The strange city of Carrion Hill has long loomed over the surrounding swamps in eastern Ustalav, yet its rulers have shifted many times through the centuries. Often enough that only a few sinister scholars and curious minds know the true nature of the hill’s original inhabitants—vile and depraved cultists of the Old Gods. Yet this morning, a dreadful recrudescence rises from the depths of buried nightmare in the vaults below Carrion Hill. A monster stalks the twisted alleys of the city, spreading panic before it and leaving destruction in its wake. Can the Carrion Hill Horror be stopped?
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
A centuries old evil has been cultivating an environmental disaster deep under the earth, waiting for the time when it will be unleashed on the world. A new mine has been created above and has broken the seal. The owner of the mine has lost contact with their foreman and shipments have stopped, and it’s up to an inexperienced but eager group of adventurers to investigate. This adventure is designed to present a challenge for a group of four veteran players using first level characters. While there are opportunities for roleplay scattered throughout, this adventure is heavy on the exploration and combat pillars of fifth edition. Death is a real and ever-present threat as they investigate the mine and the dangers below. Success and survival should bring them to the third level, and they may have found some treasure well worth the effort. So much so that they may become targets themselves from unscrupulous and more experienced NPCs. Written to be a seed for a larger campaign in any high fantasy setting, the outcome of this adventure could have world-changing consequences. It introduces a new and growing threat that, given enough encouragement, greed, time and apathy, could consume the world and beyond.
The Halls of Runehammer is a classic dwarven dungeon crawl for 5th edition dungeons and dragons. The core adventure module is desigend for characters who are second level and should take a party up to 4th level. 150 years ago a horrible plague called the Red Death swept the known world. When faced with the destruction of their entire clan some of the dwarves of Runehammer turned to a dark evil in an attempt to survive. Until recently that evil lay dormant, but now it threatens to engulf the entire region surrounding the Halls of Runehammer including the small town of Last Stop. Features over 8 episodes of encounters flled with action, excitement, and danger Blaze your own path or choose from two sets of pregenerated characters; one party of dwarves and one party of the canon characters for the Asnar: The Last Kingdom campaign (digital download) Contains 25 available digital maps for high quality printing or use with Online systems like Roll20 (digital download) Comes with Combat Encounter sheets for most combat encounters to help speed up your game play (digital download) Comes with a fully printable puzzle ring trap for Episode 7: The Pump Tower Contains 30 pieces of artwork created just for this adventure and 14 additional licensed pieces of artwork
There is the well-known regional legend of Iptiz, a spirit naga whose greed was remarkable even among its own kind. Murderous raids and relentless pillaging yielded a hoard so valuable that the creature needed some place to store and protect it. Thus was the Vault conceived: an underground complex custom built to destroy anyone who is not its creator. Years ago, Iptiz's campaign of terror suddenly ended without precursor or cause. The location of the Vault was never discovered. Until now. The ring-city of Sulindal, built upon the shores of a mile-wide desert oasis, has come under martial law by an invading army of yuan-ti. They intend to exploit the resources in this renowned city of knowledge to locate the third and final Beacon of Selune. ...but for what purpose? A four to six hour adventure for four 5th level players.
Expect a surprise when you open a magic jar. The evil wizard had a fail-safe plan for survival. It worked perfectly - almost... Pgs. 58-71
A dungeon of tricky puzzles, ancient magical secrets, and more than a few lingering mysteries, designed to be played as a standalone adventure and not incorporated into another campaign. Six adventurers descend into the Temple of Mysteries to find a mystical artifact called the Strand of Tears. Seems straightforward enough, except that some of the party may not be who they say they are. In fact, none of the party may be who they say they are. Not only that, but they might not be who they don't say they are, either! Worst of all, they're trapped in the ruins of an underground temple specifically designed to keep people from proceeding unless they're proficient in puzzle-solving...and there may be doppelgangers on the loose.
The ancient world of Harth withers beneath its dying sun…but it’s not dead yet. The land is still riddled with villages in danger, cultists in caves, angels gone mad, eldritch horrors making strange deals, raging dragons, bandits in the woods, and cruel monsters lurking in every shadow. These 13 adventures span a wide variety of locations, environments, creatures, and genres. They are meant for use as quick-play sessions or one-shots, or to be dropped into campaigns as side-quests. These are linear dungeons and mini-quests full of interactivity and strangeness, encouraging exploration, risk-taking, and creative combat. ADVENTURE TYPE: One-Shot / Low Level / Combat / Exploration / Village / Wilderness / City / Subterranean / Dungeon Delve DESIGN NOTES These 13 adventures are intended for low-level characters around Level 3 Overall, these adventures tend to be linear dungeon delves in caves or single buildings 93 unique encounter locations 69 original magic items 71 original monsters (with 28 illustrations) 13 maps/diagrams Each adventure runs 2-4 hours in length
You have traveled to the westernmost point in the Duchy of Starryshade as you make your way to the borderlands. Your final stop in the duchy is a small roadside inn called the Shepherd’s Spear Inn. While stopping for a respite you hear a few tales including a mysterious abbey nearby. This structure is said to only appear for a short time every three years. Magic and wealth are said to be lost within the walls of this structure and with little else to do this might be a final hurrah for your stay in Starryshade!
A long, perilous ocean journey behind them, the crew of the Sea Wyvern finds itself shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread. Their destination lies well over 150 miles to the south, miles heavy with the threat of the island's terrible inhabitants. Yet the unknown enemies are far more sinister, for more than just dinosaurs hunt the vast jungles. Before long, a cunning fiend picks up their trail, and its duplicitous master demands their sacrifice. "Here There Be Monsters" is the fourth chapter of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures appearing in Dungeon. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Savage Tidings" articles, a series that helps players and DMs prepare for and expand upon the campaign. Issue #352 of Dragon explores the Isle of Dread in detail, providing a complete ecology of the island and the writing of Larissa Vanderboren. This article can be used as a player handout to represent the journals the group recovered from the Vanderboren family vault in the first adventure in the Campaign. Shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread! Faced with a dangerous journey, the PCs must escort a ragged band of castaways through monster-infested wildlands in order to reach the safety promised by the colony of Farshore on the isle’s southern tip. Pgs. 32-60
From the idyllically peaceful coastal town of Sandpoint to an ancient lost city at the top of the world, Rise of the Runelords takes a party of adventurers from 1st to over 15th level and delves into the mysteries of Varisia's ancient past. Millennia ago, the powerful empire of Thassilon ruled the land, dominated by despotic runelords who maintained their power through harnessing the power of rune magic. Thought gone forever, the working of Thassilon are not so far beneath the surface and one of the runelords plans a return to power. Only the brave adventurers stand in his way. ” Burnt Offerings Five years after a tragic fire and spate of brutal murders, the people of Sandpoint eagerly anticipate the Swallowtail Festival to commemorate the consecration of the town’s new temple. At the height of the ceremony, disaster strikes! In the days that follow, a sinister shadow settles over Sandpoint. Rumors of goblin armies and wrathful monsters in forgotten ruins have set the populace on edge. As Sandpoint’s newest heroes, the PCs must deal with treachery, goblins, and the rising threat of a forgotten empire whose cruel and despotic rulers might not be as dead as history records.
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
The Therayle farm, which has been in the family for generations, was the best producing in the region. It now faces ruin. Hugh Therayle, the current owner, is at wit's end trying to reestablish even a modicum of control over the disrupted land. But, when Hugh saw the ancient doorway jutting up from the middle of the field where his corn used to be, he knew that this wasn't the type of problem a plow could solve. More than two centuries ago, a red wizard by the name of Houn made a discovery that shook the foundations of magic on Toril. Yet, due to a considerable amount of effort on his part, it never saw the light of day. The exact nature of this discovery is unknown but it involves the location of the skeletal fragments of an ancient being. The weave, which governs all magic on Toril, reacts strangely to the fragments. More information existed before Houn destroyed his research and fled Thay. His current whereabouts are unknown but many of his peers have attempted to track him down and steal his research for themselves.
"The Aboleth's Grotto" is a nihileth lair suitable for four 10th-level characters. The adventure can be completed in one session. The small town of Springwell harbors a secret that almost nobody knows about, and those who do conveniently ignore: it sights right over an unoccupied settlement of the deep caverns of the underworld.
Save an unwitting hamlet from an undead threat! Wealdham is a sleepy, quiet town located in the Westwood. Nothing ever happens in Wealdham, until Waterdeep necromancer Faurius Besk decides to test his latest invention near the town... Trouble in Wealdham is a 4 hour adventure for Tier 1 Characters (optimized for APL 3). It can be run as a one-shot, as part of an existing campaign, or even to launch a new campaign to defeat Faurius. Chapter 5 includes a section on how to weave this adventure into a new or existing campaign. In addition to the full-color 24-page adventure you will also receive: * A printer-friendly version * High-Res Wealdham town map * High-Res Dungeon map * A PDF with pre-generated characters that fit perfectly into the adventure
This is an introductory adventure to Eberron and Sharn. It is written for 3-6 characters of levels 1 to 5. This adventure showcases the versatility of urban adventures in Sharn. The adventure takes a party of characters from the lowest and more dangerous parts of the city, the lower wards and The Depths, to the highest and most exclusive neighborhoods in the upper wards and the Skyway. This adventure has it all. There are roleplaying opportunities, underground exploration, interesting NPC's, a flying chase scene on flying vessels, and a BBEG with enough charisma to captivate any player.
On Olarune 9th in the 918th year since the founding of the Kingdom, one of the city of Sharn's floating towers fell from the sky, crusing much of the Godsgate District. Now, a band of bestial savages searches Godsgate for the remnants of a broken statue, pulling the PCs into a plot that could destroy Sharn itself. The city of Sharn is one of the wonders of Khorvaire. Its towers seem to touch the sky, rising up more than a mile from the shores of the Dagger River. But it takes more than stone and steel to support the spires of Sharn: the area is suffused with mystical energy drawn from the plane of Syrania, which empowers all forms of flight. Yet with such wondrous inventions come wondrous tragedies, for when the magic of a flying tower fails, it has to land somewhere... Pgs. 18-29
Retrieve the bones of a dracolich to save the life of a paladin. The epic conclusion of the Mere of Dead Men series. Set in the Mere of Dead Men region of the Forgotten Realms.
Bracing for a terrible winter, the adventurers find themselves snow-locked in the desolate Archbarony of Blackmoor. Will they venture into the treacherous Land of Black Ice to rescue an enslaved people? Be sure to check out the sequel "The Clockwork Fortress" in Dungeon magazine #126. Pgs. 16-35
Nightmares that kill, a mysterious thief that only steals knick-knacks, tales of a huge beast terrorising fisherfolk, an inn with disappearing guests, discoveries of hidden magic portals and rumours of an assassin at large: None of these things are enough to stop the ever-flowing tide of traders and travellers crossing the Bridge of Fallen Men, but its protectors - Cormyr's Purple Dragons - are short on time, and courage... ...will adventurers answer the call?