The ground-breaking introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons that served as a DM aid in the first D&D Basic Set, released by TSR in 1977. This set included a 48-page rulebook covering the first three levels of play, and was skillfully edited by Dr. J. Eric Holmes from the original 1974 D&D rules written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The original set included an exemplary dungeon level, but it was a loose collection of examples and not geared toward starting characters. Holmes advanced this concept by writing a new thematic dungeon with a strong backstory, creating an adventure that has remained a fan favorite over the decades. Officially, its only title is "Sample Dungeon" but colloquially it goes by various names based on Zenopus, the doomed wizard who built the dungeon under his tower
Through seven gates lie seven realms. In seven realms stand seven guardians. With seven guardians lie seven symbols. From seven symbols comes one key. Alpahaks the Dark desires that key, by which he plans to release death and chaos into the realms of man. Your party may be all that stands between life and death. Will you heed the lunatic ravings of a dying madman? Travel to the top of Guardian Mesa, and enter the Septahenge. Gather the mystic symbols, create they key, and defeat the Carnifex, before it's too late... TSR 9174
The invisible enemy. Rats, cats, and double-drats. Six months ago, the residents of Luskwald heard rumors from passing merchants of a possible goblin incursion into the region. News from the nearest city confirmed speculations that goblin tribes were massing in the distant hills. Worried about the future of his small community, the Laird of Luskwald commissioned a stonemason and several carpenters to rebuild a damaged keep two miles north of the village. The repair crew worked for weeks restoring the keep's fallen walls, while waiting nervously for the first goblin to show its ugly head. For the first several days the restoration proceeded according to schedule, but in the weeks that followed several 'accidents' led many to believe the keep was cursed or haunted. In the past week three of Luskwald's villagers have died, each the victim of a grisly assassin whose identity remains a mystery. Several citizens have heard or seen peculiar things over the last several days, leading them to believe that Luskwald has been cursed, or worse, ravaged by angry spirits--perhaps sent by a greater evil that dwells within the ruined keep! Pgs. 34-52
The Well of Souls. . . That's what Zugzul babe the Afridhi call the evil artifact that he had taught them to make. They must call it the Well of Souls, and they must carry it before them into every battle? and they would be mighty. Thus said the god of the Afridhi, Zugzul the One. So the Afridhi did as they were bade. Seeking the volcano called the Hill of the Hammer in the far Barrens of Karsh, they built in its heart a great forge. There, as Zugzul had promised, efreet came to help them make the mighty artifact. There, amid vile, unholy rites, they bound the souls of men into its very substance, and, for the red-handed work that must surely follow hard upon its completion. Many were the men who guarded the Hill of the Hammer during the days of making? for their foes in hated Blackmoor would try to unmake that which they had wrought. Yet, it was not men that would keep the Well of Souls from destruction, but a prophecy? that the artifact would be unmade only by the hand of one as yet unborn! TSR 9205
It's party time in Thyatis... And simply everyone is going to the magnificent Villa Osteropolus, home of the wealthy old senator, Helenites. Raucous fun, exotic food, and even advanced betting on the upcoming Arena games are expected. Even adventurers just in from the outlands may meet the powerful here. So don your festive togas, for in Thyatis City there are important connections to be made and deeds to be done, duels to be fought and fame to be won. (But beware, oh Adventurer! The politics of Thyatis can be as labyrinthine as mazes beneath the Coliseum...) This module is designed especially for the DM who wants to sharpen his interactive skills. Presenting the detailed layout of a Thyatian noble's mansion and maps of the multi-level Coliseum of Thyatis. Four four to six characters, levels 2-3 Brief guide to Thyatis legal system New optional class, the Rake Fast unarmed combat system, including disarming attacks Special appendix on creating Thyatian names Featuring the DM's Guide to Winging It TSR 9284
The lizard men are just pining for the fjords. A plague of locusts is bad enough, but when the locusts are each a yard long, the farmers need professional help! A swarm of giant locusts has been eating all the grapes and leaves from the vineyards of Vineyard Vale! In addition, lizard folk have attacked and destroyed several steads in the vale. The farmers are desperate, but what they don't know is that these events are linked! A mage known as Rhungold the Trickster has been orchestrating the attacks and locusts to try to scare the farmers off the land so he can claim it as his own. The players slowly piece the story together by investigating a fairly linear story through a cave, a marsh, and finally to a compound owned by the wizard Rhungold. Pgs. 6-16
"The storm-stuff is not matter as we know it, and beyond Immortal control," the Hierarch sighs. "I fear we are doomed." It appeared only a few weeks ago - a swirling gray mass of incalculable size. And in its center, an eye. A humanoid eye. Now the storm threatens the very era of Immortal rule. The growing maelstrom emits a message to the Hierarchs. But what does it mean? Can it help save this realm of existence? Is there time to save this realm? The first Immortal adventure pits your party against the multiverse in a desperate struggle to find the essence of life. This adventure is nothing like you've ever played before. TSR 9171
A goblin warband has found the secret tunnel which leads from the dwarven keep of Hearth-Home to the nearby hills. The tunnel is intended to be a means of escape if the keep ever falls to attackers, but now it has provided goblins with an easy way into the Underkeep. So far, the goblins have confined their attentions to the various underground rooms that make up the Underkeep, but sooner or later they will find a way to the surface. They pose a serious threat to Hearth-Home - the goblins must be cleared out of the Underkeep so this breach in security can be repaired before the orcs hear of it and overrun the dwarven keep. This adventure is slightly more challenging than Red Hand Trail, and it is recommended that it is played after that quest and before Palace of Dread. However, the scenario in Trouble Below can easily be played independently from the rest. Part of TSR 1076 The Goblin's Lair
The Shady Dragon Inn is a set of pre-generated characters for use with the Dungeons & Dragons game. This player's aid comes in two parts: each character appears first in a section devoted to his or her character class. They appear again in the second section as members of a party. As a DM or as a player, you may use either or both sections; over a hundred characters await you! Each character has a brief biography that will help you to create backgrounds for PCs or NPCs as needed. Also included is a rough physical description, and a list of items owned by each character. The Shady Dragon Inn also contains the D&D statistics for those special characters who are presented by figures in the D&D and AD&D toy line, and provides a tavern setting from which players may start adventures or gather party members. TSR 9100
The valley of Haven was a peaceful land. Its crops were abundant, its citizens prosperous. Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Humans lived together in harmony. Hidden away in the heart of the Thunder Mountains, Haven was a safe place to live. The rivers were sweet and pure; the weather was pleasant and warm. Something terrible has come to pass in Haven - terrified refugees speak of a fabulous ruby uncovered in the mountains and a catastrophe that befell the palace. Whatever the cause, Haven now lies in chaos. Raiding bands of orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins terrorize the countryside. The disaster happened so suddenly that the citizens are confused and helpless. Without their leaders, who are trapped in the palace, they have no courage to fight back. The situation has become desperate. TSR 9044
Into your hands has been thrust a great responsibility: the management of a growing domain. It has been a hard winter. Now, with the coming of spring, the populace looks to you for leadership. It will take a careful and generous hand to restore your subjects' confidence. But even as you hold your first courts of the new season, an ominous shadow falls across the land. Earthshaker - wonder of the world - has arrived! Will its arrival be a curse or a blessing? With bold action and skillful diplomacy, you may yet divert disaster. But if you fail, the consequences will certainly be the subject of many a minstrel's tragic songs for years to come! "Earthshaker" includes a complete dominion setting, new player characters and NPCs, and complete material on one of the greatest marvels of the world - the giant and unstoppable Earthshaker! TSR 9128
In the parched desert sands, a mirage glistens invitingly on the horizon, but the nearest water is a hard day’s march in the opposite direction. You swear you smell the faint wet smell like coming rain when the wind shifts just right and see the stars reflected off some far lake at night. There’s no water here, just a lone sandblasted pillar, its features smeared by centuries of sand. Smell that? The brine of ocean mist? Here? Is the pillar made of coral polyps and mollusk shells? What is this place? An aquatic temple magically transported to an arid environment. Based on the author’s one-page map that was published in Knock #2 by Merry Mushmen. Published by Duvelman Dice.
X11 Saga of the Shadow Lord consists of two linked adventures as a mini-campaign: In the first adventure called Elvenstar, PCs try to steal a magic item from the Shadow Lord to thwart his planned invasion of a peaceful neighboring kingdom. Encounters in this adventure include a village populated by adventurers, and a cloud giant living in a small castle, before the party reaches the Shadow Lord's lair for the final encounter. In the second adventure, also enclosed in module X11, The Halls of Drax Tallen, the Shadow Lord returns more powerful than ever. His undead minions are searching for another magical item to give him immense power and the PCs must find this item before he does. Player characters must get past the undead army of the Shadow Lord and infiltrate his haunted fortress to retrieve the magical Elvenstar. TSR 9165
A young black dragon and two hatchling dragons live in an excavated sandstone burrow in the swamp west of Knacker Knob. Connected to the dragon lair is a complex of sandstone tunnels and chambers inhabited by lizard men. Some sandstone tunnels and chambers are partially flooded, and others are filled with nasty things such as slimes, oozes and gelatinous cubes. The lizard men revere the dragons as magical spirit guardians. In small groups the lizard men are easily defeated, but if allowed to prepare a common defense, the lizard men tribe with its spellcasters may present serious threat to the player characters (PCs). Wild Dragon Den is the first dragon's lair to conquer. Part of TSR 1073 The Dragon's Den
Powerful Magics are Loose in Karameikos! You and your companions are starting on your first adventure and you've been swept into the intrigues surrounding the infamous Black Eagle Barony. To prevent the evil Baron von Hendricks from gaining more power, you and your cmpanions must retrieve the magical Eye of Traldar from the wizard's tower at Fort Doom. Can you escapes the clutches of the armed garrison? Will the Baron gain the powerful artifact and use it for evil? You and your friends make the choices and affect the entire Grand Duchy of Karameikos. This module is particularly recommended for novice Dungon Masters and players who want to try their hand at overland adventuring. Recommended for four to six characters, levels 1-2 Handouts and pregenerated characters provided Suitable for use with the Dungeons & Dragons Game box and conventional D&D Game rules Features simple rules on outdoors travelling for exclusive players of the D&D Game box Adventure in the monster-filled caverns and dungeons beneath Fort Doom. TSR 9271
Five exciting short adventures to make your Basic campaign come alive! The Clearing of Castle Caldwell - A local merchant has recently purchased a small castle... but when he tried to move in, he discovered that the castle was already inhabited! Dungeons of Terror - A strange trapdoor in the floor of Castle Caldwell leads to a terrifying challenge! The Abduction of Princess Sylvia - On the eve of her wedding, the beautiful princess has been kidnapped! Can you save her in time? The Great Escape - Imprisoned in an enemy fortress, without armor or weapons, your situation seems hopeless. Yet there may be a way to freedom... The Sanctuary of Elwyn the Ardent - A mystical chime of great power has been stolen - but by whom? In the wrong hands, the chime can cause untold harm! But can you find and defeat this mysterious and powerful creature? TSR 9143
For a long time you have heard legends about the Island of Vacros; when you were only a child, the stories about evil minotaurs were used to scare you into behaving. Now you are grown, and you no longer believe children's stories. But King Trueon of Cathos is worried: his daughter Princess Lydora has been kidnapped, and he has found clues that she has been taken to the ancient and evil island of Vacros. You have heard rumors that a large and dangerous mazework lies beneath the surface of the island - a mazework that is guarded by minotaurs. Of course many rumors are false, but then again... The Maze of the Riddling Minotaur is the second in a series of invisible ink modules: using the invisible ink pen included in this module, you may play the adventure by yourself. After you have played the solo version, you have not used up the module: instructions are provided as to how you may change the solo version into an exciting group adventure! TSR 9060
Tortles of the Purple Sage - Part 2 completes a D&D Expert Set wilderness adventure which began in DUNGEON issue #6. Through the gate stones, into the unknown. This adventure takes place in the Known World of the D&D game, as outlined throughout the D&D game rule books and modules. The DM may find it useful to consult the Companion and Masters Sets, as well as most of the X-series of Expert Set modules. The DM may find it useful to consult the Companion and Masters sets, as well as most of the X-series of Expert Set modules. Expert Set module X9, The Savage Coast, would be especially helpful, as Tortles of the Purple Sage should easily serve to continue that module's direction and plot line, adding previously undescribed areas to the Known World. The DM may also place the areas and events of this adventure within an existing campaign setting, as long as the geographical areas of the campaign match those set forth here. Pgs. 8-25
Introductory module for the Hollow World setting. First Adventure in the Blood Brethren Trilogy. Into the Depths! Under the ruins of Barleycorn Monastery, a tunnel leads one thousand miles downward. Through it, a rescue mission into the Broken Lands turns much stranger. Much more Serious. For the trail leads to the Hollow World. Launch your D&D game players into fabulous lost-worlds adventure across the Hollow World! Travel the Azcan Empire. Explore the secret labyrinth of the Great Pyramid in Chitlacan. Fly to the core of the world and enter the Smoking Mirror, before the monstrous Prince Kano enacts his devastating scheme - a scheme called: NIGHTWAIL! Nightwail is the first adventure for the D&D Hollow World Campaign Set. (The Hollow World boxed set is required to play.) This 64-page adventure fits easily into your existing campaign, either as a stand-alone adventure or as part of the continent-spanning Blood Brethren trilogy. These three linked modules can be played in any order - but the adventure starts here! Easily adaptable to the AD&D game! TSR 9303
'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.