The mountains are the border between our kingdom and the realm of the fire giants. Look far eastward. See how the peaks turn black? Their forges must burn night and day to mark the mountains so. Some mornings, sunrise dims from the smoke and soot. Long have we watched the pass and tallied our fortunes at its stillness. Recently, though, there are signs our luck is turning. Fiery orbs sail through the night skies and land too near these woods. Scouts report deep craters shrouded in smoke and ash. One sits a mere hour’s walk from this outpost. I fear the enemy makes ready some terrible weapon . . .
After enjoying a bit of free time in Cullifield while some members of your party finish their training, you hear word of a quick trip out to sea. Further investigation leads you to understand a certain list needs fulfilled and a drunken sea captain is willing to split the profits. Well, no need to sit around on your hands…let’s hit the waves!
The citizens of Battledale seek aid against marauding bandits, while the neighboring forest looms menacingly over their homesteads. The adventurers stumble upon a much darker foe, while trying to help the peaceful community hunt down the brigands. A misguided druid, who’s on the verge of insanity, wields an artifact, born of sorrow and hate, that could change the world. An evil that might alter the face of Faerun, if left unchecked. Will the heroes be able to vanquish the otherworldly threat once and for all? The players must traverse into one of the most deadly forests of the Forgotten Realms, called the Tangled Trees. Should they survive long enough, they will enlist the help of a magical denizen of the forest, who will aid them to find the bandits, but also in stopping the tainted druid and her abominations.
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...
A vibrant circus has just arrived, setting up on the edge of town. Run by the charismatic half-elf ringmaster, Marlow, the performers bring with them dazzling displays of magic and talent, artifacts with incredible powers to behold, and strange creatures most people would never get the chance to see close up. Behind all of the joy and revelry, the circus holds a dark secret, for Marlow keeps tyrannical control over his performers with both whip and word. As this latest performance reaches its height, two acrobats decide to take their chance at freedom, making use of a distraction to steal something valuable from Marlow and make their escape. Marlow will do anything to get the two back under his power, and so turns his significant charms upon a hapless band of adventurers attending his circus.
With allies gained from denizens of the Underdark, the former drown enclave of Szith Morcane is on the precipice of being retaken. During the battle for Szith Morcane, secrets of the drow community are revealed. What will you do with this knowledge, and how will it affect the outcome of the conflict?
Includes a Multiplayer version and a Dungeon Master + 1 Player version. A village on the outskirts of the Glimmerwood hires a brave adventurer(s) to destroy the eggs of a green dragon who has taken root in the forest. Although this sounds like a bold and unwise move, the village elders have a second agenda: implicate a menacing band of orcs who also dwell in the forest. There are several ways to use this adventure: •Introduce a new player to the world of Dungeons & Dragons •DM an experienced player through a single character adventure •As a one-shot adventure while DMing a group of new or experienced players
SQ3 – Hatadage Cult takes a group of initial adventurers on their first challenge. This short adventure allows a group of new or low level PCs hear news of a kidnapping from a nearby thorp. Role playing will be key to learning more about the disappearance before heading into the hills near some old ruins. This is the site of a group of cultists that have kidnapped the young woman and mean to use her in a sacrifice!
The Noble Rot is a location-based adventure for characters of 5th to 8th level. This adventure can be played in one or two sessions of reasonable length. It is a straightforward, haunted house-style adventure. The story revolves around Le Chateau Gluant, a vineyard and winery of repute. Vintages of its famous white (chardonnay) and red blend (cabernet sauvignon) are sought throughout the land. Some vintages can bring up to 200 gp per bottle from the right buyer. A case (twelve bottles) of the wine in pristine condition can fetch up to 1,500 gp. Unfortunately, the winery fell upon dark days and the prized wine has not flowed from its cellars for a few years. Approximately five years ago, the head winemaker, Malcolm Roth, hired Tobias Suey as an apprentice. Unfortunately for Roth, Suey was a member of the Cultus Limus (Cult of the Ooze). The Cultus Limus makes sacrifices to its demonic master Lumaszu in her faceless form. Lumaszu or “she who erases” is an ancient demoness who preys upon travelers by drinking their blood. She is the cause of nightmares, pestilence, infestation of pure water, and a bringer of disease, sickness, and death. Her worshipped form in Cultus Limus is that of a gigantic ooze. Suey turned the field hands who tended the vines against the winemaker. Then the new cult turned its attention to the Gluant family. Eventually the cult members started preying on each other. With each sacrifice to the ooze, Suey’s power grew—until there was no one left but Suey. The whim of demons is fickle. Suey was blighted and corrupted for his work. Now he deep in the cellars under the chateau as a minor ooze demon. His handiwork, however, remains. The chateau is now the abode of its former residents and workers, in undead form. Also slimes, molds, fungi, and other foulness fester in the fields, buildings, and cellars. The riches of the Gluant family remain undisturbed; would-be thieves and robbers quickly fall prey to the current residents. Besides normal valuables, cases of wine remain undisturbed and waiting to be plundered. The title The Noble Rot refers to a few factors in this adventure. The first is the rot that befell the Gluant family in the form of the Cultus Limus. Another is actual noble rot disease that may aid the PCs in overcoming the challenges posed. The phrase also refers to a real-world gray fungus, Botrytis cinerea, which in the right conditions creates world-class dessert wines such as French sauternes. In the wrong conditions, it destroys grapes and is known as gray rot.
Just in time for All Hallows Eve, The Charred Rose is an adventure of Gothic horror set in the realm of Sithicus in the Ravenloft D&D setting. The adventure is suitable for 3-4 PCs of 4th level and should last 4-6 hours. Lord Daralion of Maldev’s bard is required for the upcoming Rose Festival but he has not returned from his mother’s funeral in the nearby village of Kardan. Lord Daralion looks for the PCs to visit the village and ensure the bard’s safe and quick return. But more than one monster lies hidden and awaiting the searchers in the depths of the woods of Sithicus. Includes the following: • Three new monsters: Glaistig (including possessed and normal stat block of possessed NPC), Forest Worm, and Kender Vampire • A new magic item, the Sword of the White Rose • Player Handout: Permission for Leave
The Feystone Shards is an adventure for characters from levels 5-8, optimized for 4-6 player characters. This moderate length campaign should have 20+ hours of gaming, all focused around the Forgotten realms area of Red Larch. The Heroes are tasked to find five fragments of a shattered Orb, once worshipped by a faction of Elves. The search will take the party to a haunted Citadel, as they seek the scattered remnants of the Feystone. From a city of Stone Golems, to an alchemist's underground lair - the players will face obstacles and enemies that will challenge their very resolve. The Heroes will need to discover the secrets of the bauble's fey magic, finding the lost Elvin city where the Orb was once worshiped as a God. Join in the hunt for the Feystone Shards, and see if your characters are ready to transcend common Heroes...and become Legends.
"Monument of the Thunderer" is a desert half-dragon lair intended to challenge a party of four 7th-level characters. Near the city state of Makuria, on a small island in the middle of the Green Nuria River, an immense stone sculpture of a dragon watches over the mighty Red Cliffs and the waterfall that pours off them. The monument was built by ancient worshipers of the Mharoti conqueror known as Zulatil the Thunderer, but now serves as a base of operations for a band of sinister thugs who call themselves the Red Cliff Raiders.
Blinsky's Toyshop is our take on what happens to Blinsky and Piccolo during, or after the Curse of Strahd campaign. Blinsky, the toymaker in Vallaki with the cute monkey wearing a pink tutu, received a large inheritance from a long-time client. The client, Obtavius Swat, a retired adventurer and avid collector of toys, left his entire estate to Blinsky. The estate included coin, precious gems, art, and his collection of toys, some made by Blinsky and others he acquired during his travels. Blinsky used the fortune to pay a wizard to create a small island in the middle of Lake Zarovich, located just outside of Vallaki. He then paid masons and workers to build a fantastic new toyshop, which he designed to be an experience for both the young and old alike. Though the number of children in Barovia was increasing, mostly imparted to the devil Strahd’s downfall, Blinsky wanted to touch the inner child of the adults in the city. He wanted happiness. He wanted smiles. He named the castle Blinsky’s Toyshop of Marvels. One of the toys, a small silver tiara kept in a black satin-lined ivory jewelry box, was such a lovely piece. Blinsky couldn’t stand the thought of leaving it in the box. He already had enough gold and losing the small tiara wouldn’t be a large loss, so he decided to give it to his monkey – Piccolo (see Creatures of the Toyshop). He smiled at the thought of her running around in her pretty, shiny tiara. Sadly, as Barovian luck would have it, trapped inside the tiara is the sole of an evil gnome wizard named Aribetha Strangge. In his old age, Obtavious Swat forgot that he and his fellow adventurers used the tiara to imprison the gnome’s soul. Yesterday, when Blinsky placed the tiara on Piccolo’s head, silver tendrils cascaded from the tiara and into poor Piccolo’s skull, allowing Aribetha to control the monkey. Now, Aribetha has incapacitated Blinsky in the toyshop’s tower, brought many of the toys to life, and imprisoned or killed many of the workers and customers. The adventure includes costumes (which the character may wear), Strahd Hand Puppets, and a possessed Piccolo.
5e Solo Gamebooks presents The Tortured Land, the fourth in our series of solo adventures set in the Forgotten Realms. With this adventure, we take off the gloves and throw your PC into the thick of some serious danger in the frigid north of Faerun. Only the most hardened adventurers will make it through this adventure in one piece, and with several different paths available, replayability is assured. The Tortured Land will provide you with hours of enjoyable, challenging play time. Arriving in a lonely village in the middle of the northern plain known as The Ride, your hero is soon drawn into a quest to retrieve a precious artifact. From there they will journey even further north, towards the barren waste known as the Tortured Land, in search of an unknown enemy. There are items to collect, codewords to activate and perils to avoid. And of course, many combat encounters! As always, hyperlinks are included in the text to facilitate easy navigation, removing the need for scrolling between entries.
Constructed into the side of an active volcano or buried deep beneath the ground lies the Temple of Pure Fire. Within its walls is enough flame and lava to make even the hardiest of adventures question their decision to pass through its doors. This temple contains grand constructs that have laid dormant for hundreds of years, but stir from their great slumber when they are needed to defend this former place or worship. Grand forges, lava-fueled smelters, and even an obsidian lava transportation vehicle wait within the walls of this ancient temple.
Set for initial level PCs, this short scenario utilizes a shortcut through a mountain range. The players are in a hurry to get to town for an adventuring opportunity and all they need to do is get through a crevice. Unfortunately for the new delvers, the gap is home to a trio of bandit brothers and other obstacles!
When the players get teleported to the plane of the Beastlands, they meet with an intelligent petitioner in the form of a Dog named Reith. Eventually Reith will lead the players to a human; an eagle winged boy by the name of Addler. Addler already knows a way out of the Beastlands, but doesn’t want the players to know because the key is his body and if the petitioners knew he could leave, they wouldn’t like him anymore. Not being the best at planning, he’ll be coerced into giving the players a map to the petitioner that helped him find the portal (A snake named Siy). After passing through some small adventures in the beastlands, the players will meet with Siy and learn about Addlers portal. From here, the players will travel back to Addler and confront him.
Myriad, a city originally devoted to magical research, has been hidden and isolated for nearly a thousand years. Now, it has rejoined the world and an unseen struggle is taking place within its walls. A party of adventurers has been invited to enter the city and assist in its reintegration. Myriad's secrets, however, run deep and dangerous.
The loggers of the West Wood have been logging these lands for over five years without a problem. Now, an eerie entity demands that they cease their logging activities and evacuate the forest immediately. If they refuse, they will die. When the PCs arrive to help they find that things are not so black and white. The decisions which they make will have permanent and lasting implications for the entire region. Will the PCs choose to save the forest and lose the support of the village, or destroy a sacred elder tree in order to win the hearts of the loggers and their families?
"Sometimes bugs are just bugs, and sometimes they are organized into a hive mind that is just as smart as humans. Ants are just that. In battle, the ants become a horde of raging combatants that form a blur on all sides. While ants are typically peaceful, they respond to a threat against the hive with a scale of violence that’s almost impossible to imagine. Utterly devoted to duty, ants never retreat from a confrontation—even in the face of certain death. Their engagements are brief and brutal. Working in teams, ants grab enemies, holding them in place until one of the warriors rips into the captive’s body, leaving it smashed and oozing." "Of Ants and Men begins as a quest to recover (e.g., steal) eggs from a giant anthill near the town of Endhome." "This adventure is designed for characters of levels 4 to 8." "The adventure can also be played (perhaps more effectively) by smaller groups. In response to many requests from our fans, the main encounters are designed to work well with groups of two to three characters of levels 6 to 8. Even a solo adventurer could do reasonably well, if the individual character had very good climbing, trap finding, and stealth skills. Druids, barbarians, and rogues will fare best in cases where the groups are limited in size." "While there’s plenty of opportunity for combat here, characters who think through a situation before drawing their swords are likely to do best. Hacking one’s way through is likely to result in character deaths."