The only requirement for this dungeon is a heavily forested area, meaning it can be dropped into just about any world. It ties in heavily with Fey creatures so I suggest a hook regarded some ancient relic hidden away by the Fey that must now be retrieved. Perhaps the former ruler had an agreement with the ones who hid this relic away, but a new ruler has taken the seat of the Emerald Queen and all agreements have been terminated.
Remember the golden days of role-playing, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Well, those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics feature bloody combat, intriguing dungeons, and no NPCs who aren’t meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know, the traps you fear, and the secret doors you know must be there somewhere. In Idylls of the Rat King, goblin bandits are once again attacking the silver caravans, killing innocent miners and stealing cargo. The goblins have taken up residence in an abandoned mine northwest of Silverton. Someone must get rid of them. But this is no ordinary abandoned mine. It was deliberately barricaded generations ago when the Gannu family, founders of Silverton, discovered an unspeakable evil on its lowest levels. And these are no ordinary goblins, for the curse of the Gannu family courses through their veins…
In this adventure, the coastal village of Fair Haven needs the characters’ help. For decades, Fair Haven has relied upon its lighthouse to guide merchant vessels into port. But on a recent stormy night, the lighthouse suddenly failed. The trading ship Nymph’s Kiss was dashed on the rocks, and smugglers have already raided the wreck. Somebody has to restore the lighthouse, but the locals are afraid to go near because it shows all the signs of being haunted. Yet there might be more to the story, since there’s something living in the sea caves below…
“Do not try to escape. You are in my control. Look at me. I am the sum of all evils. Look carefully. My power infests all times, all galaxies, all dimensions...many seek me out...But see how I destroy their lives..." (from the film, Heavy Metal, 1981) For half a century, life in the mining outpost of Piktown has been peaceful and prosperous until a strange green glow in the nearby mountain range rekindled a frightening legend from the past. Does this recent luminous phenomenon signal the return of the dreaded Cult of the Green Orb? The Overlord has hired you and your fellow adventurers to stop the troubling green glow! This module is a classic-style dungeon crawl meant for a single night’s play, with plenty going on behind the scenes to keep players (and referees) interested. For use with Swords & Wizardry** or the Original Edition of the First Fantasy Roleplaying Game
Hubrimort is a small, respectable town whose only claim to fame is a local governmental position bestowed by five of the king’s chosen officials, known as the Cavaliers. The position is given to the head of one of four noble families once each decade. While competition for the mysterious position is always fierce, this year there are rumors of underhanded deals with criminals, rigged tournaments, and a nasty case of blackmail. Which of the ancient families deserves ten years of power and privilege? Only the Sixth Cavalier can help the five officials make the right choice!
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!
A member of the Thieves Guild Ebonclad has betrayed the guild and left a trail of bodies in his wake. The incident leaves the guild in a vulnerable position, and now a cleaning crew is necessary to find the rogue agent and cover the guild’s tracks. The party has to track down and eliminate Rikus Nickol, a guild defector. Rikus violated the honor among thieves when he murdered his teammates and made off with an enigmatic coral tablet that they were sent to steal from a building on the Ohlrise campus. The party is encouraged to retrieve this tablet as well, though eliminating Rikus is the most important goal. The party plays the role of investigators. The mission primarily deals with investigating a botched job on the Ohlrise (College/Wizard) campus, though it culminates in searching for a thief who defected from the guild. The characters are confronted by the rogue agent, forcing them to react to the situation as it unfolds.
The ancient forest known as the Wildering Woods has a reputation for confounding those who dare venture through it. When a series of unusual events befall a nearby lumber camp, the player characters are asked to seek out a mysterious wizard rumored to reside within. As the adventure unfolds, it soon becomes apparent that big trouble awaits them inside the forest. What's included: 1 fanciful adventure divided into single-page sections for easy running 2 fully-colored maps with unlabeled versions for players (made with assets from 2-minute Tabletop) 3 custom creature statblocks with clickable links for quick access Content Warning: Violence, death, abduction around the Wildering Woods, a fey-inhabited forest whose residents are being terrorized by a delusional hill giant who believes he is a wizard.
Once a paradise at the heart of dwarfdom, the Valley of the Cracked Helm has lain forgotten for ages, lost to the vagaries of natural disasters, goblin invasions, and generational benders. Over the years since, its name has invoked only shame—furtive, deep-seated dwarven shame—for the valley is where the wild dwarves dwell. . . Valley of the Cracked Helm is an off-beat scenario for old-school style games involving a hidden valley filled with tribal dwarven nudists and exploitative prospectors. It is formatted as a double-sided tri-fold brochure that contains everything needed to run the module. It includes: A ready-to-run module suitable for ongoing campaigns and one-shots. A detailed pointcrawl of the Valley of the Cracked Helm. Dwarves Gone Wild! (This pointcrawl scenario can be dropped into any classic fantasy campaign allowing gratuitous dwarven nudity. More setting than adventure, it encourages/requires referees to improvise or develop content further to fit their own needs. Low-level PCs may need to be lucky or clever to survive.)
The Bark Witch of Carcass Country is a procedural pointcrawl for FRONTIER SCUM. It consists of tables encompassing: Adventure hooks to lure scum to the swamp Antagonist motivation to add depth and guide the story Locations that provide (un)safe spaces for PCs Exploration via an overloaded, exploding encounter table that escalates the plot Mundane and strange creatures with full stat blocks Signs of the Bark Witch to sow dread and chaos The module can be run purely randomly, as a pick-and-choose toolkit, or anywhere in between. Depending on the rolls and approach, it works as a one-shot or a multi-session adventure. The Bark Witch of Carcass Country is an independent production by Walton Wood and is not affiliated with Den of Druids. It is published under the FRONTIER SCUM Third-Party License. FRONTIER SCUM is copyright Den of Druids
This adventure previews the shoggoth, a monster from the Tome of Beasts (Kobold Press). Adventure cannot be readily solved by direct assault, so groups optimized for combat alone may find it difficult or impossible to succeed or, indeed, survive. If a direct assault and toe-to-toe combat is the goal, characters of level 17 or better are called for. It's also excellent for ending a campaign.
It is said that when the largest and most ancient of purple worms know that the time of their death is near, they make their way through rock, earth, and water to the legendary Purple Worm Graveyard. Canny adventurers can return from this quest with a fortune in purple ivory. Foolish ones will die. The Purple Worm Graveyard is a short dungeon crawl adventure that’s best for levels 1-4. The adventure has 15 entries and is designed to provide a variety of challenges for a new adventuring party or one-shot game. The adventure is designed to provide interesting monsters, traps, tricks, and treasures.
You and your associates have been contacted by Janko Milosh, fourth Earl of Tambish. Apparently, he has come into possession of a cursed item and he requires it be delivered to someone he trusts to examine it. With no mounts and none for sale, you better hope your boots are in good shape!
There is a curse laid on everything in that place! Cursed, you hear me? Cursed! Up on the mountain is a house by a cemetery, haunted by the memories of atrocities past. The cult on the mountain is long gone, yet the music of weirdling death carries on the wind. The mountain is cold. So very cold. And the greedy and the foolish will march bravely up the mountain for gold and glory. …but are they worth your soul? You Are Doomed Death Frost Doom is the adventure that launched Lamentations of the Flame Princess in 2009, and this anniversary edition has been fully revised by Zak S (Red & Pleasant Land, Vornheim: The Complete City Kit) with all new interior artwork by Jez Gordon. An adventure suitable for low-level characters for use with Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Role-Playing and other traditional role-playing games.
Legends tell of a wizard so arrogant that he felt the entire sky was naught but a lens for him to view the stars. So great was the hubris and defiance of this man that the gods smote him with the power of storm and fire. Oh did the wizard laugh at such a pathetic gesture. He did not fear the gods, for he drew his knowledge from something greater. Something darker. The legend of this wizard grew, first whispered by men in fear, and later in awe. The wizard, they said, attacked the gods just as they had attacked him. And his joy only grew as the land around him died. But then there was no more news. No more talk. Something had finally brought the wizard low, for though the sky still blazed down on him and his abode, he no longer blazed back. And now you’re going to walk right through this wizard’s front door.
The Jail of Gundavold is a scenario designed for a solo player but adjustable enough for a party size if needed. After a foray into the wilderness Ruins of Borgdell, you found yourself ambushed with a bag tossed over your head. After a grueling trek across uncertain terrain you find yourself in jail. Are you smart enough to get yourself out of this mess?
A medium sized city is situated between Challenge of the Minotaur and Hall of the Dwarf Lords and is centered on the edge of frontier near the Border Hills. The town is walled and populated my mostly Mountain Dwarves although most races are present and welcome. This area provides an excellent respite for those fresh off the trail of adventure!
“Come! Sit! Be my guests. You will find that dinner is up to the highest standards, and I’ve even provided a show.” When the adventurers entered the manor of the old mayor they did not expect to fall into another plane of existence. It seems Archmage Lonore was ready for their arrival, and had arranged the finest entertainment... for herself. Can the adventurers survive Lonore’s death trap and capture the mad mage once and for all? This one-shot adventure is designed for characters of 6th level, and contains plenty of traps, encounters and misdirection. Adventure Synopsis Chasing the bounty on a murderous archmage, the characters find themselves plunged into an arcane deathtrap. Their quarry was prepared for their arrival, and had devised entertaining challenges (for herself) in this magnificent mansion demiplane. The characters will fight through various arcane hazards on their path to the inner sanctum of Archmage Lonore. As they get deeper and near the sanctum, the characters will meet the mage and her mother, possibly learn a bit about the relationship between them. This encounter leads to the final showdown in the archmage’s sanctum, where the orb of reality is located. The adventure includes a map for every encounter! (Print & VTT versions) Published by Beyond the Screen
Far from shore, in the cold depths of the ocean, lies a legendary whirlpool, five fathoms wide, hungry for sailors, their ships, and their goods. By its side sits a man-eating monster, many-headed and hungry for any who escape the maelstrom. But beneath these perils are the ruins of a palace, rumored to be filled with treasure beyond imagining and, maybe, a history of secrets lost to time beneath the waves. In the midst of a storm, the party’s ship is caught in a strong current. The whirlpool traps them inside of the ruins of an underwater palace, which was once home to a group of nymphs and now is the last vestige of the story of how the nymph Scylla was transformed into the infamous peril she is today. Pgs. 165-171
Anea, the Amazon queen, and her warriors have helped neighboring king Eriklius defeat the usurper Todeuclis. When king Eriklius ascends the throne he covets the hand of Anea, but she refuses. In a fit of rage he sends his warrior Euclatis to destroy her palace and the surrounding town of Gythaclea. Anea—gravely wounded—pleads with Nyx, Greek goddess of the night. She asks for the power to take revenge. Her plea is granted, at the cost of being turned into a medusa. As rumors spread that Anea is still alive, the heroes are sent by King Eriklius to retrieve her. It seems an easy mission, but they soon discover all is not as it seems... Pgs. 157-163