"Blood Money" is a caper adventure in which the adventurers work outside the law to pull off a major robbery. Good planning is essential, and the characters need to stay cool under pressure.
About: This encounter was cooked up in the Write your First Encounter workshop by the Storytelling Collective. It CAN be slid in as a side quest in any urban or sub-urban context, or be adapted to add confusion to any rescue mission you are presently running. Synopsis: Through the doorway a young woman shackled to the wall matching the description of Helena can be seen. Though disheveled and looking to be in great discomfort, her beauty is remarkable. But on closer inspection, there are other people here — three identical Helenas! Noble woman Elize Cleron has hired the party to infiltrate the catacombs under the Schaefer Estate and free her twin sister Helena. Helena is being held captive by the Schaefer family, trade rivals rumored to have ties to the underworld. Elize has been unable to free her sister herself because of her identical appearance. Rather than pay an unrealistic ransom, Elize has provided the party with what they need to break her out. This encounter is intended for 3rd level characters.
Why should anyone travel the cracked cobblestones of the Old Road? The fortress that once cast its shadow across the road does so no longer - some whisper that the earth swallowed the fortress whole in an age long past. Four brave adventurers resolved to discover the truth and set off down the Old Road, but they never returned. This adventure is a first level adventure for beginning players set in the dungeon of the fallen fortress.
Haedirn Lastlight is a respected elven wizard and sage. After the death of his lover Lyonthel, the elf has been overcome with grief and has locked himself away in his study- a small manor on the cliffs of Wailing Crag. Haedirn has not been seen for over a year now, and those that knew him are beginning to worry. Worse still, a band of ogres has been terrorizing the nearby town, slaughtering the town folk and haughtily boasting the elf wizard is dead. The PCs must put a stop to the ogres' attacks, make way to Wailing Crag to root out the rest of their gang, and lay Haedirn Lastlight's tortured remains to rest.
A man built a temple to a woman who died. It became a shrine for those who lost a spouse too soon. Later. Much later. A young couple came. Their tribes warred so they could only marry in death. It was poison. Which angered HER. They walk the temple ever since, cursed by a shrine spirit. She has a hatred of suicide only dead widows can know.
In a remote mountain region, a ranch suffers from grave misfortune that has wiped out both the livestock and the family who once lived there. Rumor has it that a nine-tailed fox is behind the tragedy and continues to plague the area. A well-meaning monk seeks the aid of an adventuring party to put an end to the curse.
An exclusive party at an illustrious antiquities museum. A missing benefactor and host who turns up dead. A missing mummy, the crown jewel of a new exhibit, and a hardboiled detective trying to make sense of it all. And a party of adventurers caught right in the middle! Welcome to the Lucaryen Museum of Antiquities, enjoy your visit. We recommend for your safety not to wander the halls at night; some of our exhibits have a habit of coming alive and attacking the unwary. Not to mention other guests who may have something damming to hide, and a loose set of morals. Don’t worry - I’m sure you’ll be fine! In this pulp thriller mystery one-shot, your players will be thrust into the role of Occult Detectives, investigating the murder of the museum’s namesake and searching the premises by night to uncover clues and the whereabouts of a missing mummy. Inspired by films such as Night at the Museum, The Mummy, and classic ‘Whodunnit’ murder mystery tales, your players are sure to have a killer time! Featuring: 15 pages of content, comprising 4-8 hours of play A full-scale, two story museum for your players to explore Shady NPC suspects and unlikely allies, complete with unique stat blocks Myriad potential encounters and one epic final Boss Fight, with 46 unique creatures from the Monster Manual, Volo’s Guide to Monsters, and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes Helpful tips for newer DMs
Trouble stirs in the Borderlands. Khazra, Red Prophet of the Bull God, has united the fractious People of the Bull and proclaimed the promised time is nigh. The Bull God demands blood! Fanatics raid the outlying villages, farmsteads and towns for sacrifices. None are safe! Unbeknownst to Khazra, a power older than man stirs under the earth, fed by the blood of sacrifice. Can a band of unlikely heroes prevail where all before them have failed? Are they brave enough to face not just the minions of the Red Prophet, but the eldritch terror of the Obelisk that Thirsts? The land will suffer terrors lost to time--unless heroes step up and answer the call! A module for 3-6 characters of levels 3-5. This adventure includes a situation for a 4th level paladin to find their mount. The adventure includes new spells, monsters, and magic items. Published by The Merciless Merchants
In The Black Midwinter is a Festive adventure, designed to be played in one session. The PCs battle an ancient evil threatening a remote village in the subarctic north. Very much the same as most D&D adventures, only this time, it’s Christmas themed! The adventure includes a new Legendary Item, The Deck of Merry Things (with full printable art to create a prop deck), five new monsters including Krampus (obviously) and The Yule Lads (not so obviously, unless you're really into Finnish Christmas Folklore), ten additional magic items and four new alignments (really!). This adventure is ideal for a one off, not entirely serious game separate from your regular campaign. Mulled wine, stupid hats and holiday cheer not included, but very highly recommended.
"All-Seeing Eye" is a oculo swarm and night scorpion lair for five 5th-level characters.
In ages past, the sorcerer Xa’arek grew to be a cruel and powerful tyrant, causing untold misery in his quest for immortality. After decades of oppression, his people revolted against him, driving the tyrannical sorcerer into the cursed lands of Marsh-Blight. Although a few of his most fanatical followers accompanied him in his exile, he was largely forgotten by history...until now. The Tomb of Xa’arek is a very dangerous dungeon crawling adventure for 5th Edition Fantasy, in which the Player Characters (PC’s) must venture into the tomb of an infamous sorcerer, recover his secrets, and get out alive! This adventure is designed for characters of 3rd level and is optimised for 4 characters of 3rd level. The adventure is setting agnostic and can easily fit into any published or homebrew world. Low level dungeon crawl with horror themes of decay and infestation. Setting agnostic Suitable for any genre of fantasy Includes prompts for roleplay
You are hired by a merchant to protect a rare item, a crystal crown, for one night against the attempts of the city's thieves guild. The arrogant guildmaster has informed the merchant that he will steal the crown and he cannot be stopped. Continues in Part 2 in Polyhedron #23 Pgs. 13-20
A 1st-level dungeon crawl for Shadowdark RPG where the characters delve into a ruined citadel hunting for legendary treasures while avoiding the wrath of the infamous scarlet minotaur! Inside the citadel are secrets about the downfall of the warrior-cultists who once ruled it, three legendary weapons they wielded, and several factions of intelligent creatures to turn into allies or enemies. This adventure is part of the free, digital Shadowdark RPG Quickstart Set, which comes with two 68-page booklets (Player and Game Master guides), 8 pre-made characters with gorgeous art, and a form-fillable character sheet. Shadowdark RPG is what classic, old-school fantasy gaming would look like after being redesigned with 50 years of innovation. It's the world's greatest roleplaying game in a whole new light! Download the free Quickstart set here: https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/pages/shadowdark
Adventures in Hawk's Rest is a love letter to low-level D&D: Studio Ghibli meets the Shire meets Lost Mine of Phandelver. An open-world hexcrawl for characters of 1st to 2nd level, Hawk's Rest is intended as a prologue to a longer campaign, with seven keyed adventure sites and fantastic maps by Dungeon Baker (How to Defend Your Lair, The Lazy DM's Companion). Hawk's Rest is written for new and veteran players alike but avoids the usual pitfalls associated with 1st-level adventures: not only are encounters balanced to avoid character death, but most combats can be avoided entirely with clever roleplaying.
Murder! Ripples of shock pour through the wee hours of the sleepy fishing shanty of Port Scuttle. An innocent young fishmonger, beloved by the locals, has been brutally murdered in her own shop. Stunned by the grisly act, the typically hardened townsfolk turn to powerful heroes to investigate the gruesome deed. Could the fishmonger’s recent discovery of a massive black pearl be a possible motive? The heroes’ goal is to not only bring the perpetrator to justice, but determine the twisted purpose behind the ghastly act. Concerned townsfolk decry that the evildoer must hang for his or her despicable crime. Yet when the heroes finally track down the murderer, he is already dead by the noose, and the investigation has truly only begun. Clues hint at even darker designs, as an ancient evil stirs to reclaim a once lost malevolent relic. Tackle the challenge of solving the despicable murder of an innocent, and thwarting the diabolical schemes of a powerful brine vampire. Th e adventure is set in and around a small fishing port located on the windswept craggy cliffs of an ocean. The author draws on two inspirations for this adventure: The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, and an unnamed adventure plot by the author’s astonishing wife, Lisa.
As the fledgling adventurers continue their movement throughout the area they begin to head towards the bustling Port City of Kak. To get to there from the Dy’oe Grasslands the party will need to navigate a river running along an overgrown section of the frontier. After obtaining the services of a strange riverboat captain the party heads down the river and into adventure! Between the wildlife, a mysterious old temple, and river pirates the party discovers getting to Kak is easier said than done!
Giants and ghost trees and foul undead beasties... What happens when elves, giants, and a mysterious witch all decide only you can settle their troubles. Strange new tree species! A hobgoblin fort! Unexplained noises during the day and different noises at night! Investigate and explore the Bretonwood to get to the bottom of its problems. The adventure provides an overland open-world style map of the Bretonwood which the players are encouraged to explore. Many set and random encounters are provided. There are opportunities for combat in this area, but players should be ready to handle some problems out of combat to get the most satisfying experience. Pgs. 22-43
A Beholder Love Story A dwarven mineshaft has become the new home of the heartbroken beholder Sindryl. Discover who could be wicked enough to separate Sindryl from his love Prix'am, put a stop to their plot, and restore Prix'am's missing heart. A 3-6 hour Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition adventure for Tier 2 characters. This adventure includes: 2 New Monsters (including 1 New Beholder!), 3 New Magic Items, New NPCs, a Minecart Skill Challenge, Romantic Random Encounters for the Underdark!
The baron’s wife is dead. But she isn’t gone. Can the players lay her to rest and defeat the festering evil hidden away inside the Gilded Tower? Another thrilling tale of madness and mystery inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s writing! Following the events of Masque of the Worms, the story continues into the hauntingly beautiful forests of the Painted Valley… Valley of the Gilded Tower is a one-shot for four to six 2nd-level characters. It takes about 2-3 hours to complete and includes: Events inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's most ethereal writing: -A new monster that can take over the minds of its victims -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -Gorgeous, hand-drawn maps by Jake from Beware the Wizard
There is something wrong with music. Something fundamental. The notes themselves are drifting apart. What was once beautiful is slowly turning into noise. Perfect pitch is a one shot adventure powered by Draw Steel. Your heroes will venture into the tuning fork keeping all of music in harmony. Inside they will fight infectious worms gnawing away at the heart of music. Do your heroes have what it takes to save harmony across the realm? This adventure includes: - An easy to run two-page one shot - Every stat block you need included