A community for lazy dungeon masters
40 adventures found
Cover of Barrow of the Raging Storm
Barrow of the Raging Storm
OSR
Levels 1–3
3 pages
0

Your party approaches a barrow at the base of the mountain. A raging storm brews overhead, and as you approach, a bolt of lightning strikes down on the peak of the mound, lighting up the world all around you. A thunderclap momentarily deafens you, and as your eyes adjust to the resuming grey of the dark day, you see a flicker of firelight emerging from the two gaping holes built into the side of the hill. You’ve found the pirates camping within the Barrow of the Raging Storm. As I delivered it to my players, the premise of this Midnight Sun adventure is that some pirates have been attacking ships returning from raids. They have been stealing the loot and the corpses of any slain Nords. Among their victims, a ship from Valthis returns to tell them that the pirates sailed upriver (to hex 506), where I placed the Barrow in my Shadowdark RPG campaign. The adventurers started from there and explored the dungeon thoroughly. The adventure was created using the tools described in the Shadowdark RPG core rules. I created it in about 6 hours between 2024-03-08 and 2024-03-09 and ran it for my group on the 9th. It took about 2.25 hours to play to completion. The party consisted of two level 1 characters and one level 2 character. I had so much fun making and running this that I will continue creating more Midnight Sun Adventures, so stay tuned!

Cover of Flotsam
Flotsam
AD&D
Levels 6–8
2 pages
0

Sometimes things are not what they seem. While the PCs are sailing through pirate-infested waters, a crewman spots the floating wreckage of a sailing ship. Two survivors are standing on the deck waving frantically. The survivors — an eccentric old man, and a noble woman, claim to be merchants from Waterdeep, but are in fact pirates. During an attack on a merchant vessel, the old man, a mage, had missed with a fireball and hit their own ship causing serious damage and killing several crew mates. As punishment, the pirate leader left them marooned on the wreckage, taking the ship they had attacked. This is a short module focused on roleplay. Combat is unlikely as the pirates have no reason to attack or threaten their rescuers. The female survivor seeks a hidden treasure, which could provide a hook for ongoing adventure. While the module isn't explicitly written for solo play, it could be easily adapted for any group size provided the power balance between rescuer and pirate is maintained. Pgs. 24-25

Cover of Twisted Night
Twisted Night
3.5 Edition
Level 10
12 pages
0

The coastal village of Caer Garrion has mysteriously depopulated, and the only survivior, a lone prisoner in the local jail, has gone mad. What does this village's sinister fate portend for the Moonshae Isles?

Cover of Deadman's Quest
Deadman's Quest
3.5 Edition
Level 1
20 pages
0

Living pirates are a common enough hazard around the islands known as the Serpent's Teeth. A dead one is even more trouble- especially when his treasure has been stolen. Characters who successfully complete this adventure should be of sufficient level to tackle the award-winning Freeport trilogy, Death in Freeport, Terror in Freeport, and Madness in Freeport. Pgs. 84-103

Cover of AT1 The Subtle Revenant
AT1 The Subtle Revenant
AD&D
Levels 5–7
16 pages
0

Join the adventure in the free city of Taux! Written as a narrative piece to help incorporate game play into the shared world anthology series Tales of the Emerald Serpent, this adventure for semi-experienced characters will put you on the run from the most powerful and notorious family in Taux. Can the characters write their own story and join the legends of Black Gate with the help of iconic personas made famous in Tales of the Emerald Serpent and A Knight in the Silk Purse. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules. Also available in PDF.

Cover of D2 By Shadow of Night
D2 By Shadow of Night
OSR
Levels 4–6
44 pages
0

The City of Bergholt lies upon the southern shores of the Interzae. Her crumbling walls and ancient cobbled streets are little more than a backwater, controlled by powerful merchants and thieves. In these darkened streets and twisted alleys people claw their way to the top through violence and guile. In Bergholt, the fear lingers in every shadow. In By Shadow of Night you’ll find a complete detailed description of Bergholt, a rich cast of NPCs who all have their own plots and plans, over 20 encounter areas, including a small dungeon and a large fold-out map of the city. All this setting material comes to life in the dark and deadly adventure, also included within, that is By Shadow of Night. By Shadow of Night picks up after the Death in the Treklant series, available from Troll Lord Games, though it can be a stand-alone adventure if desired.

Cover of The Ghostship Gambit
The Ghostship Gambit
BECMI
Levels 3–6
6 pages
0

'Help wanted: Fearless crew to stop undead pirates. Pay bills before applying." The first thing you'll hear is dead silence. The party must hunt down a ghostship disrupting commerce in the trade port of Koll. At least, everyone thinks it's a ghostship, the party may discover otherwise.

Cover of Tides of Dread
Tides of Dread
3.5 Edition
Levels 9–11
32 pages
0

The colony of Farshore has survived on its own for years, a secluded and struggling hamlet perched on the western shore of the tiny island of Temute. An island dwarfed by the savage landscape across the narrow channel to the north, a landscape of rugged mountains, tangled jungles, and trackless swamps. This is the Isle of Dread, and its resources and hidden treasures are matched only by its peril. Yet for all these dangers, what may bring doom to Farshore is not an invasion of inhuman monsters from the mainland, but an invasion of all-too-human monsters from across the sea. "Tides of Dread" is the fifth chapter of the Savage Tides Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon magazine. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon magazine's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #352 of Dragon magazine features rumors of Farshore, a helpful list of improvements the PCs can make to the colony, and other features to help get PCs oriented in their new home on the Isle of Dread. The destruction of a pirate ship signals the beginning of a Crimson Fleet invasion. The PCs must race against time to prepare for the onslaught before an old enemy can release another savage tide. Pgs. 28-59 Also see Pgs. 60-71 Backdrop: Farshore City of Hope.

Cover of The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
5th Edition
Level 1
24 pages
0

Chapter 2: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh In this version of the adventure, the characters find navigational charts and logs aboard the Sea Ghost that implicate its crew as slavers. Ned Shakeshaft is a Scarlet Brotherhood agent. He makes an attempt to foil the characters, but his true intent is to surrender and implicate Gellan Primewater as a key villain. The distraction afforded by the lizardfolk and the looming sahuagin threat gives the Scarlet Brotherhood the opportunity to bring more agents into town. posing as mercenaries brought in by Anders to protect the town. If Gellan can be removed from the council, Solmor might ask one of the characters to take his place.

Cover of HWA3 Nightstorm
HWA3 Nightstorm
BECMI
Levels 8–10
64 pages
0

To Find the Immortals! The all-powerful Immortals have vanished! The quest to locate them has led across the Atlass Ocean and the land of Shahjapur, where moguls hunt tigers, un-touchables respectfully avoid higher castes, and holy fakirs perch immobile for years on end. In this land of shrines and elephants and shapeshifting assassins, resolution may lie at the end of the mysterious "Emerald River." But no one knows the location of this river and no map shows its bed. Does the answer lie within the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds? Hopefully so, for time grows short. The Immortals themselves must be found and enlisted - to stave off the approaching cataclysm called: NIGHTSTORM! Nightstorm is the third adventure for the D&D Hollow World Campaign Set. The Hollow World boxed set is required to play. This 65-page adventure fits easily into your existing campaign, either as a stand-alone adventure or part of the history-spanning Blood Brethren trilogy. These three lined modules can be played in any order - but the adventure ends here! This adventure is designed for four to six characters of levels 8 to 10. Easily Adaptable to the AD&D Game! TSR 9311

Cover of Quite the Pickle - A Saltmarsh Adventure
Quite the Pickle - A Saltmarsh Adventure
5th Edition
Levels 5–10
54 pages
0

Be Ready with the Snapping Line... Just about every community, big or small, civilized or seedy, has at least one popular tavern. Folks may go there to relax or to look for work, to celebrate or to mope, to learn the latest or to forget. And while some may be willing to travel far from the comfort of their favorite watering hole in search of adventure, in the seaside town of Saltmarsh, they may not have to. At the Snapping Line Inn and Tavern: * Enjoy food, drink, gossip, a darts competition, and maybe a rousing bar fight. * Participate in a gambling night. Watch out for pirates! * Stop a dark ritual to save an innocent—and yourselves. * Come to the rescue when there’s an accident by the pier—and the predators arrive. Four linked encounters around a pier-side tavern for characters of levels 5-10. Playable individually, scattered throughout another campaign, or together as a four-to-six-hour adventure.

Cover of X1 The Isle of Dread
X1 The Isle of Dread
BECMI
Levels 3–7
32 pages
0

One of the original D&D classics, "The Isle of Dread" is a hex crawl wilderness adventure. It focuses on surviving primitive beasts, dinosaurs, and pirates while uncovering the mystery of the island's inland city, where a great treasure awaits. From the cover: "This module contains maps and background material for the Isle, fifteen new monsters, and suggestions for further adventures. In addition, The Isle of Dread contains a map and background information for a large continent, and eleven smaller maps for encounters on the island itself. In this module, players will push their way through dark jungles and treacherous swamps to discover the lost plateau, and the final secrets of - the Isle of Dread!" TSR 9043

Cover of Black Sails Over Freeport
Black Sails Over Freeport
3rd Edition
Level 6
256 pages
0

Freeport's in crisis, as war breaks out on the high seas and orcs riot in the streets. A map promises the biggest haul of booty in history, but nothing is as it seems. Buried with that treasure is a terrifying evil Freeport thought banished forever. Black Sails Over Freeport, the first mega-adventure for the award-winning pirate city, is filled with enough swashbuckling challenges to test the mettle of any band of heroes. Its 256 pages are packed with action, intrigue, and danger, delivered with the style and professionalism you've come to expect from Green Ronin. Black Sails are on the horizon. Do you have what it takes to face them?

Cover of Dead Man's Cove
Dead Man's Cove
3rd Edition
Levels 4–6
9 pages
0

A wealthy sea-trader hires the PCs to solve a pirate problem and recover stolen supplies. Almost 100 pirates have made base in a treacherous cove. When the PCs arrive, most of the pirates are at sea on a mission. A large host of pirates remain in the base and force PCs to be creative with their approach, as a direct attack would be met with an overwhelming swarm of pirates. Unknown to the player's as they scheme is that the ship will soon return with its massive crew. The treasure cave is guarded by the dead sailors foolish enough to try and steal from the captain, who is the only one who can enter the cave safely. Players must be creative to deal with the pirates in the base and the approaching ship while still securing the plundered supplies in the treasure cave.

Cover of Parallel Dungeons
Parallel Dungeons
OSR
Levels 3–4
8 pages
0

Three dungeons in one! The party is given a "dimension shifting device" and sets out to explore a 15-area cave, simultaneously occupied by the DEMON CORSAIRS, the remnants of an ASTEROID MINING OPERATION, and the MONASTERY OF TRANQUILITY & TRANSCENDENCE! The three dungeons are presented in three columns, so when the characters shift from one dimension into another, it's easy to find the corresponding area description. For use with old-school or OSR RPG systems. Recommended for character levels 3-4. Published by Eldritch Fields.

Cover of Crisis in Freeport
Crisis in Freeport
3.5 Edition
Levels 7–9
62 pages
0

This adventure works best after going through the original trilogy (Death, Terror, and Madness in Freeport). After exposing the madness and corruption of the previous Sea Lord, a succession crisis is upon Freeport. There are no heirs to the seat of power, leading the Captains' Council to overturn the Law of Succession. But opening up succession plunges the city into chaos as various factions vy for the title. The PCs will need to survive riots and secret plots to make sure the right man (or woman) ends up with the job.

Cover of The Laughing Horde of Ruin, Part 1
The Laughing Horde of Ruin, Part 1
5th Edition
Levels 1–3
97 pages
0

Chapter 1 - When a relative of someone close to the characters goes missing from a nearby village, the players are asked to investigate. The party has to recover stolen goods from a thief before setting out from the City of Ravens Bluff. They travel through the wilds of Vesperin in search of the missing person, finding trouble and helping locals along the way. Chapter 2 - As the journey continues, the party arrives in a small hamlet suffering from a strange blight. The players will need to investigate the situation and choose sides in a longstanding feud between the mayor and a local magic user. Chapter 3 - After clearing a tribe of violent orcs from a nearby mountain pass to protect the residents of a town, the party will have to enter the lair of a long-dead dragon to rescue their quarry from a band of goblinoid slavers, where they discover an entrance into a dwarven city, lost and forgotten centuries ago. Chapter 4 - The party will have to traverse the ruins of the dwarven city, avoiding hazards and battling the horrors that lurk there, to uncover the identity of the slaver's leader. A discovery that will lead them through a treacherous forest to the city of Tsurlagol in search of a pirate ship called the Star Carver, and its drow captain, The Viper's Kiss. Along the way, they meet an unlikely ally. Chapter 5 - Once they arrive in Tsurlagol, the players will have to choose between gaining the assistance of the city council to fight the pirates head on, or making a deal with the Viper's Kiss, herself. The path they choose will either lead to an epic battle on the Sea of Fallen Stars, or into the deadly sewers and tunnels beneath the city to face an enclave of wererats, undead, and a tribe of mad, kraken-worshipping kuo-toa, in search of a fabled relic. The Laughing Horde of Ruin, Part 1 is the first module of an original 5e adventure campaign. It is designed for character level 1-5, and uses material from the Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, and Volo's Guide.

Cover of Strike on the Rabid Dawn
Strike on the Rabid Dawn
3.5 Edition
Level 15
21 pages
0

A terrible thunderstorm batters a seaside port, yet thunder and lightning are nothing compared to what is about to be unleashed by the diabolic crew of the Rabid Dawn. Casters with access to control water, control weather, or control winds will prove especially valuable, as will characters with strong Swim skills. The adventure is best suited to a predominantly good or neutral aligned party of PC's. Strike on the Rabid Dawn takes place in the port city of Hardby (Dungeon #109). As most of the action takes place within a lighthouse and on a ship at sea, however, any suitable port from your campaign makes an appropriate substitution for Hardby. Pgs. 12-32

Cover of The Locrian Way
The Locrian Way
5th Edition
Level 3
9 pages
0

Driven off course by a devastating storm, you crash land on an island where sailors are lured beyond the foreboding treeline. While searching for your comrades, you find yourselves trapped between two warring cultures. Can you unlock the mysteries of Locria before it kills you? Pgs. 51-59

Cover of AT3 Playing Down the Dawn
AT3 Playing Down the Dawn
AD&D
Levels 5–7
12 pages
0

The tournament of the bloody stones has come to Taux, and the streets are said to run red with the blood of the combatants. Now, amid the crackdowns of the Sturgeons and the secret duels of the three great fencing schools, the heroes must once and for all solve the mystery of the House Vash blood feud. Taking on the guise of foreign swashbucklers, all must brave bloody single combat, pirates, ravenous cursed lowl, and evne magical reverberations from distant Roslof Keep! Complete the Adventures of the Emperald Serpent trilogy with this module. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules. Also available in PDF.