The leader of all the Shadow Guilds, the Ceta Consortium is gone, wiped out in a single night, without warning or witnesses. Their empire of control, secrecy, and soft-handed rule has vanished, leaving behind only rumors and blood. Now, the city of Lumina stands on the edge of something new... and something dangerous. Shadow Guilds is a system-agnostic tabletop campaign setting built for fantasy games that blur the line between ambition and morality. Set in a bustling metropolis of vice, corruption, and uneasy power, it invites players to step into the roles of underworld mafiosos, trying to make their mark—or just survive the fallout. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to run a campaign focused on gang politics, black-market enterprise, and the slow scramble toward power in a world that rewards the bold and punishes the careless. You’ll build a crew, carve out territory, and navigate a world where magic is outlawed, alliances are temporary, and opportunity lurks behind every closed door. This is not a story of chosen heroes or grand prophecies. It’s a story of clever rogues, ruthless enforcers, and ambitious criminals rising into the vacuum left by the old guard. The game leans into roleplay, style, and smart decision-making—but it doesn’t shy away from trouble when it finds you. Start small. Lie often. Watch your back. Shadow Guilds is a system-neutral campaign setting designed to drop into any fantasy world where criminal syndicates thrive in the shadows of power. Whether you're running a long-form campaign, a gritty one-shot, or threading a criminal conspiracy into your existing world, this guide provides the building blocks for a dangerous, decadent underworld full of secrets, turf wars, and moral gray areas. This setting assumes a single sprawling metropolis, where various criminal guilds operate openly or in secret. It leans into noir fantasy, urban intrigue, prohibition, and the uncomfortable alliances forged when justice fails.
The village of Saxham has been struck by a terrible curse! Or perhaps it’s being terrorized by demons, ghosts, and the undead? Or… was there a terrible storm? Maybe? No one seems to know exactly what happened here. But the villagers are terrified, bizarre monsters roam the forest, and strange lights strike the woods every night at midnight… ADVENTURE TYPE: Small Sandbox Mystery DESIGN NOTES: This adventure includes a small village, several wilderness areas, and a simple network of tunnels to explore. Each area contains various encounters and unique magical items. There are many opportunities for combat, but it is possible for players to explore every area and complete every interaction without any combat at all, depending on their choices. INCLUDES: Story hooks, dialogue prompts, original creature stat blocks, original treasure/items, area overview map, and illustrations. Produced by Dungeon Age Adventures
Tucked away in the Springwood Forest is the Elven settlement of Silvantri. The town is filled with those Elves who left their ancestral home in the Treetop Forest. The community is elevated and suspension bridges link the buildings together. This setting will allow those enjoy Elven backgrounds to further their joy.
One of four magical, snow white pearls protecting Tarylon has been stolen! And you, a Companion level elf, are responsible for its safe keeping. Now the very existence of your beautiful village is threatened unless you can find the powerful pearl. Milgor, the evil wizard with an evil sense fo fun, challenges you to find the pearl, and return it to Tarylon. This adventure uses a "Magic Viewer" - a piece of colored film - to reveal the hidden results of the player's choices. This includes encounters, puzzles, and traps. TSR 9128
Your time at the Riverside Cafe is cut short as you witness the wanted criminal Jessy Jane tearing through the area. As the guards fumble the pursuit you recall a hefty reward for this nefarious woman. What the hell, the Etharia Tea was too hot anyway. Rising from your seat, you head off after the woman!
Can you stop the haunting before tea? The ghosts of two warring wizards are trapped in the basement of the house. It is up to the party to end this old feud. Pgs. 68-70
Unlike other Dungeon Crawl Classics, this volume does not present a completed adventure. Instead, it presents a set of DM tools that will make your job easier. This book of dungeon geomorphs gives you everything you need to map out exciting underground adventures. The geomorphs are modular map segments designed to be combined in a variety of ways. There are 124 map segments, encompassing mazes, dungeons, underdeep caverns, monstrous lairs, castles, ruins, halls, and many other intriguing places to explore. Together they combine to make thousands of possible maps!
One page adventure, one page map. On the edge of a lake/ocean’s windswept field/forest, outside of his small stone home, a very old, callous human magic user, Cyfrin the Wrathful, summoned an invisible stalker in a magical binding circle. First he began to taunt the stalker, proclaiming his dominance over it, describing its powerlessness to do anything but carry out the old spell caster’s will. Next, Cyfrin dispelled its invisibility, ordering it to execute his plan. In Cyfrin’s excitement, he gazed upon the stalker’s now visible, horrifically impossible face - and abruptly suffered a stroke, dying on the spot. Still imprisoned, the stalker wants freedom. Will the PCs help it? Adventure hooks provided. Published by Wicked Cool Games
The adventure that is, quite frankly, too strong for the mere hobbyist gamer! A desert caravan ambushed! An incognito Queen elfnapped and taken to some sandy hideaway! A hero of epic proportions! Within these covers is the greatest adventure ever told. Will the dangerous renegade B'thuvian Demon Whore Alayshia have her way with our hero or will he have her to his way? Which way will the having be? Only you, playing the role of Krunk barbarian of the frozen wastes, will ever know...
"It was already a freezing morning when you set out for the legendary Castle of Madness – the mysterious castle that is said to emerge from blizzards once every seven winters. " In this short treasure hunt for one 2nd level player, you'll brave an frigid mountain, an icy cave, and a haunted castle to bring home a pile of loot. Written as a digital gamebook, you will keep track of your character's hit points, spells, and inventory on your character sheet, and keep track of enemies using your own scratch paper. The game will play GM and all enemies.
Displace Beast Maze is an adventure that has one long encounter that is a combination of a puzzle (maze) and combat encounter (Displacer beast). The Displacer beast tentacle's ability to attack through the maze walls, knowledge of the layout, and hit-and-run tactics make the labyrinth both a useful and possibly deadly lair for the creature. Pgs. 27-29
Even close knit adventure parties could use a break from each other once in a while. Hiatus from the Party is a set of several different adventures for solo PCs and a DM. The adventures have been divided up into selections depending on classes and are meant for lower level adventurers. This scenario can also be used to introduce players to a game!
This setting brings the players to a community with a jungle atmosphere. Based offshore the city of Ru-Marta is a trading depot and religious center. Several independent adventures are also available for those PCs needing just a little more experience points to level up!
Over a millennium ago, a clan of dark elves broke away from their evil kin and fled from the city of Menzoberranzan. Though many lives were lost in the initial exodus, the large numbers of the renegade band ensured that they were more successful than any could have hoped. And yet, the drow that finally arrived into the surface world found themselves shunned at every turn by those unable to see past their appearances. Just as their hope was beginning to wane, a song rang out through the night, beckoning the way to the sea and to a silver ship waiting amidst the dark waves. Many years have passed, and little knowledge remains of the strange island that the dark elves came to call their home, but the wicked Lolth forgets nothing. Evil magic converges upon El’tara and begins to steal away the light of hope. Whether through fate, mere coincidence or perhaps divine intervention, a band of adventurers find themselves standing at the shores of this land in the time of its greatest need. This adventure should run for approximately four to five hours and may be played either as a one-shot or as part of an ongoing campaign. It contains guidelines for running the adventure at any level from 1st to 8th and for a variety of group sizes.
Invasion of Veluna - Level 1 Demons have invaded Veluna, laying waste to Verbobonc and small towns! Survive the siege, and track down their origins. This adventure has inspiration from The Village of Hommlet. Infiltration of Dorakka - Level 2 Rumors of Demonic Invasions have the characters traveling across the lands of Iuz, surviving in the war torn wastelands to reach the Rift and back to infiltrate the capital of the fiendish Empire. This adventure has inspiration from The City of Skulls, with a special optional twist. Scant Rebellion - Level 3 Rumors of demonic forces across the Flanaess are forcing the hand of the Scarlet Brotherhood. Aid or covertly work against the Brotherhood to eliminate or save the Free Onwall Army of Rebellion and create a temporary peace. Assassination - Level 4 The Free Onnwall Army of Rebellion has been weakened. The Scarlet Brotherhood mean to end its threat with the permanent removal of a key leader and funder of the army. Beneath the Gnarled Root - Level 3 Mad demonic cultists wandering listlessly across the Gnarley have been ranting and raving of a secret asylum hidden beneath the gnarled root. Find the dungeon, and learn what secrets it may hold. Quarry of Elemental Chaos - Level 4 The demonic forces near the Gnarley have constructed a massive quarry to tap into the elemental chaos, using its power to locate a magical artifact for a greater evil. Dive into this massive dungeon and end the insanity in an adventure inspired by the Temple of Elemental Evil. Irongate Heist - Level 3 Azure Masks have tracked an important magical relic to be in the possession of a traveling author who has just come home to Irongate to celebrate his newest book launch. During the party, enter his home and steal the artifact while forces work against you. The Bright Desert - Level 4 Rary the Traitor has partnered with the demons to gain information on the Lost Pyramid of Kesh. Within is the legendary Scorpion Crown that would hand the fiends an army of tlincalli. You must race across the desert to reach the pyramid before Rary's forces in this adventure based on Rary the Traitor and Desert of Desolation. Bastion on the Borderlands - Level 5 The bravery of the characters has seen them rewarded with a bastion in Keoland abandoned by the Knights of the Watch due to political pressure. The characters may take a moment to breath, place roots down, or bring order to the nearby chaotic caverns in this adventure inspired by Keep on the Borderlands. The Neverending War - Level 6 Transported to and trapped within the neverending war in the lost city of Rauxes, the characters are tasked with ending the curse upon the city to escape this D&D roguelike adventure. Jungles of Hepmonaland - Level 7 The mirror of gates, an artifact to easily bring groups of people across the planes, has been split. The first piece has been discovered to be deep within the Jungles of Hepmonaland in this adventure inspired by Needle. Across the North - Level 8 Rumors of artifacts in a hidden vault in the northern Flanaess have circulated for decades, but with the keys now showing up, and demons circling, this rumor could be a key to stopping this invasion in this adventure inspired by Five Shall Be One. City of the Lizardking - Level 9 The Silent Ones have maintained a close relationship with a band of Lizardfolk in the Hool Marsh. Their recent silence, following a discovery of another piece of the Mirror of Gates could only mean one thing... They need to be saved in an adventure inspired by Tomb of the Lizardking. Lair of the Kraken - Level 10 The Ladies of Crede had discovered yet another shard of the Mirror of Gates, having it transported to Oakenisle when the shipment was attacked by a kraken. Now the characters must go on a very deep sea adventure to take back what is theirs. The Demonic Rainbow Dungeon - Level 11 Unbeknownst to most, beneath the Free City of Greyhawk is a massive dungeon constructed by a variety of creatures to funnel power for Demogorgon to maintain his charade of an alliance with the Queen of Chaos. Put an end to his scheming in this adventure inspired by Castle Greyhawk. Comes Sail Away - Level 12 The characters partner with the Scarlet Brotherhood to traverse the sea of worlds and enter the City of Glass in the Elemental Plane of Water, trying to gain the Ax of Severance before the Queen of Chaos. This adventure was inspired by The Vortex of Madness and Other Planar Perils. Fly Away With Me- Level 12 Dropped into the middle of Aaqa in the attempt to stop the Queen of Chaos' plan, the characters must naviagte politics and the infinite skies to reach the Ax of Severance before the demons. Through the Fire and the Flames - Level 12 Inspired by Secrets of the Lamp, this is a political-intrigue quest, with characters forced to navigate the politics of the City of Brass, getting a new sultan in power to gain the Ax of Severance before the demons under the Queen of Chaos can seize upon the chaos they wrought. Underground - Level 12 The characters must navigate the shifting labyrinths of the Elemental Plane of Earth to pull off a heist and find the Motherlode before the demons! Portal of the Drow- Level 13 The time has come to enter the Abyss. The nearest - permanent - portal is inside the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu and is guarded by the son of Demogorgon. As a result, only one action is reasonable: besiege the great city in this adventure inspired by Vault of the Drow. Invasion of the Abyss - Level 14 Upon finding themselves in the Abyss, the characters arrive in the uppermost layer of the Abyss, trudging through 13 layers to reach the home of the Queen of Chaos in this adventure inspired by the Demonweb Pits.
Utopian Tower is a solo adventure which brings a new PC/player to the small Halfling village of Phebus on their way to a job opportunity. While the PC has time to spare they learn of a haunted tower that has the villagers on edge and is asked to investigate for a reward! While in town the PC meets a bard also headed to a job opportunity leading to a potential fellowship…if they survive! An excellent setting to teach a player new to the game on the basic mechanics. The adventure ties in roleplaying in a town environment, overland and dungeon movement, as well as combat encounters!
Word has reached your ears that a relic weapon is nearby and at the ruins of Linthar Keep. Once a bastion of humanity the remains of this fortress is now home to roving bands humanoids that have been attacking nearby communities. Can your young adventurer brave the dungeon of the old keep and find the riches others have been unable to…..the famed SKULLCLEAVER blade!
With your last adventure complete you head to town to sell off loot, replenish supplies and to find a bard to tell your tale to so that your fame can increase. As the group goes their separate ways you are wandering through the muddy streets when a shriek is heard. You see a man stab a merchant and attempt to escape. With no time to gather your associates you call for your mount (or borrow one) and give pursuit! This scenario is a true solo meaning you don’t need a DM to officiate. It is suggested that a 4th level be used for “meatier” characters or 5th for those of less daunting stats.
Home to a variety of merchants, malcontents, and adventures this city has something for everyone. A group favorite for one-shot adventures my players all enjoy a visit to this city located in the Principality of Lockerbie. This city has a both generalized encounters and open challenges for any numbers of players. The open challenges (City adventure hooks) have been left to assign challenge ratings depending upon the characters encountering the issue. The vast sprawl of the city gives the players a multitude of businesses to shop in but gives the DM the flexibility to make it “fit” their campaign. I hope your characters enjoy Kettlespit as much as mine do!
Welcome to the Port City of Antioch! This sprawling community is the seat of power for the Kingdom of Nirack and has more than a few sights to see! This setting was created for a desert (fore coming) series and was used as a base of operations for the adventurers. Many strange sights await those wishing to visit the area. Note in the player testing version there was a language barrier until a Dwarven slave was located to translate for the party! This is of course optional. Welcome to the exotic world on the southern shores of the Newmack Sea!