An oblivious villain or a strange Fey for your party to interact with, The Conductor is a snail humiform who can be a hex feature in your West Marches Sandbox Hexcrawls.
A group of orcs has decided to start ambushing travellers on a forest road between two prosperous towns. Led by the enigmatic "Big Man" these orcs focus on robbing people, but tend to avoid violence. When the characters stumble upon this band of orcs robbing a halfling, do they give up their money to save him? Or risk the halfling's life to attack these bandits?
Expand your game with this collection of 56 NPCs of various Challenge Ratings, thirteen of which include maps and details of their lairs. Add these NPCs as a side-quest, a main villain, a one-shot, a bounty for easy money, or however else you wish. Written by some of the best-selling authors on the Dungeon Masters Guild and outstanding podcasters, each NPC includes an image, a backstory, motives, flaws, and a stat block. Some even include new magic items!
Written by the setting’s creator, incomparable RPG author Monte Cook, Ptolus: Queen of Lies is an action-packed fantasy adventure painstakingly re-designed for Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire. Involving numerous challenging scenarios for characters of 11th level, Queen of Lies is filled with dozens of dark elf personalities, cunningly showcasing their alien culture—a world of merciless betrayal and sinister lusts. Deep below the surface, in the sunless lands of the Netherdeep, creatures of darkness build weapons and amass armies, dreaming of invasion. An attack on a peaceful elven shrine in Emerald Hill sends the heroes on a quest to retrieve stolen artifacts and kidnapped friends. All signs point to the actions of the dark elves of Ul-Drakkan, far below the city of Ptolus. However, even within that ancient fortress, there exists a deeper darkness.... Underground enemies lurk beyond every twisting passage, and strange creatures abound. The foul culture of the dark elves is both decadent and cruel, and the heroes may discover that they’ve stumbled into a web of deceit and treachery spun by the self-styled queen of the dark elves. Can the player characters complete their mission without being discovered, or will they find out, perhaps too late, that their actions been orchestrated all along by the wicked Queen of Lies? Published by Fiery Dragon Productions
The party starts this one-shot falling from the sky aboard an airship. It lands atop a dense cluster of trees, unable to fly, but not destroyed. Now it is up to them to traverse the nearby wilds in search for the parts that fell loose so they can get back to the skies and continue their journey. Unfortunately, they will have to face ogres, apes, bears, blights, and more to retrieve these missing mechanisms.
In Claine Forest near Padduck Village there has appeared a pit. No-one knows where it came from, it just did. It is not so deep that you cannot see the bottom, but people fear it and avoid it. No-one who has climbed into it has come back, having been dragged beneath the surface by unseen hands. A necromancer has come to the forest, seeking the pit. She does not quite know what she expects from it, but what she hopes for is protection from death. Player-characters may wish to get involved, and thus this constitutes an adventure for old-school systems, for 5-6 PCs of 2nd level 2 or slightly fewer of 3rd. The PCs won’t necessarily all die, and the players will almost certainly survive. Reviews elsewhere: "It pours out flavour in nearly every word, creating delicious situations for the party to interact with. ... We got a village, two rival groups of adventurers, a weird-ass forest, and somewhere in the forest a pit, your final destination. From this, joy is made. Each one of those elements has their component parts well done and, because of this the whole is a wonder." — Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole
When Treason Walks the Land... Trouble stirs in Dunador! The King lies dead of a wound received during a hunting expedition. His brother, Lord Edrin, challenges the rightful Crown Prince, a half-trained young man named Edmund, for possession of the throne while Edmund travels on a pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Nevron. Forces throughout the kingdom vie for control of the realm. Can the player characters find the Crown Prince and protect him from the treacherous forces at large in Dunador? N3: "Destiny of Kings" (1986), by Stephen Bourne, is the third adventure in the novice series for AD&D. It's up at the upper end of what could be considered "novice" play, though, with the pre-rolled characters being 3rd and 4th level. It was released in February 1986. Like N2: "The Forest Oracle" (1984), this adventure is offered as a generic adventure, not specifically based in any existing AD&D setting. Suggestions are given in the conversion guide to place the adventure in the Forgotten Realms. Out of the Dungeons. One of the most impressive elements of N3 is its complete lack of dungeons. Instead - as was increasingly the case by the mid 80s - the players are heavily embroiled in a plot. They must find the prince of Dunador and return him home safely. Elements of investigation and intrigue thus find their way into the game. There is also some opportunity for wilderness adventure - a quality that was also becoming more common in AD&D by the mid-80s. Future History. A decade after its original publication, Wizards of the Coast updated "Destiny of Kings" to 2nd edition AD&D and reprinted it (1998). It was one of the few classic adventures to receive this treatment. This conversion guide allows DMs to run the original module with 5th Edition rules and provides a reference sheet for encounters. To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of Destiny of Kings, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in digital format at the DMs Guild.
For decades, the city of Chala, nestled on the banks of the Leal River, boasted a prosperous fishing business. The community's life revolved around the wide, slowly rolling river that meandered miles northward into the Blackweed Swamp Now the city faces misfortune, pestilence, and decay, because the sacred Tefnut statue has been stolen. All clues suggest that the sacred object was carried into the heart of nearby Blackweed Swamp. But who, or what, would commit such a crime? Whoever is responsible, the statue must be recovered, at any cost. TSR 9424
Kind words and a scrap of paper are enough to lead you off on an adventure into the hills. You and your party have opted to follow the clues leading to a fabled Talisman of Otek lost years ago in an old dungeon. Your benefactor has warned you that some cultists are actively seeking the item and hope that the “heroes in the making” will obtain the item before the nasty fanatics get ahold of it and use it for nefarious purposes!
What’s Included Heroes of Karatheon is a self-contained 6-7 hour 5e adventure for three to five 5th-level characters. This premium module includes: A full three-part story that evolves based on the players’ performance and choices Battle maps and custom NPC stat blocks New rules for chariot racing, a 4-stage relay race, and a “capture the flag” encounter A random table for 6 fleshed out Greek mythology-style encounters Your Mission A terrifying beast stalks the surrounding area of the port polis of Karatheon, destroying crops and endangering the lives of its citizens. The ruler of Karatheon, Archelaos Cirillo, has organized a tournament to crown a champion, bestowing upon them his blessing to slay the beast. Face off against other adventuring parties in the Colosseum, traverse the dangerous wilderness of the world of Korinthos, and hunt the beast in the mountains it calls home to claim eternal glory.
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
A malicious and virulent force possesses the Vermyr Woods. The local wild-life has fled; known paths have mysteriously vanished or shifted; and locals have been found hanging dead from trees yet their eyes watch... they always watch. The hopes of the people are dwindling quickly. Believing that evil harpies have afflicted the woods, brave Captain Harkin set forth to serve them righteous justice! Even the mighty druid Algalor is nowhere to be found. Time passes and their worries compound. Why have the harpies attacked? What is the fate of Algalor and Captain Harkin? What is this mysterious evil that plagues the Vermyr woods? Who is Cartman's dad? The heroes will stumble into this mystery as they travel to Homid. They will discover the truth of the harpies as well as the fate of the heroes who safeguarded this region by delving deep into a forest labyrinth that feels alive! Will it consume them or will they be strong enough to defeat the evil at its core! Published by: Paper Dragon Tales
The Disappearance of Esme is a short adventure for four or five characters of 2nd to 4th level. It will take a party from an ancient forest to a magical island at the fringe of the Feywild to the Feywild itself. As a standalone one shot, it is possible to complete it within a session of six+ hours. However, it is ideally played over two or even three sessions so that the players have time to absorb all that is happening and make decisions with more care. It can be placed within any setting where travel to the Feywild is a possibility. Features A painstakingly crafted 25 page full-color and fully illustrated PDF, a printer friendly B&W version, and a tested for screen readers accessible version A customisable, standalone adventure with opportunities for exploration, skill challenges, NPC interactions and combat Multiple entry and exit points, suggested developments for many different pathways Well rounded, complex NPCs with old school portraits Tooth Fairies, Flying Monkeys and Foglings: custom monsters with stat blocks A colorful battle map with both DM and player versions and separate monster and environment art assets
Kidnapped! The cursed Baron von Hendriks has kidnapped your betrothed. Now the madman wants as a ransom your Alandah's weight in unrefined gold! How are you going to pay? The baron himself has been kind enough to provide you with that answer: streams of raw gold gush from a burning mountain somewhere in the Sea of Dread. All you have to do is find this mysterious mountain. Unfurl the sails! The open sea awaits you and your crew as you sail from the city harbor. But beware! The Sea of Dread has more than earned its title over the centuries. Can you survive the perils of the sea? Will your crew mutiny before you reach the Burning Mountain? Or will you have to throw crew-members overboard just to make room for the gold? Solo adventure. "Lathan's Gold" is a real innovation in solo adventure design, considerably more complex than any of the gamebooks then being produced. Though the adventures uses the typical trope of numbered paragraphs, its paragraphs are divided into six types: "S"pecularum, "U"rban", Island "E"xploration", "C"oastal", "T"rade Routes, and "V"oyages. Players can jump between the sections, then return, in slightly freeform ways. Players are also required to keep track of hit points, money, and treasure (which were typical for the more advanced gamebooks), and rations, days remaining, and hull points (which were not). Another freeform element, quite unusual for gamebooks, is the "wandering monsters" table, which introduces semi-random encounters. TSR 9082
While you search for treasure, others search for you. A treasure vault without guards or traps - can it be true? Pgs. 16-30
A shadow hangs over the dark and dreary town of Squill. Townsfolk are being murdered in their beds without any explanation and the local graveyard has become a dangerous, haunted place. Consumed by fear, the men and women of Squill have begun casting evil glances at a young orphan boy. The victims, it seems, all had links to the lonely child, and none of them were good. A local priestess, however, wonders if the heart of the darkness consuming the town lies in a necromancer slain nearby only a few months ago...
FVC8 – Youngblood Keep has a seasoned party meeting with Lady Enorra, a noblewoman at the northern frontier. She has requested the party by name to help her recover a valuable artifact called the Eggstone. After accepting the job you find yourself at a locale known as the Chapel of Ancients and that is when things really get strange! Youngblood Keep used to be a fortress in the area but was ripped from this plane of existence to another. Who’s up for a quick trip to Hell and back?
A Level 5 Adventure of Time-Bending Catastrophe Part of the Thirsty Tiger Tales series Beneath the crumbling ruins of a legendary arcane academy lies the Paradox Engine—a dangerous temporal device that shattered the very timeline it was built to study. Now, a deranged scholar known as the Mad Chronomancer seeks to rewrite history itself. In this time-twisting dungeon crawl, players must brave unstable magic, flickering echoes of the past, and a rift into the academy’s golden age—where they’ll confront the Mad Chronomancer before his actions doom the future forever. Two-timeline dungeon: Navigate the same vault in both past and present Puzzle rooms with lasting consequences Unstable combat environments and unique timeline hazards A solo boss fight that bends time against the players Includes the Temporal Warp Cloak, a rare magic item that glitches your image through time This one-shot is perfect for groups looking for a high-concept, low-prep adventure with puzzle-solving, combat variety, and an arcane twist.
"The creatures are just too intelligent, too crafty, and too strategy-minded to "rampage." Rampaging brings the wrath of oath-bound knights, powerful mages, and divinely-protected priests. Why would a dragon want such attention, unless it had some special secret, or unless it was insane? Or both. The northern reaches of the Derideth Swamp were once plagued by a rampaging dragon. This black dragon, named Storamere, took a mad glee in attacking human villages, wiping out orc camps, driving off the lizardfolk, and decimating farmland. He met his untimely end, though, in an ambush devised by the monks of the Order of St. Chausle. Storamere died with a curse upon his draconic tongue: "you could not have defeated me in my lair," he told his slayers. "I am forever invincible in my lair." Now Storamere is back, with a horde of his misshapen half-dragon offspring, to have his vengeance. All that remains of the once-heroic monks are two old men driven mad by their last encounter with the black dragon, so it falls to a band of adventurers to again defeat the mighty dragon -- this time in his palace, where the boastful Storamere claims he is at his strongest." Includes maps and damage rules for navigating Storamere's lair, a semi-solid palace made of a dangerous, corrosive liquid five feet thick and located on the ethereal plane. Most of the monsters in the lair have the Half-Dragon template applied. Published by Atlas Games
"For the past sixty-seven years Wheatwinter Farm, a small farm outside the village of Longbranch, has produced an essential survival tool for the town — a unique strain of wheat that can survive the harsh winters of the region. However, for the past few weeks something has been terrorizing the livestock at Wheatwinter and the surrounding farms. Markus Wheatwinter has defended his farm from goblins time and time again, but this time something is different and he has put out a call for aid." When ankhegs assault Wheatwinter farm, the party is called upon to exterminate them and rescue the farmer in this adventure loosely inspired by Starship Troopers. Published by Green Feather Games