A new, expanded, OSR-ised, prettified edition of Joseph R. Lewis’ Ragged Hollow Nightmare which was rated among The Best by Tenfootpole. Joseph Lewis hit a perfect balance between the classics of dungeonverse fantasy and the whimsy of the folk tales we love so much (as testified by our Folklore Bestiary. we released last year), adding a dash of dreamworld strangeness and a pinch of body horror to spice up his brew. We did our best to respect his recipe when adding our extra material (about 30 pages of it). We worked with Joe and Li-An (the perfect artist to give life to spooky Ragged Hollow and its strange surroundings) to make the best module we could: a solid introduction to old-school gaming for both players and gamemasters. And for the veterans among us, it also makes an excellent, full-fledged campaign starter. Nightmare over Ragged Hollow is a sandbox adventure centred around a quaint town at the edge of the kingdom. But however quiet life in Ragged Hollow is, the town lies between places where you shouldn’t be traveling alone. Places like Gloam Wood (“A witch or two lurk there!”), the Bleak Mountains (“I’m told there are bugbears…”) and their infamous Mount Mourn (“Home, they say, to cursed Dwarven ruins”), not to forget the Wailing Hills (“Bandits on every road!”). There’s even a haunted house by the river (“That mad inventor riddled it with traps!”). But only when an impenetrable dome of golden light materialises around the Temple of Halcyon (“Hey, my kids go to school there!”) do things really get out of hand. Some selfless heroes (or, failing that, a bunch of greedy ne’er-do-wells) should really get involved. One town with three adventure mini-sites Three small dungeons One 50-room dungeon Three hexes with 16 detailed locations Two groups of potential allies or rivals Sixteen pre-generated characters One deadly countdown! Written for the Old-School Essentials (OSE) rule system
A bad heir day. The Land of Fate is known for its hot sands and fiery passions. You must survive both to restore order to the city. An evil order of wizards is terrorizing local towns. It is up to the party to find their secret lair and put an end to their nefarious plots. Pgs. 34-53 & 57
Dragonbowl is a setting and pulp action adventure in one. It plunges a party into a rich festival scenario that revolves around a deadly gladiatorial contest, where the dangers they face in the arena are almost secondary to those they encounter in the murky criminal underworld they find themselves in: a world that stinks of corruption, human trafficking, illegal dinosaur-trading, necromancy, blood sacrifice and unnatural arcane experiments. The action takes place in a vast cavern in Mount Waterdeep, known as the Underbelly, where not only Dragonbowl Arena, but also an entire festival grounds – consisting of temples, bars, casinos, funfairs and markets - has been constructed to host this grand sporting extravaganza. With Xanathar, Jarlaxle, Davil, Volo and the Black Viper all in attendance, and scores of 'entanglements' (faction missions) to keep players busy, Dragonbowl can be played as a sequel to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, or as a first step towards the Undermountain and the Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Equally, it can be played as a stand alone adventure, or easily transported into other settings. The adventure is written for a party of four 6th level adventurers, and easily customisable for three to five players, of any mid-tier level (the adventure contains maps and handouts adapted for both 4 and 5 player tables). The adventure is designed to last around ten to fifteen 4-hour sessions, but can very easily be shortened or lengthened according to the DM's desire. The adventure features all three pillars of play: combat (in and out of the arena), social interaction (a succession of parties and parades, where players can get entangled in NPC business) and exploration (30+ locations in the festival grounds alone).
As an ominous comet passes over Toril, a young researcher from Candlekeep goes missing. In darker corners of the Realms, eldritch horrors stir, answering the call of a dead god. Will the heroes be able to save the scholar before they succumb to an Elder Evil from beyond the reaches of sanity? This single session adventure is perfect if you are looking to introduce science-fiction themes into your game or just enjoy Lovecraftian horror. It has copious references to the Spelljammer setting and could be used as a springboard into that campaign setting. The Call of Atropus requires Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes to run effectively.
War brews beneath the emperor's notice, nature convulses as unholy demons bring woe to entire prefectures, and hobgoblin mercenaries wearing powerful machine armor march in greater numbers than ever before. Will you rise to save the empire or is Soburin destined for destruction? Soburin is beset upon by dark forces from its ancient past—not only the evil mists that transform men into monsters, but now too the return of a potent necromancer set to bring about a reign of agony, despair, and death! In the looming crisis the immortals that have treated the world as their gaming set are gathering their agents and pawns, deploying unique warriors across the continent with goals as mysterious as they are. It is within this epic game of intrigue that the adventurers become entangled as they undertake quests for the governmental bengoshi in the Sukochi, Yokuba, Ikari, Hakaisuru, Fuson, and Gekido prefectures as well as visit the enigmatic Tsukisasu, city of oni. Demons begat by the entities that consumed nature plague the party during their travels as do a very special gang of smugglers, the gun-toting Mubo Brothers, and the bloody hobgoblin mercenary erikotera warriors suddenly far more populous across the countryside than ever before. By the time all is said and done the PCs take part in a furious mass battle, nail-biting race through an undead dungeon, and finally an epic fight against an ancient evil atop the Hone-Noroi bone tower before it all comes crashing down! This extensive adventure path takes characters from 3rd to 12th level and includes all previous Mists of Akuma modules (Scourge of Róbai Shita Temple, Feud Primordial, Fangs of Revenge, Cursed Soul of the Scorpion Samurai, Yai Sovereign of Storms, and Revenge of the Pale Master) paired together with connecting material that creates one intensive campaign sure to delight GMs and players for months on end! It would be exhausting to list everything that's inside of the 374 pages of Trade War—here are some quick highlights and if you think this book is for you, peruse the table of contents (below) and sample PDFs. Over 50 maps 90 different NPCs and monsters 6 highly-rated adventure modules ranging from straightforward dungeon crawls to sandboxes of intrigue and back (and 2 sidequests by Andrew Engelbrite and Dirk van de Rijt) 8 new class archetypes: survivalist barbarians, smuggler bards, acrobat monks, tumbler rogues, enigmatic eye warlocks, desperado warlocks, and wizards of the inside out 32 new martial arts stance feats including new weapons martial arts stances Hyperlinks throughout to make accessing statblocks from the core rules a breeze Rules for mass combat An epic 9-level bone dungeon inspired by Buddhist hells Mists of Akuma character sheets
Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner—and you are invited. Spans levels 1-10.
A scourge has recently fallen upon the house of Lord Gabiru Fuson as his family’s servants began disappearing, one slain in the street by a fallen hero known as the Scorpion Samurai in a widely-talked of murder that has sparked a wave of public dissent and ridicule. The dishonored adopted son of Lord Gabiru has evaded authorities for years but the tide of blood his sword washes onto Soburin is growing ever higher—the adventurers are called upon by the Fuson bengoshi Yukari Nishioka in secret, brought into service to strike down the murderous brigand in an ambush she has set on Shjiki Island. As they lay in wait however a local outcast brings information to light that reveals there may be other bait in the village of Shinjitsu… This exciting adventure (set in the Mists of Akuma campaign setting) begins in the snowy hideaway village of Yukinokyu where the PCs are approached with a curious message—orders delivered by a local Kizuato bengoshi's servant, hiding the authority of a Fuson Herbal Master's directives! The adventurers must sneak into the prefecture to the north, traveling through Hidaretei Pass where three dangerous ogres dwell. After reaching the town of Kakasu they are bid to meet the state functionary in a distant grove and are waylaid by an oni and its adeddo-oni retinue before clandestinely infiltrating the island-village of Shinjitsu. Once there they must bait and capture the Scorpion Samurai, stopping him and the dark ritual he has planned before the evil he unlocks transforms the fallen hero into an unstoppable monster! What you'll find in this fully-illustrated 33 page module: The story of Hinjuku Nagaro, dishonored orphan son and bloodsoaked warrior known as the Scorpion Samurai! A compelling and action-filled adventure in 3 acts that take the PCs across the continent of Soburin before upending a plan that might save one of the world's most powerful nobles from certain doom! Rules for the supernatural haze and two new attributes integral to Mists of Akuma: Dignity and Haitoku. More than a half dozen NPCs and monsters ranging from adeddo-oni to the deadly Scorpion Samurai and his duplicitous ally, a penanggalen! Five maps for every major encounter in Hidaretei Pass, Kakasu, the Fuson Forest, Shinjitsu, and Ikatteiru Cave!
At one time the City of Tygos was a bustling metropolis located in the southeastern portion of the Plains of Dorack. Sitting in the shadow of the Dorack Mountains this city flourished as a trading metropolis. Decades ago the leaders of the city, the Serpentine Cultists, began a racially charged campaign against certain factions of the Plainsmen tribes. The resulting response of the Plainsmen was devastating to Tygos and the city was levelled for the most part and the water supply was poisoned. The city was also home to a group of adventurers called JOHAN and their fortress was said to contain powerful ancient magic that was never recovered. If these items can be located the resulting power can bring continued success to your party’s wealth and fame.
The Blood of a King The king is dead. All hail the king! The nomadic cattle-herding tribes of Shoma now meet at the Horns of Ngura to sacrifice gold and choose a new tribal king based on a series of ritual ordeals. Will you sneak into the temple of the Bull-God to steal its treasures, or will you participate as a champion in the Trials of Ngura? Savage Swords and Sinister Sorcery "The Trials of Ngura" is a stand-alone sword and sorcery adventure module, inspired by the pulp era tales of Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. Venture in the footsteps of Conan the Cimmerian, Satampra Zeiros of Uzuldaroum, Imaro of Nyumbani, and other fabled thieves, reavers and slayers! Written for the Fifth Edition (5E) of the world's most popular roleplaying game, the adventure in this book can be easily adapted to any fantasy roleplaying game ruleset or edition.
Nestled high in the mountains of the Holdfists is Karnack, known for a millennium as the ‘city of the gods’. Known for its multitude of shrines, one in particular has caught the attention of the party. Annwyn is the legendary Plane of Magic for Filbar and can be used to recharge magical weapons that ‘lose their edge’. This adventure was used to help the party recharge one of their weapons they had, but this setting can be used for a variety of different purposes including a visit with a rather nasty neighbor beyond the city borders….it ain’t easy being green!
A sickness has come unto the simple mining community of Duvik’s Pass, poisoning their wells and blighting their crops. With the pestilence leaving the strongest men of the town’s guard a few short days away from death, the burden of descending into the mines and purging the wellspring of whatever evil has settled there falls to an intrepid band of adventurers. Can these noble heroes prevail within the depths of Duvik’s Pass, or will they too fall victim to the perils of The Burning Plague? The Burning Plague is a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure designed for a party of four to six characters of 1st level. Dungeon Masters (DMs) should feel free to adjust the adventure as necessary to accommodate groups not falling within this range. However, given the fairly low power level of the inhabitants of the mines at Duvik’s Pass, it should be noted that parties consisting of 20 or more total levels are unlikely to find satisfactory challenge within The Burning Plague.
As your experience is beginning to get noticed, a new problem has come to Lakedale. Reports of the profitable Andall Mine to the south is under attack by humanoids. Gather your cohorts…looks like it is time to go back to work and see if you can boost your fame!
After spending a little time going through dusty old tomes and documents your group has discovered a tapestry offering you clues to a long dead and buried king. Since kings are usually buried with their riches and no information shows that his tomb has been located perhaps a little grave robbing may be in order! This adventure has several wilderness spots for exploration as well as an old burial cairn with several levels. The only problem is that the king isn’t really “dead” in the normal sense.
Finding missing people is a job any adventurers for hire get used to. But when the missing person turns out to be the recently deceased wife of a prominent merchant's son, and when there is the small matter of a major jewelry theft to deal with as well, then you've got an adventure that is nothing other than normal.... Find the Lady is an adventure for the D&D and AD&D game systems. It is designed for a party of 1st - 3rd level characters, with secondary skills generated according to the article in this issue. This scenario was not designed with any set number of characters or mix of professions and levels in mind, and could equally well be run as a group or solo adventure. It can be played as a one-off adventure or as part of the Pelinore or Zhalindor campaigns, and notes are included on placing the adventure in either world. GM2 Find the Lady Pgs. 15-46
This higher level adventure takes the group on a survey mission for the Merchant’s Guild. The party will be asked to go through Uvarno, home of the Horselords, and attempt to locate a suitable passage for a merchant caravan into The Melcore. The party’s previous dealings with one of the Horselords, as well as they proven abilities to resolve “problems” has made them a natural choice for the mission. Built as a hex crawl, this scenario will require the party to map the wilderness as well as clearing out any “hostiles”.
The Ghost Tribe of Orcs have been driven from their home under the Sword Mountains by some terrible evil and they now see Phandalin as their best option for a new home. The heroes, who are on their way to Phandalin for a much needed rest after their adventures in the Lost Mine, must make it to town in time to warn the inhabitants and help prepare for the orc attack. Orcs to Phandalin is the first of four parts in the After Lost Mine series and will detail the trip to Phandalin. There will be three subsequent adventures: Part II, which details the battle to save the city; Part III, which details the trip to the orc’s cave settlement; and Part IV, detailing the party’s mission to deal with the terror from the Underdark that drove the orcs out of their home.
Expand your game with this collection of 56 NPCs of various Challenge Ratings, thirteen of which include maps and details of their lairs. Add these NPCs as a side-quest, a main villain, a one-shot, a bounty for easy money, or however else you wish. Written by some of the best-selling authors on the Dungeon Masters Guild and outstanding podcasters, each NPC includes an image, a backstory, motives, flaws, and a stat block. Some even include new magic items!
This adventure was featured at GriffonCon in South Bend in 2016. Two countries are uniting for a wedding when one of the most important gifts of the union is stolen. Without the dowry of the 40 Golden Eggs from Lord Griffon the wedding will not occur and war will be the likely outcome. A quartet of the most loyal warriors has been sent into to Chromatic Canyon to deal with the bandits and retrieve the items! This is an “EGGSELLENT” adventure for convention tourneys!
From the lead designer of Dragon Age Origins, in partnership with the creators of Odyssey of the Dragonlords, comes Raiders of the Serpent Sea! Take to the seas of Grimnir and battle against the sinister forces of a forgotten past in an epic campaign for the 5th Edition of the world’s greatest roleplaying game! Guide 4-6 players through tumultuous waters as they become heroes across a campaign that will take them from 1st to 16th level. Raiders of the Serpent Sea is a blend of high fantasy and a darker world of grim seafaring raiders. Grimnir’s clans constantly fight to survive in this doomed world filled with ancient and fantastic creatures - giants, sea serpents, saber-toothed tigers, and the world-devouring Yoten. Nowhere is safe, danger and glory abound! The Raiders of the Serpent Sea Campaign Guide PDF includes almost 500 pages of epic adventure and supplemental material with full-color maps and illustrations that breathe life into the campaign world.
Characters explore a dangerous, but sparsely populated temple in search of the Staff of the Dragon. They will encounter traps, environmental hazards, and a nest of lizardfolk. The characters are rewarded for a 'look but don't touch' approach to the temple's features. The real highlight, though, is the closing encounter. Once the staff of the dragon is retrieved, it can transform the characters into dragons for a set period of time. As they exit the temple, they are beset by an ancient dragon and the stage is set for an epic brawl as the characters take to the sky in dragon form. Can be completed as a one-shot.