Did you know there’s a skeleton inside each of us? The players will find themselves in a community of scared anthropomorphic rabbits and exploring the lair of undead wizards looking for flesh to wear. There are opportunities for combat, roll play, puzzle-solving and exploration. This was written as a submission for the Summer Adventure Design Contest over at Bryce's Adventure Design Forum.
The town of Warlorn is often thought of as a peaceful one. Not much happens there, and it is usually considered a place of peace were parties could convene to make truces or were the hurt could always come to find someone to care for them. Perceptions can often be incorrect however. The church of Ilmatter, God of Suffering, acts as an effective government in the town. Illmaters tenants are that to help all those who have suffered and to take on their suffering so that they may be healed. To them suffering is truly Holy, and to take suffering on from another is seen as the greatest way to prey to their god. Not everyone is as virtuous as a god, even his own followers, and humanity in taking on holy suffering is still left with desires; lusts that can be corrupted. When the Duchess of Manipulation who delights in corrupting church men spoke to the leader of this clergy of Ilmater, it was no difficult task for her to find a loophole in Illmaters word that she could exploit. If suffering was holy, then truly it should be those that do not yet understand Ilmater’s ways that should feel this suffering. Using a cultist of hers, she was able to create a child that could later be used as an ingredient for a portal right to her layer of hell. It’d be two birds in one stone; corrupt a devoted followers of a god she hated to later take their souls as her own, and create a portal that she could use to cross both herself and her armies to the material plane. When the players enter the scene, the child will have already been kidnapped, and the child’s mother will be hanging up fliers giving out a reward to anyone that can find her child. The players will find themselves needing to infiltrate the Church of Ilmater into its secret underground cult so that they can save the child and stop Glasya from finding her way to the Material Plane.
Beasts in the Blizzard After offending that wizard last night, you awake feeling a strange chill in your bones. Perhaps it’s just a figment of your imagination, a physical manifestation of paranoia. As you rise from your bed and look out the window, you think perhaps not.
A Conspiracy of Doors is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure for five player characters of 11th level. It can serve as an introduction to Sigil, the City of Doors, as well as a group of adventurers' first taste of action at the paragon tier.
Hurtling through time, you find yourself embroiled in a struggle to keep the fledgling town of Waterdeep from succumbing to a vicious Troll invasion. But sometimes the true threat lies within the city walls... Part Two of the Folded Time Trilogy.
A family feud - with green cows? A barn is burned, a field is trampled, and halfling tempers flare. Can you prevent a family feud? Pgs. 48-62
Things are not right at Du Sharid Manor. Months ago, a deranged parish priest and his most devout followers formed a heretical cult. These self-proclaimed “Seekers of the White Heart” chose the desolate Wild Hills to practice their secret rites; but the strange goings on at the Wild Hills did not escape the prying eyes of the more pious villagers who set out to confront the cultists. Once there, the villagers witnessed something terrifying and unexpected. Since the events of that night, the cultists have vanished, but the remaining serfs of Du Sharid now live in constant paranoia. Your party has been hired by the local bishop to to learn the truth about what happened at Du Sharid Manor. For use with Swords & Wizardry (or the like) and designed for the experienced Referee, Jewel of the Lunar Rift is a first-level campaign-starter and an introduction to the Messoria setting. Included as a bonus are campaign journals from the author's own sessions.
In the town of Easthaven, a group of adventurers is tasked on a routine mission to resupply an expedition to the Reghed Glacier. But everything is not quite as it seems, and it's not long before the chronographer's misfortunes become apparent.
Old Olga and Young Yvonne is a four- to six-hour adventure for 1st-4th level characters, designed for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, with a village theme, hags and witches, an abducted child to save, some horror, and mysteries to solve! Willow Creek, a remote farming village, is in trouble: livestock is going missing and reappears gutted in the woods, crops fail and fields blight - and now the bastard child of young Yvonne has gone missing as well. What no one in the village knows: Yvonne is a budding witch secretly feuding with Old Olga, an evil hag in the woods - who now demands a human sacrifice from Yvonne in return for her child. Who can sort out this mess, bring back the innocent child, prevent a murder, and return peace and quiet to Willow Creek? This adventure can also be used as a mini-campaign sandbox. With the branching and inter-connecting scenes, locations, and NPCs it provides, combined with the guidance on how to run a "village adventure", the material provided here on more than 60 pages can easily cover up to eight hours of playtime. Included with this adventure are: + an original custom creature, the young witch + 12 original fleshed out NPCs, including personality traits and roleplaying tips + a toolset for creating villager NPCs quickly + 7 hand-drawn maps of important locations + 4 alternative story rewards (depending on how the adventure resolves)
Darkness festers deep inside the forest of Logard. A beast has emerged, killing and abducting local villagers. A secret society of monster hunters has enlisted the heroes to help find one of their missing members and aid them in killing the beast… The Great Rebirth is a streamlined Draw Steel adventure with embedded rules references to make running and playing fun and easy. The adventure is laid out so players are introduced to a new mechanic (tests, combat, montage, and negotiation) one at a time, keeping the game and story engaging, without being overwhelming. What is this adventure about? The heroes have answered the call to eliminate a beast that has rampaged through the local village of Logard. They receive help in navigating Logard forest where they discover and explore a set of ruins while learning about tests. The ruins are trapped and a group of cultists send the heroes plummeting into their lair; combat ensues. From there it's a fast-paced journey of survival as the heroes escape a collapsing dungeon in a montage test, then negotiate with a speaking stone door in order to finally gain access to the monster they’ve been looking for: a being that has undergone the evil saint Eseld’s ‘Great Rebirth.’ Who is this adventure for? This is an ideal adventure for those wanting to run Draw Steel for the first time or looking to onboard newer players. The adventure is broken into various encounters, each focused on separate mechanics. This allows players to learn the different aspects of Draw Steel in a digestible and fun way. The Great Rebirth Features: - A 3-6 hour level 1 adventure for 5 players. (Balance suggestions included for various party sizes.) - 3 custom encounter maps (2 for combat, 1 for tests). - Embedded stat blocks and ‘Rules Recap’ text to keep things flowing at the table and minimize time spent searching for common answers. - All original artwork from Katrina Neyra (cover art) and Shaeomar.
Despite what some may think, those in Zhentil Keep haven't forgotten about their orc troops in Phent. In public discussion in Zhentil Keep, the leaders of the Zhentilar, the military branch of Zhentil Keep, have confidently asserted that the orcs in Thesk are completely loyal to Zhentil Keep. They maintain that the orcs are just biding their time and building up trust among the citizens, until the appointed time when the word is given. In private, these same leaders are gravely concerned. The leaders didn't get to positions of command by being idiots, and they know that the orcs are treated well and accepted in Thesk, which is a rarity for them with the humans and humanoids of Faerûn in general. The leaders know that many of the orcs would be reluctant to destroy the source of this acceptance. But what if the orcs' chief god, Gruumsh, told them to? The Zhentilar turned to the Black Network and presented the problem. The Zhents knew what to do. The Zhents have dispatched a powerful cleric, a master of persuasion and deception, to pose as an orc prophet of Gruumsh and whip the orcs into a destructive frenzy. In addition, the Zhentilar have staged raids against human caravans by what look like orc warriors so that they can start antiorc sentiment among the population of Thesk. Twin Oaks is a tiny, sleepy little thorp located just within the sheltering eaves of a great forest. Home to an extended family clan of farmers and woodcutters, the community was founded within living memory and since its creation the inhabitants have known only peace and prosperity. But just as the gentle breezes of late summer can transform rapidly into the deadly storms of autumn, dark times have come suddenly to Twin Oaks, in the person of Deskryn, a vampire who finds himself on the run from deadly enemies. Just two nights ago, as the good folk of Twin Oaks prepared for the annual harvest, Deskryn’s castle home was invaded by an intrepid band of adventurers led by a noble paladin. Although the party did not achieve its goal of slaying the vampire himself, they managed to drive him from his lair and force him to flee into the night with only the barest fraction of his former resources in tow. Unfortunately for the good folk of Twin Oaks, theirs was the community onto which the 2 vampire stumbled first, and it is here that the fiends have taken refuge. The little settlement offers the displaced vampire all that he needs: shelter from the hateful light of the sun, a selection of new servants, and a supply of fresh mortal blood. Even in his current condition, Deskryn alone is more than a match for the nhabitants of the thorp; but his best hope of survival lies not in conquest, but in secrecy. He plans to hide in Twin Oaks until he believes it safe to leave; then, he can begin plotting his revenge on the hateful paladin and her compatriots who brought him to this lowly state. As for the citizens of the thorp, they are all but helpless in the face of this powerful enemy. The vampire has already slaked his unholy thirst on one of their number, and his minions have taken hostages to ensure that the inhabitants do as they are told. All the folk of Twin Oaks hope that Deskryn will take what he wants and then leave them in peace, but few of them believe that such hopes are realistic. Until Deskryn has satisfied himself that the coast is clear, Twin Oaks—and its people—belong to him.
An emissary from the dwarven community of Hearth-Home approaches the player characters, beseeching them to aid the dwarves in finding a powerful mage who might bring disaster upon not only their mountain fortress, but all of the Thunder Rift! Escape from Thunder Rift adventure leads the heroes into a dark dungeon where they may discover a gate between the valley of Thunder Rift and the World of Mystara. Packaged with a DM screen. TSR 9437
Welcome to the town of Talos, where things are fairly peaceful aside from the ritualistic sacrifices that have been occurring lately. Have a lovely dinner that ends with your party being trapped in a cellar, bound and one member short. The clock is ticking to see if they can solve the mystery of the cult and find their missing companion before it is too late.
At times adventuring groups will hit a town after a successful foray and go their separate ways for a short time. This adventure centers on such a scenario with one member opting to chase down a thief that has burgled the merchant’s guild. When checking with their cohorts the adventurer discovers they are the only one interested and, since its only one thief, the challenge should be fairly easy….right?
Reports of the owlbear incident were vastly exaggerated. When is an evil mage not an evil mage? While visiting the small village of Carthington Cross, the PCs hear a tale about a wizard who unleashed an owlbear on Carthington Cross and its unsuspecting community. After a night of stories and gossip in the local inn, the heroes are approached in the morning by this same notorious wizard who needs their help. Pgs. 18-28
The annual Winterflower Festival & Dance is just around the corner! What originally started as a festival to honor the rare Winterflower has grown into an annual gathering for families, soldiers, and hunters to eat, drink, and dance the night away. The festival is named after the rarest flower in the world. It thrives in a cold mountainous region and has a reputation for growing on sheer mountain peaks and cliffs. It is the only flower known to grow through layers of snow in order to reach the sunlight. When carefully transplanted near the village the Winterflower is considered a blessing which protects the village from harm. It is customary for the men of the village to ask the women to the dance by presenting them with rare, difficult to obtain gifts. A woman will usually select from the men based on the rarity of the gift with which she was presented. This year, a beautiful maiden by the name of Gwendolyn has come of age and many men vie for her attention. Three such men are Nicoli Vrodle, Alem Dulgra, and Vladimir Pelchonal- all of which are willing to go to great lengths to attend the Winterflower Festival & Dance with the maiden Gwendolyn on their arm. Each of the three men hire the PCs to retrieve the rarest gifts in the land. The catch? The Winterflower Festival starts in just 5 days so the PCs must hurry!
The chase to save your family continues! After your encounter at the cove, you head south across Esaq to try and catch the slavers. With some experience under your belt, you are feeling more confident about your fighting ability, but it is about to be tested yet again. This scenario picks up where DQ1 left off and is the middle of a trio of adventures.
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
Murder! Ripples of shock pour through the wee hours of the sleepy fishing shanty of Port Scuttle. An innocent young fishmonger, beloved by the locals, has been brutally murdered in her own shop. Stunned by the grisly act, the typically hardened townsfolk turn to powerful heroes to investigate the gruesome deed. Could the fishmonger’s recent discovery of a massive black pearl be a possible motive? The heroes’ goal is to not only bring the perpetrator to justice, but determine the twisted purpose behind the ghastly act. Concerned townsfolk decry that the evildoer must hang for his or her despicable crime. Yet when the heroes finally track down the murderer, he is already dead by the noose, and the investigation has truly only begun. Clues hint at even darker designs, as an ancient evil stirs to reclaim a once lost malevolent relic. Tackle the challenge of solving the despicable murder of an innocent, and thwarting the diabolical schemes of a powerful brine vampire. Th e adventure is set in and around a small fishing port located on the windswept craggy cliffs of an ocean. The author draws on two inspirations for this adventure: The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, and an unnamed adventure plot by the author’s astonishing wife, Lisa.
As the adventurers depart Honeyfest to go on their next adventure, one or more of the characters may suddenly come down with a terrible sickness. To make matters worse, as they make to leave town (or visit the local apothecary), the market square is suddenly thrown into chaos by a plague wizard and his pet otyugh spreading filth!