The time has come for the heroes to take their places as true pirate lords. But doing so will require more than a ship, a scallywag crew, and a hold full of plunder—they’ll need to win the esteem of the Hurricane King himself. If they succeed, they’ll earn the right to claim even greater glory by participating in the Free Captains’ Regatta, a grueling race along the fringes of the mighty hurricane called the Eye of Abendego. The winners receive a fat prize purse, their own private island, and a seat on the Pirate Council of the Shackles. Will the adventurers triumph against fierce competitors, old rivals, and the treacherous winds and currents of the Eye? Or will their ship be claimed by the storm, a doom that’s befallen so many before them? This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path includes: • “Tempest Rising,” a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 7th-level characters, by Matthew Goodall. • Details on the infamous pirate lords of the Shackles and new rules for storms at sea, by Tork Shaw. • A gazetteer of the infamous pirate city of Port Peril, by Liz Courts. • Ghosts and cylcopes in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Robin D. Laws. • Five new monsters, by Jesse Benner, Ryan Costello, Philip Minchin, and Tork Shaw.
Standing 100 feet off the shores of the vast Sapphire Lake are the ruins of a small fortress standing atop a rocky islet. The fortress belonged to a lich posing as a warlord from the Kingdom of Old Hagada, but fell rapidly into ruin when the Shrouded Hero was able to pierce the lich with the Blade of Five Seals. The lich cursed the assassin and his incompetent guards with his final breath. He cursed them to the same fate, their bodies petrifying and all of their souls being sealed in the Sheath of Five Seals. Afterwards, the warlord’s armies were defeated on the battlefield and the fortress became abandoned. In this short 3rd level dungeon crawl, the party investigate a ruined island fortress to solve a mysterious puzzle box. You can run this as a one-shot or plop this into your campaign world with minimal effort. The adventure is designed for Shadowdark RPG and references the core rulebook. If you're an experienced game master, you could convert the adventure to whatever system you prefer.
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
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…
Adventure awaits both AD&D & 5E D&D players looking to take on the challenges of a Steampunk style setting! Using Gary Gygax's notes from the original AD&D DMG under 'Sixguns & Sorcery' and incorperating them into the setting, this introductory gazetteer and adventure will give players the opportunity to use the Nameless Realms (Roslof Keep & Taux) as the backdrop in a later age, The Gun Kingdoms. Secure a ship, find a crew, and take on the xenophobic and apocalypic setting as you try to deliver a spy back to the government she stole from. Will your players become part of the 'greater good' of the new world government, or will they become its opposition, striving to help the dying race of the Enlightened? Only time will tell. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.
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.
The vile city of Scuttlecove is the home of murderers, thieves, demon whorshipers, peddlers of vice, and monsters. Here, anyone can find a place to hide, provided they can survive the terrors and dangers that infest the city streets. Scuttlecove is also the home of the Crimson Fleet, a notorious band of pirates who have long held the Vohoun Ocean as their private looting grounds. The time has come to take the fight to these legendary pirates, to confront them in their own depraved lair. "Serpents of Scuttlecove" is the eighth chapter in the Savage Tide 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 #344 of Dragon magazine features several additional locations the PCs might wish to visit during their stay in the city of Scuttlecove. The characters once again board the Sea Wyvern, this time to sail for Scuttlecove – a hideous city of pirates, slavers, cannibals, and worse – in search of clues to the final Savage Tide and the rescue of their patron. Pgs. 42-75 Also see Pgs. 76-85 for Backdrop: Scuttlecove City of Chaos.
Dracula, the Lord of Shadow and Darkness, has covered the land in shadow and dispatched armies of monsters and undead from his magical castle. His armies threaten to overrun major cities and plunge the world into a literal Dark Age. The last of the vampire-hunting clan that traditionally opposed him has disappeared, and still the armies advance. He must be stopped. If that's not enough motivation, it is well-known that his castle is full of magical items and great riches... but also great danger. If you've ever wanted D&D and Castlevania to meet, look no further. This adventure is exactly what you wanted. Every area of the castle poses different and unique challenges to keep the party engaged and on their toes. Written for the DM as a ready-to-run adventure, it is designed for four to six characters. The adventure starts at level 3 at the outer defenses of the castle, and ends with the party advancing to level 13 after defeating Dracula in an epic battle. The adventure includes documentation to help even a new DM succed, including suggestions for how to run each of the area "boss" monsters in combat. There are approximately 50 new enemies and over 3 dozen new magical items. It also comes with a list of suggested music for many areas of the castle, and a 25-page campaign log recounting an actual tabletop play-through of this adventure from the DM's perspective.
Every year, on the very same day, the city of Cape Coral has been besieged by a giant Kraken, killing dozens of people and destroying huge chunks of the town. That day this year is approaching quickly -- in fact, the town has only two days left to prepare. Princess Lua, the daughter of the former king of Cape Coral, has reached out to the party to beg their aid in protecting the town. The Kraken is far too formidable a foe to try to attack alone, so instead the party must convince as many factions of townsfolk as they can to aid them in the fight, set traps, and fortify or evacuate the town. After their two days are up, the Kraken attacks, and the party, supported by whoever they managed to convince, must face it in battle. Along the way, though, the players have a chance to figure out why the Kraken attacks in the first place -- and, if they are quick and clever enough, they can stop the attacks for good. A Pointy Hat Kraken Week Adventure
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.
A barque with a bark; or, You can't be Sirius! Another day, another kidnap victim to rescue - but this victim has four feet and likes old soup bones. An adventure with some bite. Sir Veneti of Chardon's prize mastiff was stolen just before the city's mastiff duel. He knows that it was his biggest rival, Sir Machi. Sir Veneti needs the party to seize Sirius, the mastiff, from a ship called Gale's Teeth. What the party doesn't know is that a pirate stranged in town is also planning a heist on this ship the very same night that they plan to steal back the mastiff! This adventure has opportunities for both combat and roleplaying, and allows for multiple ways for the players to finish the adventure. Pgs. 32-38
By any other name A jewel rose has been stole and its up to the PCs to recover it in this arabain themed adventure. Pgs. 28-47 & 65
Mystery in the Moonsea! Disappearing shipments, missing alchemists—and proven musical acts whose rehearsals sound terrible! Instead of showing off Thentia to potential trading partners and giving the locals something to celebrate, the pall over this year’s Magic and Gold Festival threatens to drive business to Melvaunt and give the locals a reason to riot. Combat optional but possible. Role-playing opportunities abound.
Traveling the space lanes is risky and mysterious, and danger comes in many forms. The rescue of a tiny ship from pirate attackers leads to the discovery of a monumental, supernatural evil. Nothing is ever routine in space. Crystal Spheres takes player characters through four unique crystal spheres to battle a powerful force of darkness. Player Characters will find themselves fighting not just for their lives, but the fate of an entire solar system and its millions of inhabitants. TSR 9299
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
Different worlds have different laws. But everywhere you go, you're going to find people who bend and break those laws and turn a healthy profit doing it. Whether sailing the high seas or the Flow, they are called pirates. It's these pirates that you've been hired to hunt. With letters of marque in your mapcase, your job is to track down and capture, alive or dead, some of the most dangerous characters in the known( and unknown) spheres. Of course, not everyone in space is a pirate. You'll also meet Torgan Betz (a man famous for bending the laws, rarely breaking them), Tiktitik, the Thri-kreen crusader, " Thought Taker," the illithid, and the feared Drow commander Teela Darkcloud. Even so they all have their personal agendas, and it's often hard to tell enemies from friends. TSR 9286
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.
The adventurers now have their own island and port, but they’ll need more than one ship to defend it. When a past rival sends a fleet to attack them, they’re forced to pull out all the stops to defend their island home, scouring the harbors and docks of the Shackles in order to recruit more ships and crews to their flag. Yet when they sail to the attacker’s own island to get their revenge, the adventurers discover a traitor—one whose betrayal threatens not only their own fleet, but the very islands of the Shackles themselves. This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path includes: • “The Price of Infamy,” a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 11th-level characters, by Tim Hitchcock. • Fleet battle rules that allow players to stand as admirals and commodores directing their own armadas against enemy fleets in large-scale naval warfare, by James Jacobs. • A glimpse behind the gray veil of Norgorber, Golarion’s most secretive deity, by Sean K Reynolds. • Lock-breakers and sea-devils in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Robin D. Laws. • Four new monsters, by Savannah Broadway, Ryan Costello, Mark Moreland, and Sean K Reynolds.
Having won the Free Captains’ Regatta, the adventurers must now claim their prize—the uninhabited Island of Empty Eyes. Yet exploring strange ruins and fighting the isle’s monstrous denizens won’t be enough. Once they’ve got things well in hand, the adventurers must host a feast for the Shackles' infamous Pirate Council, only to have a dangerous situation turn even worse when a mysterious saboteur threatens to disrupt the party. Can the adventurers tame their island and protect their influential guests? Or will they lose the respect of the pirate lords and fade into obscurity? This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path includes: • “Island of Empty Eyes,” a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 9th level characters, by Neil Spicer. • Pirate legends and mysteries of the Shackles, by Jack Graham. • Details on the cyclopes who once ruled the Shackles, by Gareth Hanrahan. • Island harpies in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Robin D. Laws. • Five new monsters, by Alex Greenshields, Michael Kenway, Mark Moreland, and Tork Shaw.
Nestled on the coast of the Azure Sea is Saltmarsh, a sleepy fishing village that sits on the precipice of destruction. Smugglers guide their ships to hidden coves, willing to slit the throat of anyone foolhardy enough to cross their path. Cruel sahuagin gather beneath the waves, plotting to sweep away coastal cities. Drowned sailors stir to unnatural life, animated by dark magic and sent forth in search of revenge. The cult of a forbidden god extends its reach outward from a decaying port, hungry for fresh victims and willing recruits. While Saltmarsh slumbers, the evils that seek to plunder it grow stronger. Heroes must arise to keep the waves safe! Ghosts of Saltmarsh combines some of the most popular classic adventures from the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons including the classic ‘U’ series and some of the best nautical adventures from Dungeon magazine: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh Danger at Dunwater The Final Enemy Salvage Operation Isle of the Abbey Tammeraut’s Fate The Styes All adventures have been faithfully adapted to the fifth edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons. Furthermore, this book includes details on the port town of Saltmarsh, as well as plenty of hooks to kick-off each adventure. Play through each story in a seafaring campaign leading characters from level 1 through level 12, or pull out sections to place in ongoing campaigns in any setting. The appendices also cover mechanics for ship-to-ship combat, new magic items, monsters, and more! “The Saltmarsh series consistently ranks as one of the most popular classic D&D adventures,” said Mike Mearls, franchise creative director of D&D. “With its ties to ocean-based adventuring, it was an obvious step to augment it with additional sea-based adventures and a robust set of rules for managing a nautical campaign.” Hoist your sails, pull up anchor, and set a course for adventure!