 3 custom encounter maps (2 for combat, 1 for tests). - Embedded stat blocks and ‘Rules Recap’ text to keep things flowing at the table and minimize time spent searching for common answers. - All original artwork from Katrina Neyra (cover art) and Shaeomar.
Remember Fluffy? The cute little dog? Well... Fluffy Goes to Heck is a shamelessly absurd AD&D® game adventure for the six silly characters provided on pages 39-40, or 4-6 characters of 3rd-5th level, played by those with senses of humor. A good mix of classes and races is helpful but hardly necessary.
A Giant Ransom is a short adventure for four 11th-level characters. There are opportunities for diplomacy, stealth, and combat, based on the choices the PCs make, so any mix of classes is appropriate. The adventure can be set in any campaign world, in a frontier region near glacier-covered mountains. The newly appointed Duke Castaril Ambrinigan has recently relocated to a modest, newly constructed keep near the frontier town of Ormanlak. He and his family arrived safely, but a caravan containing family heirlooms was waylaid by a band of frost giant raiders. Most of the items were of no consequence to the Duke, with the exception of one: a three-foot tall golden statue of a lion. The Duke, wanting to avoid a war, sent an emissary to the frost giants. He offered gems totaling 10,000 gold pieces in value as ransom for the lion. The giants accepted, and a time and place was set for the exchange. But there is more. A white dragon named Whildenstrank lives in the midst of a nearby glacier, and has maintained a network of winter wolf spies, including some in the frost giants' camp. Through these spies, Whildenstrank learned of the capture of the golden lion, and the upcoming trade. Thinking that the lion would make a fine addition to his frozen treasure hoard, Whildenstrank has prepared to strike.
The nephew of a once famous adventurer decides to make a name for himself and bites off more than he can chew. Short on options, and worried for his nephew’s life, he needs your help. Travel to the ruins of Dhonin's Lookout atop Standiac Hill to find and rescue the young adventurer. Uncover a plot that could lead to the destruction of the village of Millvein, and even more dire future consequences. Includes: A 3-4 hour adventure for 1st level characters Map of the village of Millvein 2 DM maps Stat blocks for all monsters the players might encounter. The adventure continues in Into the Underdark - Part 2 The Spider's Den
Has reality got you down? Tired of everyday, humdrum, commonplace happenings of life on the Prime Material Plane? Want to really get away from it all? Then step right up for the chance for adventure out of the ordinary...way out of the ordinary... Tales of the Outer Planes is an anthology of short adventures set throughout the many Outer Planes for use with the AD&D Manual of the Planes. Some of gaming's best designers have contributed adventures to this set, which includes scenarios set in the Seven Heavens, Olympus, the four Elemental Planes, the Nine Hells, and the Astral and Ethereal Planes. Tales of the Outer Planes is a perfect collection for powerful characters who have it too easy at home and are looking for new challenges. Many of the most fearsome monsters are even more dangerous on their own planes - can you take them on and live to tell the tale? These adventures can be inserted as a "change of pace" in an existing campaign, or can be the foundation of an entire new set of adventures. Either way, Tales of the Outer Planes will be sure to open up a whole new frontier for AD&D game players everywhere. TSR 9225
It's the little things that count. Obnoxious little problems can easily become obnoxious big ones. Although designed as a companion to "Grakhirt's Lari" (which appeared in issue#1), a copy of that module is not required to enjoy this one. Pgs. 3-8
The mysteries and legends surrounding Whispering Widow Woods have always been enough to scare off the timid. The dense canopy shrouds the forest floor in darkness even at mid-day, and the tangled underbrush inhibits travel and can disorient even seasoned woodsmen. Lately, though, terrorized residents have described attacks by normally docile creatures, such as black bears. Respected citizens told wild tales of unprovoked attacks by treants, sprites, and brownies. The last two curious souls to venture into Whispering Widow Woods have not returned. Tales of Enchantment has no mechanism built- in to keep the players on track. That is part of the problem for them to solve. They can go as far afield as their bad judgment takes them, but the farther afield they go, the more trouble they find. TSR 9428
The Arena of Power is a versatile an variable battleground where player characters can fight player characters or groups can fight their enemies. We all know the PvP functions of video games. They may call “battle royal”, “arena” or “rumble”, but it is always a number of players fighting each other until only one is left standing. And the Arena of Power now gives you a place and some rules to do exactly that with your players. Send them into the arena and find out how well they know their skills. The Arena of Power is composed for 2 – 7 players of level 3 – 12.
Far north of the Denali homeland is the Archipelago of Tyr and home to dangerous seafarers. Tyr is well-known as the land of the Minotaur that does allow some foreigners to visit albeit with less than perfect hospitality. Originally used as a one-shot with the Denali campaign characters, King Pellet sent the party north to investigate a trade deal and look into reports of some type of incendiary weapon…