A community for lazy dungeon masters
263 adventures found
Cover of The Beast of Graenseskov: An Introductory Ravenloft Adventure
The Beast of Graenseskov: An Introductory Ravenloft Adventure
5th Edition
Levels 1โ€“4
80 pages
0

A simple hunt for a werewolf, or so we thought. Find its lair and slay the beast. No use for wolfsbane or other superstitions. Silver and magic would win the day. A worthy challenge, but nothing horrific, surely. Yet we never expected what we found in the Graenseskov, and our hubris cost us dearly... ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐ž๐š๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐†๐ซ๐š๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ž๐ฌ๐ค๐จ๐ฏ is an 80-page bookmarked Ravenloftยฎ adventure for characters of 1st-4th levels focused on mystery and exploration. It can be used in conjunction with ๐‚๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ก๐, either as an introduction to Barovia or adapted as a side quest, as part of the original expanded Ravenloft setting, or it can be used as a stand-alone horror adventure-setting. ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐š๐๐ฏ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ” ๐ญ๐จ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ ๐š๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐š๐ ๐ž๐ฌ, and potentially much more for groups embracing an investigative style of play. In the mists at the edge of Count Strahd von Zarovichโ€™s realm lies the Graenseskov, a land of deep woods and bleak hills overrun with wolves. A Beast haunts these misty lands, leaving bloody corpses and terror in its wake, the product of a hagโ€™s curse placed upon the boyarโ€™s manor. But the Beast is no arbitrary killer. The PCs find themselves drawn into the mystery of uncovering the Beastโ€™s identity and breaking the hagโ€™s curse before the Beastโ€™s final victim gurgles their last breath and the Beast is beyond any hope of redemption. Requires the ๐ƒ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ž๐จ๐ง ๐Œ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ'๐ฌ ๐†๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ž and the ๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐Œ๐š๐ง๐ฎ๐š๐ฅ. This is a 63 Mb ZIP file containing a watermarked PDF of the updated adventure, a PDF with handouts, a PDF DM's cheat sheet, and PNG files of the Graenseskov region map for the DM and players. ๐…๐ž๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ: โ€ข The DM (or the Tarokka) determines the guilty suspect and their motives, offering a different experience for each groupโ€™s play-through. โ€ข A vivid cast of characters with a NPC index. โ€ข Escalating random encounters, special events, and techniques for DMing a mystery. โ€ข New monsters: black annis hag & loup du noir. โ€ข All units given in SI & metric. โ€ข Handouts and maps for DMs and players. โ€ข DM's cheat sheet with quick prep notes, clue checklist, handy Tarokka tables, tips on running the Beast, and a decision point flowchart. ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐“๐จ๐ฆ๐ž ๐’๐ก๐จ๐ฐ May 16, 2016 DM's Guild Pick of the Episode! Thanks James! http://www.thetomeshow.com/e/round-table-119-giants-and-the-talented-bestiary/ ๐‚๐‡๐€๐๐†๐„ ๐‹๐Ž๐† ๐‰๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ, ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ” ๐”๐ฉ๐๐š๐ญ๐ž: The big update! Fixed several editing and grammar errors, including an error in Appendix D, and the repeated paragraph on page 12 (page 13 in new document). Added a new special event - Hanging the Vistani - to Chapter 1 which ties together several dangling plot threads. Clarified "Adjusting the Adventure" & added Werewolves in the Mist to the "Adventure Hooks" in the Introduction. Added two pieces of thematic filler art. ๐€๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ–, ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ” ๐”๐ฉ๐๐š๐ญ๐ž: Added a DM's cheat sheet PDF to the zip file.

Cover of Not a Creature Was Stirring
Not a Creature Was Stirring
5th Edition
Level 1
19 pages
0

This Christmas themed adventure is a straightforward adventure for level one PCs. Players adventure from a town where they are attacked in their sleep by animated presents, travel up a nearby mountain and discover a hermit's house where they fight snow elementals, living trees and explore the hermit's home. Eventually they discover the evil hermit in a secret room below the home. This adventure contains a lot of help for newer DMs.

Cover of Diamond Heist
Diamond Heist
5th Edition
Levels 6โ€“9
14 pages
0

At the request of a stranded djinni, you have three days to steal a diamond from the marbled, enchanted vaults of the Modern Artworks Museum. Investigate its defenses, disable magical wards, bamboozle the staff, battle a golem, and escape with the prize! A group that succeeds is rewarded with a single wish - the power to bring about almost anything you desire. Highlights of the adventure include (and are not limited to): - An alternate skill check system that keeps clumsy characters involved in the heist - A fight to the death with fantasy Botticelli's Birth of Venus - The Modern Artworks Museum, a trove of sculpture, frescoes and tapestries - Museum events: sketch and sip, a gala, seminars! - Museum brochure, including handy map and exhibit descriptions - A wish Clever and light-hearted, Diamond Heist adds brains and Renaissance style to any urban campaign. This adventure centers exploration, planning and roleplay. Players match wits against various spell effects, discovering and disabling magical wards to access their prize. A cumulative alarm level system replaces pass/fail steath skill checks, so one bad role doesn't ruin the heist. The artworks described are based on those of Renaissance Italy, with frescoes, marble sculpture, and haughty nobles aplenty. Content warnings: Death of a loved one, mentioned.

Cover of Gifts for Him
Gifts for Him
5th Edition
Levels 1โ€“3
25 pages
0

Gifts for Him is a short, challenging, open-ended, gothic-horror, 5E-compatible Christmas adventure for tier 1 characters to be run in about three sessions, but it can be easily adapted as a one-shot. It contains over 25 pages with original artwork, three original battle maps, three unique monsters, stat blocks for five NPCs, three magic items, and a partridge in a pear tree. ----- The village of Bargrave has a secret. Every year, on Christmas Eve, the villagers cower in their homes while a savage beast prowls the streets, wreaking bloody doom on whomever has not left it a suitable gift on their doorstep. But Elias Buhl has had enough. This year, the old farmer wonโ€™t be buying the beast a gift, hoping instead to bait it into attacking him at his homestead, where he will trap and kill it once and for all. But he canโ€™t do it alone. Buhl has hired a band of adventures to help him fortify his home, set traps, and slay the creature. They have three days to prepare, gather allies and equipment, and plan their defense. Orโ€ฆ They can dig a little deeper and uncover what Bargrave has been hiding all these years. Will they slay the beast, as agreed? Might they capture it to use it for their own ends? Can it be redeemed? Or will they die โ€” their blood melting the snow โ€” just the latest victims of the creatureโ€™s reign of terror? --- Gifts for Him is a complete, playtested, illustrated adventure that is currently pay what you want.

Cover of NQ18 - Mystery of Conifestatia
NQ18 - Mystery of Conifestatia
5th Edition
Levels 6โ€“8
21 pages
0

Your fame has garnered you more attention than you can handle but a specific job opportunity is one that you cannot pass up on. Two nations have had a peaceful and lucrative trading agreement for years along with the city of Conifestatia. That has recently changed with the appearance of a Green Dragon taking up residence in the area. With your fame on the line, looks like you guys are going Dragon huntin'!

Cover of Mark of Amber
Mark of Amber
AD&D
Medium Level
64 pages
0

The PCs are singled out by happenstance as prophesied heroes who will find and return a great wizard to his family. Once brought back to the the family chateau, they are brought on as paid companions and free to explore the location as they wish. This is a large sandbox style adventure with several plots going on, including assassination, a wedding, false accusations of murder, and many machinations of the nobles to solidify or gain power. Whole this is going on the PCs are dropped into dream sequences where they learn more about the missing wizard and learn how and where to find and free him

Cover of MAR3 - Banshee of Whitestone
MAR3 - Banshee of Whitestone
5th Edition
Levels 2โ€“4
15 pages
0

Today we kick off offerings from Margou Campaign. This scenario takes a group of 3rd level PCs that come upon, with help, an abandoned manor home. Perhaps they will find treasure or maybe death is about to find them!

Cover of DDLE4 Death House
DDLE4 Death House
5th Edition
Level 1
5 pages
0

This adventure introduces characters to the land of Barovia. It expands what we know about the lands around Castle Ravenloft and sheds new light on the dark past of the castleโ€™s lord. Players will investigate mysterious happenings in a small haunted house in Barovia.

The Goblins' Gambit
5th Edition
Levels 1โ€“5
? pages
0

Ambushed on the road by goblinoids and then follow them to their lair in an old, abandoned hunting lodge in a forest. This is a short adventure that can be played in a session. The Goblinsโ€™ Gambit is perfect for situations where the party suddenly decides to go completely off the rails and the gamemaster does not have anything prepared for the destination. It is designed to be simple and the gamemaster is empowered to read and run it quickly. A 3rd level party is ideal for this adventure, but it can be easily tuned up to 5th level or down to 1st level by adding or removing a few simple enemies. This adventure can be used in three different ways - The starting adventure - This is a great adventure to start a new campaign with. A good option to use for a brand new group of players A random encounter - This is perfect for use for a random encounter along the road A retrieval mission - This adventure can also be used as a low level mission from a patron What is included? The adventure pdf DM's map of two different locations Two high resolution (8192x6144) maps for an abandoned hunting lodge and a roadside encounter (grid and gridless), which can be printed out as a tabletop map to play on.

Cover of A Little Bit of Thievery
A Little Bit of Thievery
5th Edition
Level 1
7 pages
0

A Little Bit of Thievery is an unconventional freeform adventure for level 1 characters. The players are contracted to steal a magic item at a noble's fancy party, and are forced to abandon their weapons and rely on their wits to survive. Mayhem required and violence (mostly) optional. Success might bring the ire of an elite with a panache for vengeance and money to burn. Beats killing giant rats in the safety of a basement for a few silver pieces, right? Although it is specifically written for the 5th editionโ€™s basic rules, the adventure can be dropped into any rules system or campaign with minimal modification. (Pay What You Want)

Cover of A Ghastly Mess
A Ghastly Mess
5th Edition
Level 3
39 pages
0

A Ghastly Mess is a one-shot adventure for a group of 3rd-level characters that takes place in a haunted mansion Unlike your regular haunted house, the inhabitants of this building are far from scary. The ghosts of the former staff still live in itโ€”or, well, unliveโ€”not realizing theyโ€™re deceased and unable to move on because of it. The Lord of the mansion still awaits the return of his beloved, Lenore, for which he has commanded the staff to have the house in pristine condition. Help the only alive member of the staff, a sleepwalking old-man, clean the house, defeat any and all monsters that might be lurking in the somewhat abandoned building and help the ghosts pass on to the great beyond in this short but exciting adventure! The story includes a host of interesting characters for your players to meet, each with their own unique personalities and accompanying art; an array of unique monsters specially designed to challenge your party in more ways than one; and an intriguing mystery surrounding Lenoreโ€™s fate and what happened to the members of the staff. Now, you might be thinking โ€œhey, this ainโ€™t spooky at all, what gives?โ€ and to that I say: how dare you?! Nothing is scarier than doing your chores! Thatโ€™s why we built an adventure around it! That being said, A Ghastly Mess is not meant to be a scary story, but rather an interesting mystery-type of social adventure. Most combats can be resolved by running away, the stakes are low, and the NPCs donโ€™t think of the situation as anything more than a normal day in their lives. The tragic aspects of the story have already happened by the times the characters show up, and the intent is for everything to go well from there.

Cover of Villa Loviati
Villa Loviati
5th Edition
Levels 17โ€“20
9 pages
0

On the eve of her wedding, Sita Obarskyr, princess of Cormyr, has vanished. The only clue: an invitation from Irina Ruthven, an avatar of Loviatar. Can the adventurers meet with Irina, face their hidden desires, and help Sita? This adventure explores the theme that avoiding pain is avoiding life. Itโ€™s light-hearted, kink-positive, and erotic. Eroticism is a dance with our senses. Itโ€™s about anticipation, about wanting rather than getting. It is not pornography, and need not be sexual or romantic. Because the charactersโ€™ desires shape the narrative, it is important to talk to your players beforehand. Ask them if desire is something they want to explore in their characters, and if they are willing to share narrative responsibilities with you.

Cover of Drums at Daggerford
Drums at Daggerford
5th Edition
Level 5
160 pages
0

5e Solo Gamebooks presents Drums at Daggerford, the fifth in our continual series of solo adventures set in the Forgotten Realms. This quest enables you to experience D&D without a dungeon master! Simply roll up a level 5 PC and get playing. Drums at Daggerford is the way you must experience solo adventuring. Players and DMs beware, a new standard has been set. This solo adventure continues the story arc first begun in Death Knightโ€™s Squire, developed further in Tyrant of Zhentil Keep & Citadel of the Raven, and left in The Tortured Land. Drums at Daggerfordโ€™s ability to echo a Tolkien spirit reverberates throughout the narrative no matter which path you may choose. But choose wisely because a razorโ€™s edge separates peril from glory. Over a year in the writing, this latest instalment in our solo adventure series is a mini sandbox campaign that will give you anywhere up to 8 hours of solo adventuring enjoyment. Completionists and those who like to replay these adventures will get even more gametime. There are mysteries to be uncovered, items and sidekicks to be gained, codewords to unlock and villains to conquer! With lots of exploration, meaningful decisions, hard fights, and a variety of rewards and stories, Drums at Daggerford will continue to resonate with you long after solving the big mystery behind Krond Vikkurkโ€™s malevolent plans.

Cover of Seven Weddings
Seven Weddings
5th Edition
Level 3
5 pages
0

The community of Lukestown has been haunted by a vengeful spirit, Lilian. She is intent on keeping her widower Marcus from ever enjoying marriage without her.Today is Marcus' seventh wedding after his late lover passed. Will this ceremony end in celebration or death? The answer rests in the hands of a small group of adventurers. This urban one shot adventure involves some murder mystery and puzzle solving components.

Cover of RM4 House of Strahd
RM4 House of Strahd
AD&D
Levels 6โ€“13
64 pages
0

Far above the village of Barovia sits Castle Ravenloft, the home and fortress of vampire lord Strahd Von Zarovich. Legends claim that Strahd flies with the bats and runs with the wolves to terrorize the countryside. Ancient tales also tell of dungeons and catacombs deep under the castle. Other stories recall the great halls, treasures, and glory of Ravenloft in centuries past. "House of Strahd" is a revision of the classic gothic horror tale I6: Ravenloft, one of the most popular adventures ever produced for the AD&D game. This version is updated for the AD&D 2nd Edition rules, and those from the Ravenloft campaign set. Count Strahd is now more powerful, and his castle is even more terrifying! TSR 9418

Cover of OP4 - Leprechaun's Luck
OP4 - Leprechaun's Luck
5th Edition
Level 1
2 pages
0

This single page, single player adventure introduces a new adventurer to the exploration life! Despite reservations by their family, the young PC opts to head to a nearby town to begin their career. The road to Remus is blocked thanks to a raging river but there was a shortcut that could be takenโ€ฆ

Cover of Displacer Beast Maze
Displacer Beast Maze
3rd Edition
Levels 5โ€“7
3 pages
0

Displace Beast Maze is an adventure that has one long encounter that is a combination of a puzzle (maze) and combat encounter (Displacer beast). The Displacer beast tentacle's ability to attack through the maze walls, knowledge of the layout, and hit-and-run tactics make the labyrinth both a useful and possibly deadly lair for the creature. Pgs. 27-29

Cover of Howls in the Night
Howls in the Night
AD&D
Levels 3โ€“5
32 pages
0

The Mists of Ravenloft draw close, surrounding unfortunate travelers in their clammy embrace. When they part, they reveal the land of Mordent, a domain of rolling moors and woods, beautiful by day and terrifying by night. A new danger lurks in the haunted moors: hounds whose mournful howls and murderous jaws trap the townsfolk in their homes at night. At the heart of it all lies a curse laid a century ago, and a tale of bitter tragedy. Even now, you can hear the howls in the night... Howls in the Night is a dark fantasy murder mystery - but one in which the victim has been dead for 100 years! Alternate adventure backgrounds allow the Dungeon Master to choose one of four possible conclusions. TSR 9466

Cover of X2 Castle Amber (Chateau D'Amberville)
X2 Castle Amber (Chateau D'Amberville)
BECMI
Levels 3โ€“6
28 pages
0

Trapped in the mysterious Castle Amber, you find yourselves cut off from the world you know. The castle is fraught with peril. Members of the strange Amber family, some insane, some merely deadly, lurk around every corner. Somewhere in the castle is the key to your escape, but can you survive long enough to find it? TSR 9051

Cover of From the Ashes - Adventure 3: What Lies Beyond Reason Adventure Path (Pathfinder)
From the Ashes - Adventure 3: What Lies Beyond Reason Adventure Path (Pathfinder)
Pathfinder
Levels 5โ€“6
69 pages
0

What makes Heroes into Villains? Damien Anthilas has fallen from ally to adversary, but something desperate in him has struck a chord with you. Why would he risk everything to steal the memories of the citizens of Anduria? Left with only a cryptic clue, the characters seek answers from the burned out remnants of his former home. Anthilas Manor is a place of dark magic and even darker history, where the ghosts of the past hold sway and the influence of the mad god is still felt to this day