When the heroes come into town, word arrives that a nearby cloister of the god of valor is under siege by an army of undead. The adventurers travel to help defend the bastion of paladins, only to discover that these undead are actually ancient enemies of the paladins’ order. They have discovered a way to exact vengeance for slights committed centuries ago, but to finish their plan they must breach the cloister’s catacombs! Can the heroes battle them to the catacombs and defeat their horrific blackguard champion?
Why Go to the Ruinous Palace? 1. Old Gold to be Stolen from Old Places 2. Rumors of Supernatural Fecundity and Ruination. What wizard would not wish to study such? 3. Nearby communities are hemorrhaging Livestock. The Dragon learns to hunt and gather. 4. A forest Unmolested for centuries… could become a fortune in Timber. Ruinous Palace of the Metegorgos is a new adventure from In Search of Games for your standard dungeon fantasy game. It's easily inserted into any campaign, requiring little modification to adapt to any of a number of dungeon fantasy systems (we recommend Lamentations of the Flame Princess). While written for levels 1-3, the adventure works well with parties level 4-6 as well.
The village of Sacrabad is a wretched place. Dark rumors abound concerning its steward, “His Lordship” Nim Sheog, who rules the place through terror and cruelty. Merchants who have passed through Sacrabad tell tale of how chaos thrives while the good folk wallow in misery. Nim’s guard are no more than a well-paid gang of thugs, hired to enforce his relentless and often bizarre laws and what’s worse, they seem to be in league with a nearby band of goblins, The Yellow Fang, who are often left to terrorize the villagers without reprisal. It is rumored that Nim keeps the rightful and lawful lord of Sacrabad locked away in the dungeons of the keep, the ominous Black Tower. An imposing structure that once afforded the village protection, the Black Tower has become a symbol of tyranny. But there is hope on the horizon. Hope in the form of a secret society who conspire to rescue the rightful lord and overthrow Nim and his guard. Can our heroes champion the cause? Tyranny of the Black Tower is a short (single session) adventure module. It is a classic “rescue operation” complete with a strong villain and espionage intrigue. It is an ideal one-shot adventure with room for expansion into an ongoing campaign. Bonus side-trek hooks and a bonus dungeon are included as a means to build up low-level parties. This module is setting-generic and can be dropped just about anywhere in the multiverse. Published by Verisimilitude Society Press
The ancient world of Harth withers beneath its dying sun…but it’s not dead yet. Welcome to the strange and dangerous city of Carcassay, huddled below the skeleton of a titan rat, sprawling above the ruins of countless dead civilizations. This is where folk come to find wealth, power, revenge, secrets, oblivion… and everything in between. Carcassay is a sandbox city adventure. There are many locations to explore in, around, and under the city. Players can explore any place at any time, and may radically reshape the city’s politics, economy, religions, and physical existence. There are standard dungeons stacked under the city, and GMs are encouraged to keep adding more dungeons… all the way down. Tone. It leans more toward low fantasy or sword-and-sorcery. Most shops look like real shops. Most people look like real people. But strange and horrible things lurk everywhere as soon as you start to scratch the surface. This is my Lankhmar. Carcassay is a vast, bizarre city. It has over 100 locations where you can meet Chaos cultists, Lawful knights, retired adventurers, shopkeepers, brewers, musicians, artists, scientists, hermits, royalty, beggars, doctors, space vampires, eldritch horrors, machine priests, crab colonists, mushroom farmers, mummies, assassins, and diplomats from distant lands… and the moon. And every one of them has goods or services to sell, and a quest (or three) to offer. What sort of quests? Fetch a relic, assassinate a rival, find a relative, steal a soul, implant an agent, cure a disease, stop a riot, solve a murder that hasn’t happened yet, hunt a thief, locate a shrine… the list goes on. And for every Quest, there is a specific Reward: money, weapons, relics, Chaos mutations, exclusive memberships, information, Angelic miracles… the list goes on. This is a place where you can make a lot of money, but also where you can spend that money on interesting goods and services. Factions? We have a few. Seven Chaos cults, five knightly orders, two mercenary companies, four wealthy families, six (seven!) Corpse Lords, foreign diplomats, rival innkeepers, rival tavern owners, plus all the dungeon-delving gangs currently mucking about underground. When you grow weary of all the adventures at ground level, there are three classic dungeons buried under the city to explore. This book contains months (if not years) of campaigning. Enjoy the Chaos.
Deep under the ruins of Maure Castle lie the Chambers of Antiquities, vaults designed by ancient wizards to store magic items even they didn't quite understand. A continuation of last year's hit "Maure Castle." This adventure is set under the infamous ruins of Maure Castle, a monolithic edifice of night-black granite built by a powerful family of wizards. The Maures sealed themselves into the dungeons below their castle long ago, and today these dungeons have become one of the most infamous adventuring sites in the land. Although estimates have placed the number of monster-infested and trap-haunted dungeon levels below Maure Castle at 17, there may in fact be even more. This adventure presents one of those dungeon levels in detail. Pgs. 76-101
The Forge of Fangs has been located in Vanrakdoom. While many innocents have been saved from an undying fate, the forge remains. Artor Morlin would like to see it torn to the ground and the threat ended forever. Part Three of the Undying Threat trilogy. Optimized For: APL 13
After a string of successful adventures, you find yourselves reequipping gear in the small community of Tarten. After an unusual currency exchange in the mercantile, the party learns that a group of adventurers had encountered some Goblins possessing old currency belonging to the Co-Tai people. Well, it ain’t grave robbin’ if someone else did for you!
"The southlands of Eor are being despoiled. Merchants will no longer run their caravans on the main highway past the quiet village of Waycombe. The peasants are fleeing their lands, and all are demanding protection from the powerful Count of Eor. The goodly count has sent a troop of his trusted fighters to exterminate the brigands believed responsible for these outrages, but weeks have passed, and still there is no word from this force. Now John Brunis, Count of Eor, has turned to you for aid. After taking counsel with the High Priest of Eor, he believes that a small party of cunning, bold adventurers may succeed where armed might has failed. You find yourselves faced with many mysteries! Why has robbery suddenly erupted in the peaceful southlands? How could mere brigands be as powerful as the foes described to you by their numerous victims? Is this really mere robbery? Or is there some truth to the rumors, told only in hushed whispers, about the beginnings of a hideous plot being hatched by an ancient, vile, and evil foe of all mankind?" Eor is beset by marauders and lizardmen of a boldness not seen in years. Hired by the Count of Eor, the party is tasked with tracing the source of these foes and eliminating them for the safety of the realm. After a set piece combat in Count Brunis's castle, the party must trek across Eor's wilderness, eventually coming to the Great Southern Swamp beyond the village of Waycombe. With further exploration they can locate the Ancient Temple which serves as the tomb and stronghold of Sakathas, the vampiric LIZARD KING! TSR 9055
The necromancer Tal Lorvas has unearthed an underground tomb that dates back to the height of the ancient tiefling empire. Lorvas has been terrorizing the surrounding lands with his vile experiments, and now he hopes to find a ring, hidden in the tomb, that is tied to a ritual he wants to perform by the rise of the next full moon. The PCs must enter the tomb of Empress Nemeia, deal with the servants of the necromancer, and confront Tal Lorvas before he can claim the ancient relic and move one step closer to ultimate power over the undead. Pgs. 36-41
Player characters attacking the lair of monsters that have been menacing the local village is a common D&D trope. This adventure turns the trope on its head. In Goblin Defense, the players create goblin PCs, and have to fight off repeated attacks by adventurers who are stronger and better equipped than they are. Starting at level 1 and running until level 7, this module encompasses 16 battles against unique and typically themed groups of adventurers built using player character classes and rules. The module is designed for 3 players, each of whom takes on an individual role within the tribe, granting unique bonuses or options for actions outside of combat. Goblin Defense can also be played with 4 players, but is not recommended for 5 or more players without substantial revision. The players aren't alone. Each commands a squad of goblin minions who can help in combat... but goblins are fragile, and adventurers hit hard. Life as a goblin is often brief and violent. Many will die, but as long as some survive, the tribe will carry on. A simple ruleset is provided for managing actions during the downtime between each attack. During this time, players can work to train their minions to use better gear, hunt for food for their tribe, recruit replacement warriors, brew potions, and - most importantly - improve their lair and its defenses by adding walls, traps, tunnels, doors, alarms, and anything else their creative minds can come up with. As the exact layout and placement of defensive features is critical, this is designed to be played on a grid. A PDF is included with the map scaled to print on 24"x36" (Arch D) size paper, available at most print shops. DMs may enjoy the chance to briefly try out many different character class and subclass combinations as they attack and eventually fall to the goblin pests they're trying to eliminate. Page count: Information for the DM only 6 Information for the players 4 Adventurer statblocks 37
Stirrings of an ageless war between Law and Chaos are drawing you into an epic adventure! A Struggle More Savage than Good vs. Evil Imagine a time before the words Good and Evil had meaning, a day when the world was young. Discover an ancient conflict that predates the stars. It was in these days that Law and Chaos forged worlds out of nothingness; their war began while the cosmos was yet unfinished. The Rod of Seven Parts defines epic role-playing. The reappearance of the Rod has awakened the powers of Chaos, and their queen seeks to turn the whole world into a battleground. Bold heroes must undertake the enormous task of seeking out and assembling the pieces of the Rod, but even its power cannot stand alone. Ages ago, primal forces of Law stood fast against Chaos; now their champions must once more confront the Queen of Chaos and her foul spyder-fiends, lest the flame of civilization be extinguished. Follow the quest for the capricious Rod as it leads characters on a journey of high fantasy. The Rod of Seven Parts is designed for four to six heroes and heroines of levels 10 to 12. This boxed set includes: Initiation to Power, a 96-page book of grand adventure playable in any AD&D world, including original campaigns; The War Against Chaos, a 64-page book of world-crossing adventures pitting PCs toe to toe against the minions of Chaos; Might and Menace, a 32-page book detailing the mysterious powers of the Rod of Seven Parts: how it affects both its enemies and its friends; Monsters, a 16-page book of new villains, new monsters, and even a new race! 6 two-sided reference cards; 6 full-color poster maps portraying the key locations heroes can visit. Read about this ancient artifact in the epic novel The Rod of Seven Parts by best-selling author Douglas Niles! TSR 1145
The Stranger Stone, a rock that is to be used in a ritual to save the town of Berribury, has been stolen. The characters must track down the thieves and retrieve the Stone. A Four-Hour Adventure for Tier 1 Characters. Optimized for APL 3
These are three one-shot dungeon delves. Each delve features nine rooms or locations full of challenges and interactivity. Each delve has only one type of monster, but they are complex, and there are lots of them! This volume of Wicked Little Delves includes three small dungeon adventures: - a salt mine taken over by aggrieved Salt Knockers, - a swamp settlement destroyed by raging Swamp Brutes, and - a decadent earthscraper where the residents found immortality within their Iron Thralls. SYSTEM: Each monster has stats for Fifth Edition, Old School Essentials, and Into the Odd. These adventures are intended for characters at levels 4, 5, and 6. They are mainly focused on exploration and combat, with some minor social encounters. Estimated run time for each: 1 session, or 2-5 hours. Each adventure includes one complex original monster and a variety of unique treasures. ADVENTURE TYPE: Mid Level / Combat / Exploration / One-Shot / Dungeon Delve DESIGN NOTES These adventures are intended for low-level characters Level 4-6 9 unique encounter locations per delve (27 in all!) 3 original monsters with multiple abilities and weaknesses Dungeon maps and original illustrations
Want to discover the incredible world of Eberron? You won't even need a DM... This adventure is written in gamebook style (think Fighting Fantasy / Lone Wolf) but with 5e mechanics. Narrative entries guide you through the adventure and remove the need for a Dungeon Master. Custom combat sheets run monster tactics during combat, and battle maps for all possible encounters are included in a zip file. This is the pdf version. For the Fantasy Grounds version, click here. The numeric entries are also hyperlinked, so all you need to do is click and the pdf will automatically navigate you to the next entry, removing the need to scroll or enter a page number. The story begins with you, the PC, deep in study in the Morgrave University Library. Then, a mysterious figure slips you a letter and disappears before you can discern their identity. Let the adventure begin...
The Grand Duchy of Geoff has recently been plagued by a rash of unusually weird and terrible monsters of an unknown sort. This western area, particularly the mountain fastness which separates the Grand Duchy from the Dry Steppes, has long been renowned for the generation of the most fearsome beasts, and it has been shunned accordingly -- save a handful of hardy souls with exceptional abilities. Within the last few months, however, a walled town not far distant from the area, and four small fortresses as well, have been destroyed by mysterious attacks! This classic adventure set on a crashed spaceship challenges the players assumptions, and expands on what's possible within the "fantasy" label. TSR 9033
The whispered worries grow more fanciful and terrifying by the day... where has the loremistress gone?... what's wrong with the master smith?... who-or what-stalks the marketplace?... The questions need answers, and heroes are needed to do the asking! But the only thing worse than what hunts the mist-shrouded streets is what lies beneath them... Adventure in Dun Eamon: Demons roam the streets of the city of Dun Eamon, criminals rule the night and an important local power figure has gone missing. Can your heroes unravel the clues that lead through every social element of the city, into the hearts of its inhabitants and far below its streets in search of answers? Or are some mysteries better left unsolved? Uncover An Artifact: The Grey Citadel is a mini-campaign of urban detective work and dungeon exploration designed for four or more characters of 5th level. Set in a rain-soaked, rough-and-tumble frontier city, The Grey Citadel offers numerous colorful NPCs, a richly unique location, new monsters and magic items plus enough plot twists to provide hours of role-playing and door-kicking adventure where your wits must be as sharp as your swords!" This adventures mixes dungeon crawl with city investigation, keyed encounters and timed encounters.
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.
An interesting and atypical adventure in its writing style. For one the module contains insightful "When things go Wrong" sections and DM guidance for sticking close enough to the rails for the story and fun's sake. Lots of DM hints about how to handle PCs' choices. Overall the story is fine too - a traditional hook, a mystery, some twists. There's a tower, a surprise pocket-dimension context, and a dungeon. It's mirror of life trapping, isn't it? Well, yes and no. People go in, and they don't come out. Nor can you talk with anyone inside. Somehow, that's not quite the way you remember those mirrors work. This Skarda fellow showed up a few years ago with a band of raiders, and no one in the land has been safe since then. Whole villages have disappeared into this Skarda's mirror. Your band is approached by relatives of one of the victims?and adventurer like yourselves. You have to get into that mirror of whatever-it-is, find this man, and get him out in one piece. The reward is more that adequate. Only problem is, no one out here can tell you what to expect once you get in? or even how to get there. TSR 9188
A vanished tome, a faded legend, and the end of the world. Out of the eons, the deadliest artifact. At least one magic-user is required, and fighters and thieves would be very helpful. Magic-users may have a special interest in this quest due to the nature of the item for which they search. Traps and puzzles are a dominant theme, and problem solving is necessary. Pgs. 41-64
In Feast of Goblyns, a party of adventurers is mysteriously transported from the lands they know to a dark and dangerous demiplane known as Ravenloft. Trapped in this realm of terror, they must use all their skills to escape the manipulations of one of Ravenloft's most powerful lords as they attempt to seek out the accursed Crown of Soldiers. If all goes well, they just might live long enough to escape this dread land and return to their homes. Also of note: As the first published adventure, is bundled with a DM screen for running games in Ravenloft. TSR 9298