Even close knit adventure parties could use a break from each other once in a while. Hiatus from the Party is a set of several different adventures for solo PCs and a DM. The adventures have been divided up into selections depending on classes and are meant for lower level adventurers. This scenario can also be used to introduce players to a game!
Provost Nigel Faurious’s continued planar research has uncovered a reference to a sapphire amulet and a map with general directions to the entrance of the Shining Valley deep within the Graywall Mountains. He believes that the Valley is an Irian manifest zone, capable of charging the sapphire and granting unknown healing properties. The Provost has already acquired the sapphire and contracted Lhara, a female shifter within the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild, to put forth a writ calling for adventurers to follow the map he uncovered and discover if the amulet’s properties are authentic. Unbeknownst to the Provost, a flight of harpies known as the Haunting Song is already living within the Shining Valley after escaping an attack on their lives by two other flights. The characters will have to convince these current inhabitants that they mean no harm. The harpies have already learned the healing properties of the valley and have been raising a new generation without any outside interference, but due to the party’s recent expedition, an oncoming war party has been spotted and the harpies now demand they assist in defending their home.
Chaos reigns outside Roslof Keep, and the spread of the violet corruption runs deep within Mithelvarn's Dungeon. Now, the Company of the Ivory Scimitar must not only face the challenges of the Roslof delve, but will also find the dangers of the Kelmalin Wildlands must be overcome as well if they are ever to get to the bottom of the deadly plague that ravages the land. Time is running out, and only those brave enough will be able to face the horrors of the Glade of the Burning Dead and the dark recesses of The Hill. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules. Also available in PDF.
The Riverlands Kingdom is a peaceful place. Generations ago it was a thriving and rich trading empire. Now it is a sleepy region of farms and a few craftsmen. Dotted with villages and a few towns along the numerous rivers, protected by a wall of rugged mountains, a wild forest and a vast steppe, little of note occurs here from generation to generation. All that is about to be shattered, an ancient evil has arisen and undertakes to bring wrath and destruction to the Riverlands in a pledge to conquer the rivers and kill those who reside between them. The peace is about to be shattered, the harmony destroyed, the balance disturbed.
To arms! To arms! The battle lines are drawn as desert men and inhuman tribes wait poised to strike on the fertile and rich lands of the east. The call has gone out through the civilized lands. The armies have been raised to match the invading foes from the west. Nobles and peasants have joined swords to greet the foes. But Fate or Chance has decreed another role for a small few. No glorious banners will wave on their march. No squadrons of knights will charge at their word. Instead, they will fight the war with stealth, secrecy, and cunning. The risks they will take are great, but the fates of both armies lie with them. It begins one night for your party far from the fighting. Suddenly you are entrusted with the most dangerous mission of the war. Can you cross the Sind Desert, occupied now by enemy armies, to find the Great Pass? Can you find the one known only as The Master? What will you do if you find him? So begins your adventure in The Master of the Desert Nomads, the first module of a two-part adventure that can be concluded in the exciting Temple of Death or played entirely on its own. Can your party do what must be done? TSR 9068
Under raging stormclouds, a lone figure stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of castle Ravenloft. Count Strahd von Zarovich stares down a sheer cliff at the village below. A cold, bitter wind spins dead leaves around him, billowing his cape in the darkness. Lightning splits the clouds overhead, casting stark white light across him. Strahd turns to the sky, revealing the angular muscles of his face and hands. He has a look of power - and of madness. His once-handsome face is contorted by a tragedy darker than the night itself. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind's howling increases as Strahd turns his gaze back to the village. Fas below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd's face forms a twisted smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they were coming, and he knows why they came, all according to his plan. He, the master of Ravenloft, will attend to them. Another lightning flash rips through the darkness, its thunder echoing through the castle's towers. But Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind - or perhaps a lone wolf - fills the midnight air. The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited. TSR 9075
A Halfling girl battling a rare disease that no magic can cure. A fruit, which has the power to heal and the power to corrupt, now guarded by mad siblings. A journey through a hostile forest, a trapped tower, and a dungeon to retrieve the fruit to heal the young girl. Will your heroes be triumphant, or will they perish while attempting to retrieve the mysterious fruit?
The Drunderry River runs narrow and fast through much of its course, before tumbling into the lowlands beneath the Fallow Hills, in the shadows of the Blacktooth Ridge. From there, the river spreads out across fertile plains, laboring slowly to the south before emptying into the Elmarsh Lake. Until recently this area was unsettled, but a writ of the King's has brought many people to the area. The village of Malforten, nesteld along the banks fo the Drunderry River, near the Fallow Hills, is just such a place. A quiet village with simple people, they learned the hard way the Blacktooth Ridge casts a deep and dark shadow. Seeing rich prizes in cattle and grain, people and other movables, Gritznak the Gnoll has come down from the Blacktooth with loot on his mind. All they've done to drive him off have failed, at their wits end the villagers turn to others, more experienced in combatting evil. They look to a rising knight to save them . . . . Also available for 5E: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/160855/A0-The-Rising-Knight--Adventures-for-5th-Edition-Rules
Sometimes wandering through the frontier garners information as opposed to bloodshed. In this adventure the party stumbles across a party of Plainsmen who tell the party of some strange goings on at a remote graveyard. They tell the party that they observed ghostly figures after a lightning strike and small fire. As they were unprepared to deal with the undead but suggest if the party is up for some experience, perhaps they should head north in the morning!
What could happen while traveling the vast Savage Frontier? Just about anything! Encounters in the Savage Frontier includes 24 unique encounters of various difficulty that can be used while the adventuring party travels the Savage Frontier. It also includes several new creatures and magic items, digital hand-drawn maps (10 as downloadable .jpg files), and original artwork. Some of the encounters are short and brief, while others may take you a full gaming session to complete. Available for Fantasy Grounds
The Sleeper Awakes! At last, after languishing in its crypt for an age, the secrets of the slumbering city of Tsar burst forth in all their macabre glory. Poured forth from the eldritch furnaces and crucibles of the Necromancer and Orcus himself comes Frog God Games bringing you at long last The Slumbering Tsar Saga™. Something Stirs in the City of Evil Over the distant northern hills, beyond The Camp, and past the Desolation stand the pitted walls of Tsar. A hundred armies have crushed themselves against this bulwark in futile attempts to breach the city. Even the combined might of the Heavens and Earth were unable to break through in the final battle of Tsar. So why was the city suddenly abandoned on the verge of victory, and what waits for those foolish enough to enter the Temple-City of Orcus? The Black Gates Await Only the bravest and most powerful of heroes dare the depths of the Desolation and live to tell of it. But what happens when they penetrate that blasted landscape and look upon the gates of the very center of evil on the earth. Can even heroes of such renown breach the Walls of Death and live?
An adventure in Hyperborea designed for from four to six characters of 6th through 8th level In the far reaches of Hyperborea’s Crab Archipelago lies a small, mountainous island known as Crystal Point. Passing sailors recently have witnessed a crimson glow in Crystal Point’s waters and beams of russet light shining up from its steep cliffs. Too, unusually frequent lightning storms in the area have torn the sky in blinding flashes, shattering the air with their awesome sound. The seedy wharf taverns of Khromarium and elsewhere buzz with these strange tales—some even speculate that Crystal Point may hold the lost treasure of Atlantis! The Lost Treasure of Atlantis takes players into an action-packed realm of adventure: the mythical world of Hyperborea, a sword-and-sorcery campaign setting inspired by the fantastic fiction of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and others. This adventure is designed for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™ (AS&SH™), a role-playing game descended from the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Therefore, AS&SH is compatible with most traditional fantasy role-playing games (c. 1974 to 1999) and their modern simulacra, such as OSRIC™ and Swords & Wizardry™.
This adventure begins with the party chasing down a thief who has procured the crown of a local Marquis. The trail goes to a northern border community in the dead of winter and potentially ends at the ruins known as Valtarius's Retreat which secured the border in the “old days”. The ruins are currently home to a dreaded Dracolich who will most likely not care to be disturbed by a group of adventurers! Can the party recover the crown and remain alive?
Can you save Timsgiving (not Christmas) when Tim (not Santa) goes missing just days before the holiday? With only a few days until the annual winter gift-giving festival of Timsgiving, Tim the toy maker has gone missing without a word. Something mischievious is afoot. Can the party save the town of Spining from missing a holiday? Dragon in a Toy Shop is a 3-6 hour adventure for a 4th to 5th level party. It is set near the town of Spining, which can be dropped into any campaign setting, but can also be run alongside another settlement or even in the middle of the wilderness!
Caravan of Peril takes place on the unprotected roads and trails of the wilderness between cities. Merchants, pilgrims, and wanderers have long banded together in wagon caravans for safety when setting off into the wild -- yet a caravan is only as safe as its hired guards. There's plenty of coin to be had on the road for those with a swords (or spell book), a steady will, and a taste for adventure. This adventure begins assuming the characters have all signed on as caravan guards. Their motivation may be money, wanderlust, or a hasty need to get out of town. Whatever the case, payment is 25gp each, paid upon safe arrival in the next city. Along the way, the characters will brave the dangers of the wilds, make some unusual acquaintances, and be ambushed by crafty goblins.
An unusually severe drought in a remote area recently worsened dramatically when three lakes dried up almost simultaneously. The locals suspect foul play, and the foulest player they know is a bugbear named Relgore -- the leader of a highly successful group of humanoid bandits. Could he be seeking revenge for the militia attacks that recently dispersed his band?
After enjoying a bit of free time in Cullifield while some members of your party finish their training, you hear word of a quick trip out to sea. Further investigation leads you to understand a certain list needs fulfilled and a drunken sea captain is willing to split the profits. Well, no need to sit around on your hands…let’s hit the waves!
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.
There's trouble in Allesley! An Eastbrook farm has been attacked and people slain. But by what? The people are frightened, the Reeve is concerned, and the Constable wants you to figure out what’s going on. The last time this happened, goblins attacked the town. Does this mean war? This is the first adventure in a series to come in 2017 which builds on the introductory mini-adventure in the Eastbrook starting area.
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