Centuries ago, a beholder named Yeryl fled from the place of his birth and wandered the countryside in search for a place to call home. After many sleepless nights spent carving out a safe nook for himself in the wilderness, he at last slipped into slumber. In his dreams, he found an ideal place for his lair: long-abandoned ruins hidden amidst a dull and barren valley. Yeryl spent years transforming the place to suit his paranoid designs. Visitors were rare enough, and the few that made it to Yeryl’s lair were quickly destroyed or forced into the beholder’s service, building the lair ever deeper and more magnificent. As time went on, Yeryl finally completed his task. Safe at last, but with nothing to occupy his mind, Yeryl was struck by melancholy; was this lonely and empty life truly what he had chosen for himself? On that day, Yeryl made a decision: next time an adventurer came to his lair, he would welcome them in. With this resolution in mind, Yeryl began to dismantle his traps and replace them with ones he considered to be more fun. Unfortunately, for all his good intents, Yeryl has not yet realised that killing people is a bad way of getting them to like him. Yeryl's Super Happy Fun Murder Dungeon is a highly obnoxious and mildly ridiculous collection of traps, combat and puzzles designed to test your players' wits and patience. It is optimised for a group of four to five 3rd level players, but the text also contains a guide for level adjustments for different sized groups.
The adventurer awakens buried in a coffin only to be inadvertently rescued by a goblin grave-robber. With no recollection of how they came to be buried alive, the adventurer is thrust into an encounter with the goblin and his party who have stolen a precious heirloom off their unconscious body. Before starting this adventure the GM and player should discuss what heirloom item the adventurer possesses. Though having immense sentimental value, the heirloom shouldn’t be magical, and it should be of minor monetary value. It should be a worn item that can easily be removed such as a ring, bracer or necklace.
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and behold the greatest circus in the land! Behold the skilled mummers performing at The Stage; you’ll literally feel like you’re part of the play! Thrill to the death-defying acts (and audience) in the two rings under the Big Top! Laugh at the antics of the baleful buffoons, harmful harlequins, and malevolent merrymakers of Clown Alley! Gaze in wonder at the wild beasts of the Menagerie, (just make sure you know which side of the bars you’re on)! All this and more, for the small price of a single admission, to Bitterbark’s Magnificent Circus! The circus is in town! But there’s something not quite right about it. There are rumors of missing children, evil plots, and more. Can you discover the secrets hidden inside Bitterbark’s Magnificent Circus? Intended as a stand-alone adventure, but there are notes on how to include it as part of the Castle of the Mad Archmage mega-dungeon adventure. Published by BRW Games
The Tower. Standing on a grassy hilltop, it seems unremarkable from a distance. Two stories high, cylindrical, thatched roof. Simple and idyllic. There's even a whisper on the breeze, or maybe a thought in the back of your mind: There's nothing to see here. What brought you in the first place? Just turn around and go back. Those that venture nearer find that it's much more than meets the eye. The closer you get, the taller the tower seems to be... until standing at its base, the tower rises dozens of floors and pierces the sky. Do you have the courage to enter the unknown sanctum? What could possibly await you within? Gather your allies and find out!
This is a reclamation of the classic Mexican horror story designed to keep young adventurers wary of their curfews, La Llorona. In this tale, adventurers will face perilous encounters with beings that lurk in the shadows, and uncover what might have happened to drive a woman long ago to transform into a nightmarish legend.
This adventure sees the party tumbling between two mad goblin inventors. This is the first time the characters will meet Professor Passifou and his inventions. Also available in French
Kobolds. To some, that name means “a tiny creature that dies easily”. To others, that name invokes fear and dread of a relentless, diabolical nightmare. This adventure introduces you to the latter. If your party is unlucky enough to enter the kobold-infested mountain, they will wish they hadn’t after triggering traps around every corner. And if that doesn’t discourage them, the red dragon surely will.
Mother Haggle is an elderly crone who runs a Lost & Found Emporium on the edge of the Misty Forest. The old lady pays her mercenaries well, and attracts all kinds of talent to send on her various errands. Mother Haggle doesn't deal in world shaking problems, but it's uncanny how often simple tasks like "fetch that cow" or "bring me a boggle" end in embarrassment, grievous injury or death. As she always says, it really can't be helped. Using the streamlined Plausible Complications and Unlikely Disasters layout, Mother Haggle's adventures are one-sheet wonders ready to pick up and play with groups of the specified level. Mother Haggle wants her cow back. It seems to get lost a lot, but she doesn't care how much she has to spend as long as her darling gets home safe. Included in Mother Haggles's Notice Board - The Missing Cow are six standalone bovine adventure seeds in which Mother Haggle's cow needs rescuing. She should really keep that cow in a better pen, or lock the gate or something, but who needs common sense when you have money and mercenaries?
Note: This is a sequel to Out of Body, Out of Mind. The legend of the realm of Tirna'cel is well known. Once remembered for its power-mongering warlords, homunculi-wielding sorcerers, and archfiends from the deepest pits of the Abyss, Tirna'cel has become a powerful and welcoming land over the last 600 years, due in no small part to the efforts of the warlord Tirna'gael, a member of the land's founding nobility. But your party knows the truth. You ventured into the tomb of Tirna'gael some six months ago, and therein discovered that the fallen warlord was actually little more than his brethren: a petty, avaricious power-monger. Possessed by a rival force which also desired the kingdom - a rare incorporeal demon called a nescent, which inhabited his body and augmented his already incredible power to unforeseen levels - Tirna'gael sought to overthrow the ancient warlords only to replace them. Through Tirna'gael's augmented body, the nescent overwhelmed and eliminated the other warlords, eventually dominating the realm along. But before it could consolidate its rule and throw Tirna'cel into an even darker age, the secret of its power was discovered by the paladins of Garadon, a virtuous cell of justice and light. The paladins lured Tirna'gael into the center of his own fortress and trapped him there within a powerful anti magic field. His body withered and died but the nescent remained dormant, waiting for its chance for revenge. During your visit to Tirna'gael's fortress-tomb six months ago, you accidentally released the nescent from its prison. That enemy has since been vanquished - at least for the time being - but the memory of your pitched battle against it still lingers as you approach the original chapter house of the Order of Garadon. You have been summoned.
If the drought doesn't get you, the goblins will. The river has mysteriously run dry and the farmers' crops are in peril. Locals are convinced a nearby tribe of goblins are responsible, and have offered a reward to anyone brave enough to sort it out. While they were correct about the goblins causing the drought, they were wrong about the reason. The chief of the goblin tribe is an enthusiastic fisher and a particular fish, Salvel the Talking Trout has continually eluded him. This adventure has a humourous tone and emphasises role-playing and negotiating. Pgs. 8-21 & 49
Step into the nightmarish bog where there are only two options: fight for your freedom... or be doomed to wander endlessly in through these dreadful wastes until your death. Do you have what it takes to defeat the vengeful hag and break free from this prison?
As you begin your path to adventuring fame, fate brings you a gift. The military is attacking a humanoid army not too far away but their powerful force has splintered the insurgents. Different groups of aggressive humanoids are now off on their own and the military is overwhelmed trying to track them down. Word has it that one such group is headed to the revered Oracle at Nyo! Your time has come and fame is within reach!
The quest: find a woman's son who has been missing for 10 years. She's only just received a map that may lead to his last known whereabouts. An adventure for characters that features battles, environmental hazards, and roleplaying. The 38-page PDF includes hand-drawn maps, art, stat blocks, and a battle stat tracker. The overall adventure is 15 pages. This adventure has even been test played by four DM's from around the world.
Detailed encounter, easily convertible into an adventure. Starts from investigating ambushes on the mountain pass and quickly escalated into a more twisted story about duergars, alhoons, and treasure vaults. Setting-agnostic (classic fantasy - best)
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑-𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐏! 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐙𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐔𝐒 is a fifth edition (5E) conversion of the ground-breaking introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons that served as a DM aid in the first 𝐃&𝐃 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐭, released by TSR in 1977. This set included a 48-page rulebook covering the first three levels of play, and was skillfully edited by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉. 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐬 from the original 1974 D&D rules written by 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐲𝐠𝐚𝐱 and 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧. Holmes advanced the "Sample Dungeon" concept by writing a new thematic dungeon with a strong backstory, creating an adventure that has remained a fan favorite over the decades. Officially, its only title is "Sample Dungeon" but colloquially it goes by various names based on Zenopus, the doomed wizard who built the dungeon under his tower. An adventure for 1st to 2nd level characters; four pregenerated characters are included. Also includes ideas for using it as an adventure site in 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡. 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: Using this conversion requires a copy of the original dungeon found in the (1977) Basic D&D rulebook. However, Wizards of the Coast has provided a free pdf of this dungeon since 2008 on their website, see the first page of the pdf for the link. 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒: Introduction, page 2 The Setting, page 3 About the Dungeon, page 4 Dungeon Master's Map, page 5 Areas of the Dungeon, pages 6-13 Appendix A: Further Reading, page 13 Appendix B: Dungeon Factions, page 14 Appendix C: Portown Rumors, pages 15-17 Appendix D: Use with Ghosts of Saltmarsh, pages 18-19 Appendix E: Pre-generated 1st level characters, page 20 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐍𝐏𝐂𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟓𝐄: Cleaning Cube, Veteran Smuggler, Thaumaturgist, Monstrous Sand Crab, Lemunda, Monstrous Rat, Brazen Head of Zenopus, Verminslayer Longsword, Lesser Wand of Petrification, Scroll of Stone to Flesh The Ruined Tower of Zenopus was featured as part of the "D&D Classics" column in Issue #32 of Dragon+ magazine! Go to 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐠.𝐜𝐨𝐦 or find the link on the Wikipeda page for Dragon magazine. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐒: Original Dungeon: J. Eric Holmes Conversion, Added Content & Cartography: Zach Howard Content Review & Editing: Scott McKinley Interior Art: Chris Holmes (“Octopus Attack”, page 9) Cover Art: “Italian Coast Scene with Ruined Tower” by Thomas Cole, 1838. Open Access Image from the National Gallery of Art at images.nga.gov Format: Derived from the “Adventure Template for Open Office/LibreOffice” by Dale Robbins on DMs Guild Dungeon Maps drawn using the application Gridmapper by Alex Schroeder
A flock of kenku bandits have discovered the ruined remains of a temple site, and have used it as their hideout while they raid unsuspecting travelers on nearby roads. It's up to the PCs to clear their nest, recover stolen goods, and rescue their hostages. Will the players be bested by these dirty birds? Or will they have the bandits eating crow?
A One-on-One Competition Module for Thieves Level 8 Your peaceful evening has been interrupted by an unusual request. As a thief, your skills are unmatched, but can you rise to the challenge of thieving for a powerful and frightening wizard? Do you have a choice? The Gem and the Staff is a special One-on-One competition module designed for one player and on Dungeon Master. The Module contains two separate scenarios, so you can switch roles with the other player after the first adventure. Scoring sheets and encounter summaries are provided for each adventure to make running competitions quick and simple. Character figures and a map book are also provided to help visualize the adventures. The player's maps are designed so you can see the rooms as they would appear. Complete DM's Maps are included. TSR 9050
Do you dare delve into the depths of an ancient demon's prison? Designed to be a fun 5E challenge-dungeon. Delve into a cave where an ancient evil was once sealed away... but be wary, as over the ages, the seals upon the Demon have begun to weaken... This is the one-shot featured in my larger adventure, Tower of the Chronomancer, but more polished and slightly expanded to allow it to stand on its own. (Originally it was the Tower's "6th floor.") I'm making this Pay What You Want, hoping people will enjoy this content -- and maybe seek the larger adventures I've already written. The Cave. Mostly hidden behind a nondescript hill in a crowded wood, forgotten by almost everyone not of the nearest town, and even they have forgotten why the cave was originally created. What it contains -- what it seals in. Marked only by a broken, rotten sign, now it's viewed as a prank spot. Sometimes it's a hideout for unsuspecting bandits. Generally, it's a place no one goes on purpose due to the lingering "wrongness" that any who enter seem to feel. Any that pass through the perfectly-rectangular entrance will find that it's much more than meets the eye. Especially if they are able to find their way down to the Trials! The Story. Long ago, a shapeshifting demon called "Umbraeus, the Defiler" sought dominion over the world. It clawed its way out of the Hells and took control of the region through a mixture of trickery (empowering people it could use) and destruction (raining fire, destroying crops and rivals, etc.). Umbraeus reigned for many years... until it was betrayed by a rival, which allowed a group of adventurers and mages to defeat and trap it in a magical green gemstone. The gem was then buried deep underground, protected by a set of Trials that allowed only those pure of heart and capable of handling its influence to visit it. But a long time has passed. The seals that held Umbraeus at bay have begun to weaken. And the demon has found a way to crack the gemstone. Its malevolent influence has begun to seep out into the world above. If nothing is done, it may manage to fully escape! Includes: A 5e one-shot adventure for 5th-6th level adventurers (4-6 hours long) Combat, roleplaying, puzzles, discovery, randomness, and loot! A chalenging demon encounter with variable difficulty levels 6 original enemy statblocks, including an evil shadow-boss 2 original magic items. Keywords You Can Expect: High fantasy, cave dungeon, combat, evil demon, shadow dragon, puzzles, discovery, randomness, gelatinous cubes, constructs, moral quandries, and lots of loot.
The Riverlands Kingdom is a peaceful place. Generations ago it was a thriving and rich trading empire. Now it is a sleepy region of farms and a few craftsmen. Dotted with villages and a few towns along the numerous rivers, protected by a wall of rugged mountains, a wild forest and a vast steppe, little of note occurs here from generation to generation. All that is about to be shattered, an ancient evil has arisen and undertakes to bring wrath and destruction to the Riverlands in a pledge to conquer the rivers and kill those who reside between them. The peace is about to be shattered, the harmony destroyed, the balance disturbed.
Dromar is a figure of power all over the realm. He is known as a legendary fighter from centuries ago. He was buried in a tomb along with an artifact of great power. Those who built his tomb were afraid of grave robbers, and so his tomb was created in the frigid, ice-coated lands at the base of a a mountain. The secret of this tomb's location has been passed among a select few people as the years have gone on. Most of the general public do not even believe it exists, but now the ancient relic buried alongside Dromar is needed once again.