A community for lazy dungeon masters
1548 adventures found
Cover of The Menagerie
The Menagerie
3.5 Edition
Levels 4–8
6 pages
0

Magical trinkets, unusual creatures, strange and mysterious artifacts, and more can be had at a discount at Gwen's Relics on Church Street. Now, the store's most outrageous acquisition has arrived, and the resulting chaos threatens to destroy the shop and release a plague of monsters into the town. Can the PCs stop the catastrophe before it spreads too far? What happens when a vagabond finds a weird snake down by the river and gives it to the local curio shop? Find out in "The Menagerie," winner of the Origins/DUNGEON Side Trek Design Competition. Pgs. 78-83

Cover of The Saint's Tomb
The Saint's Tomb
5th Edition
Level 1
30 pages
0

The Saint's Tomb is a single-player gamebook-style adventure that is playable in your browser. You make a 1st level character sheet, roll your own dice (though 2 of each are supplied in-browser), keep up with your inventory, spells, and HP, and click on options as you make decisions. It was written to help new players learn the game, but it should be fun for experienced players too. In the game, you'll investigate a mysterious figure who has a suspicious interest in the tomb of a dead priest. You'll battle the undead, figure out problems and roll the dice to save your city! The Saint's Tomb is free, though you can leave a tip if you're able by clicking "Support this Game". A Spanish translation is available as "La Cripta Sagrada"

Cover of Ghastly Grins
Ghastly Grins
5th Edition
Levels 13–15
7 pages
0

A city deep in the woods is plagued by a series of beheadings of the leadership. A twisted bargain and a dark secret are threatening to destroy this town forever. Your adventuring party finds themselves brought in to help stop the Dullahan who has been summoned against her will to enact political revenge.

Cover of Dungeon Crawl Classics #94: Neon Knights
Dungeon Crawl Classics #94: Neon Knights
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Level 3
20 pages
0

Ten thousand flawless killers surround the city. Utterly silent in battle and in death, they seem unconquerable. They mean to choke the life out of the age-old city and leave it an empty ruin. The city calls upon its heroes to defeat this unnatural menace. The heroes gather to ponder the question: how do you defeat an impregnable foe? And then a wizard from a far-off world whisks the heroes away to fight battle of a very different sort, leaving them with a strange neon pink glow around their eyes… Note: This adventure can be used setting neutral or as a means to enter the "Purple Planet" DCC setting.

Cover of NQ8 - Quandary in the Mines
NQ8 - Quandary in the Mines
5th Edition
Levels 6–8
22 pages
0

With your past exploits being noticed the acting ruler of Dilad has requested your presence. An envoy of the leader has met with you and asked you to investigate a growing issue. The city of Acre is in a large scale building operation but limestone from the quarry has stopped coming. Delays will be costly and the party has been asked to go to Fecknic and discover what the problem is. You can’t really disappoint the top dog of the nation can you?

Cover of Threshold of Evil
Threshold of Evil
AD&D
Levels 14–18
22 pages
0

On a storm-blasted mountain lives an immortal Arch-Mage with a foul temper. The townspeople want you to talk to him - and kill him, if necessary. Is immortality worth the price? An Arch-Mage's magics threaten a small village. To protect it the party must brave a dangerous climb, and survive the Mage's warded lair. Pgs. 43-64

Cover of Thunder Under Needlespire
Thunder Under Needlespire
AD&D
Levels 8–12
23 pages
0

From the magazine: "The monster you're sent out after is so dangerous that even mind flayers fear it. And the illithids want your help!" Earthquakes hit the area around Needlespire mountain, affecting both dwarven and deep gnome villages, and the local mining industry. Deep gnome expeditions discover an illithid outpost! This adventure includes roleplaying encounters with both deep gnomes and illithid in their quest for the true cause of the earthquakes. The creature causing the earthquakes is a draknor which has sent its huge tentacles into the earth seeking magma to fuel its growth. Pgs. 38-60

Cover of Dungeon Crawl Classics #77: The Croaking Fane
Dungeon Crawl Classics #77: The Croaking Fane
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Level 3
20 pages
0

For as long as men remember, the Lord of Evil Amphibians carried out unspeakable rites in his squatting temples situated far from civilization. Tales of human sacrifice, squirming servants, and rich but loathsome treasures were whispered of his followers. Now, unexpectedly, his servants have seemingly vanished, leaving behind their fanes to molder in the marshes. A brave band of adventurers gathers to explore one such tabernacle, eager to discover what riches—and terrors—the Lord of Evil Amphibians has left behind…

Cover of The Ghost of Mistmoor
The Ghost of Mistmoor
AD&D
Levels 3–6
19 pages
0

Trouble always comes in threes. For years the mansion has hidden its secrets and its sorrows, but now it has returned to dreadful life. The Ghost of Mistmoor is an investigative adventure where the PCs are tasked with finding the entrance to a secret vault in a haunted mansion. There are ghosts to be had, but unbeknownst to the characters also a cunning thief and her sidekick took residence here. It does not contain many combat encounters but has a rich list of spooky events, some from the ghosts, some staged by the thief. Pgs. 52-70

Into the Forsaken Temple's Crypt - Episode Two: A False Tomb
3rd Edition
Level 10
6 pages
0

Into the Forsaken Temple's Crypt is a short adventure for four 10th-level characters. The adventure takes place in a buried temple crypt, which has been sealed for centuries. Dungeon Masters can adjust it for higher-level characters by widening the dead magic areas and increasing the number and power of constructs and undead that inhabit the complex. The PCs had just entered the Forsaken Temple's crypt in the last episode. Now they can begin to penetrate deeper into the crypt, discovering more of its hidden dangers.

Cover of Incident at Strathern Point
Incident at Strathern Point
AD&D
Levels 8–10
6 pages
0

From the magazine: "Before you know it, you've walked right into someone else's adventure." A villainous warden (after being banished to the Abyss in a duel) returns to the trading post of Strathern Point with a cadre of demonic soldiers. The players find this trading post abandoned save for several Abyssal hordlings. After clearing the hordlings, the warden reappears in the form of a bodak, and is set on vengeance upon the person who sent him to the Abyss.

Cover of Lest Darkness Rise
Lest Darkness Rise
3.5 Edition
Level 7
15 pages
0

Long ago, a local priest created a warded graveyard on a remote hillside. As the years passed, it gained a reputation as a spot whose defenses were powerful enough to keep undead in and tomb robbers out. Adventurers began to bring the remains of any creatures they suspected might become restless in death to the Tomb Steppe for interment, and in time they also sought aid against such creatures from the friendly priest. After his death, a brief spate of undead activity commenced, then died away once again. As the years passed, the tales of undead activity in the Tomb Steppe faded into legend, and colonists began to move into the lands nearby. The town of Night Falls was founded a short distance from the graveyard, and it grew quickly into a thriving trade center and farming community. Realizing that the Tomb Steppe was safe enough during the day, the citizens began burying their dead there rather than building new crypts on pristine farmland. Because this method of interment was cheap and easy, people from many surrounding communities brought their dead to the town as well. The business of burial brought new prosperity to Night Falls, and a guild called the Funerary House sprang up to control the trade. But it seems that the threat from the Tomb Steppe has not entirely been laid to rest. The Great Mausoleum -- the largest and finest tomb in the steppe, has been unsealed, and an apparition has been seen within. Who will go to the Tomb Steppe by night and reseal the tomb? Lest Darkness Rise is a short adventure for four 7th-level characters. In keeping with the season, it has a stronger horror theme than most D&D adventures. This scenario can be used as the climax of a series of adventures featuring its secondary characters, or it can simply be a site-based adventure that the PCs stumble across at the right moment. The scenario is set in a semi-civilized area in the far north, far from cities and churches, where winters are harsh and summers never get very hot. These inhospitable conditions have resulted in a low humanoid population. The scenario need not be set in such a wilderness; a rural farming community far from cities works just as well. The only real requirement is that the area have few settlements. The action takes place in the small town of Night Falls and a nearby necropolis of tombs, mausoleums, and graves known as the Tomb Steppe. As always, feel free to adapt the material presented here as you see fit to make it work with your campaign.

Cover of Serpent Isle
Serpent Isle
5th Edition
Levels 1–8
68 pages
0

The Full Campaign - Updated for 2020! On Shadowed Shores In a land few have heard of, and fewer still have visited, lies untold adventure, treasure and fame. The renowned Captain Farsail has sent out word that she will undertake an expedition to Serpent Isle, but is in need of a crew. Anyone able to hold a sword or cast a spell is welcome, but be warned, the island is as deadly as it is beautiful.

Cover of Love's Sorrow
Love's Sorrow
5th Edition
Levels 3–4
7 pages
0

The night mist hangs low around von Helter Manor. A man and woman share a tender moment on their balcony after the best night of their lives—a flash of red as they fall. Blood begins pooling around them, staining the earth crimson. A mysterious figure grins in the darkness. The Red Lady has taken her next victim. Pgs. 75-81

Cover of Encounters in the Savage Frontier
Encounters in the Savage Frontier
5th Edition
Levels 1–8
72 pages
0

What could happen while traveling the vast Savage Frontier? Just about anything! Encounters in the Savage Frontier includes 24 unique encounters of various difficulty that can be used while the adventuring party travels the Savage Frontier. It also includes several new creatures and magic items, digital hand-drawn maps (10 as downloadable .jpg files), and original artwork. Some of the encounters are short and brief, while others may take you a full gaming session to complete. Available for Fantasy Grounds

The Little Cave
5th Edition
Levels 3–5
19 pages
0

Just beyond the fields of Orleans a small hole in the earth hides treasure and monsters. The townsfolk are far too scared to delve inside the abandoned cave, but the marquis needs its silver, and right quick. Just a couple of miles away from the town of Orleans, between rolling hills and well maintained forests, a small mine, long abandoned, lies in wait. Once a lucrative silver mine the “little cave” is now shunned by both the miners and its owners, the marquis of Orleans. Local whispers say that a few decades ago its miners stumbled upon something evil that lurked beneath the earth which killed the marquis’s son and twenty miners. Old people tell of a curse that lay on the mine which if reopened would cast doom upon the town. A few even tell of tiny demons, not taller than a housecat, that live in the mine and torment the smiths of the city. True or not these stories have all one thing in common: they have kept people from using the mine and extracting its precious silver ore. This that has plagued the marquises for three generations already and so the last heir of the family, Touvel of Orleans, is looking for brave adventurers, knights, sorcerers and all able bodied folk that wish to brave the mines and secure them from whatever evil may lurk inside them.

Cover of The Goblin Bathwater Incident
The Goblin Bathwater Incident
5th Edition
Level 1
54 pages
0

Synopsis: Goblin Bathwater, a magical drug, has taken hold in a sleepy coastal town at the edge of the Empire. As the characters investigate the origin of the drug, they uncover an international criminal conspiracy, wild and ancient magic, and a threat to reality itself. Contents: This beautifully made, 54-page adventure offers: A fully fleshed out, setting-agnostic starter area, brimming with colourful NPCs and hooks for adventure. Balanced encounters to bring characters to level 2; then some more devious encounters on their way to level 3. Three mini-dungeons built on the design philosophy of the "5 room dungeon method" Multiple big, cinematic set-piece boss encounters what will make your players feel epic. A facetted intrigue, which does not immediately suggest a simple, ready-made solution but invites the players to come up with their own, personal approach. Why pick this adventure? Hey, my name is Marius. This is my first time publishing on the DMs Guild but I wouldn't call myself a newcomer. I started playing Pathfinder 1e back in 2014. When I took over as our group's DM in 2019, we swapped over to 5e. We have run many, many modules and adventures since. Currently I play three games a week. In short: You could say I'm hooked. I created The Goblin Bathwater Incident as the ideal adventure for in-between your big modules, but it isn't a simple little adventure. With a playtime of about 30 hours, it still manages to hit that sweet-spot, where it establishes context, makes you grow fond of NPCs, and makes those big bossfight wins so much sweeter, all without taking more than a few sessions. The Goblin Bathwater Incident is different from many of the 1st tier adventures in that it pits the characters against traps and monsters, but also asks difficult, open-ended ethical questions, where a simple strategy of "apply sword to head of bad guy" will not cut it.

Cover of Hall of the Cursed God
Hall of the Cursed God
5th Edition
Levels 5–10
16 pages
0

After undead start appearing near the local town of Angstadt, the Burgomaster and Father become worried. What could be causing these foul creatures to rise? After conducting research, the clergy discover that the throne room of a celestial avatar is located only a few days away from the town. Perhaps this holy site could hold a relic capable of turning the undead?

Cover of A2 Slag Heap
A2 Slag Heap
OSR
Levels 3–5
24 pages
0

The hunt is on! Agents have hired out the infamous Redcaps to raid along the Hruesen River and Baron Botkin wants them brought to justice. A mad run by the goblins left a trail of ruin along the river road but the time to act is now, before the trail goes cold. the evil doers broke off the raid and now lie in hiding somewhere in the Barren Wood. There in the deeps of the forest stands the legendary Slag Heap - an ancient complex of unknown origin and terrifying reputation for years ago the Heap served the Horned God's minions as a bastion against the fey of the Barren Wood. But now all the forest is hostile to outsiders, whether good or ill. The men of the Barren Wood are fierce, independent, and distrustful of outsiders. Facing them is a daunting task in the best of times and now they seem to be protecting one of their own. Discovering the real powers in this region only brings the characters closer to doom as they travel to piles and heaps of slag and detritus that was once a glorious abode and temple to the dark powers before the age of man. Also available for 5E

Cover of Kidnap the Archpriest
Kidnap the Archpriest
OSR
Levels 1–2
54 pages
0

The Archpriest, leader of the Church, has defied a summons to the Immortal Capital. You have been chosen to retrieve the recalcitrant pontiff. Kidnap the Archpriest is designed to be an implicit tutorial for diplomacy, stealth, theft, bluffing, and cunning. It is a system-less, setting-less heist module featuring: a city (with a map) a fortress (with interior and exterior maps) two hectic days and nights a guide to designing your own heists. glorious black and white art by Luka Rejec scheming cardinals, frantic servants, and secret plots By the author of the CoinsandScrolls blog and Tomb of the Serpent Kings.