An immense urban sandbox and eastern fantasy noir mega adventure for D&D 5E that takes 4–6 characters from 3rd through 12th level! An enmity between the Gekido, Hakaisuru, Kirai, and Namida clans has persisted for ages, the wounds from the Battle of Broken Spears torn open every few years by border skirmishes and trade disputes. Seeking to win the minds of the people by a grand gesture during these dark times, Emperor Hitoshi Masuto has arranged an alliance between the quarreling noble families—20 brides and grooms have been chosen to wed in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the decisive final battle in the rebellion against more than a century of foreign occupation. Imperial Matchmaker Weddings Decree Whether the adventurers seek honor and glory by protecting these fiancees or choose to line their pockets by ensuring the unions never come to pass, opportunity knocks at their door as the bengoshi of several clans sift through the mercenaries and spellswords that walk the streets of Sanbaoshi. To rise above the chaff in the capital of the Imperial Prefecture the PCs must be willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals and survive among their cutthroat competition, the corrupting Mists of Akuma, and any designs of the monstrous forces keen to strike a foothold anew in Soburin. What's to be found in Imperial Matchmaker? Statistics for over 120 monsters and NPCs! No matter where the party goes or who they interact with GMs will quickly be able to provide skill bonuses, hit points, and everything else they might need to populate the world, creating a dynamic and seamless environment around the adventurers. Over 40 maps including an insane 2-page isometric illustration of Sanbaosh by Indi Martin! The urban sandbox where most of the mega adventure takes place has a staggering amount of cartography to make certain GMs are never hard-pressed when figures are needed. 147 pages of material focused on the capital of the Imperial Prefecture! With NPCs and maps galore the detail poured into Sanbaoshi make its chapter a book unto itself, making this an outstanding addition to any GM's collection (whether running the mega adventure or not). New magic items including the sheathe ring and black glass dagger, as well as innovative rules for Absentee & Memorial cards! New character options! Put your allies (or pet) into a frenzy with the College of the Maddening Flute, use a deadly bladed brush to turn painting into reality as a Genjitsugaka fighter, look upon the Kami when making a pact to gain a spiritual companion, or become a warlock of Ancestors to pierce through the veil of time. A unique adventure unlike any you've played before! There are 10 high profile matrimonies set to take place in this gigantic module but so very much more awaiting the PCs as they walk the streets of Sanbaoshi: specialized sidequests for the Mists of Akuma Iconics, unexpected trials like Nobukai Bamboo Grove, and virtually endless intrigues amongst the gangs, criminal organizations, noble clans, and other folk that make their homes in the capital of the Imperial Prefecture.
Ducklings. It's not too late too close this page, and go and find an adventure about happy-go-lucky halflings, or emotionally stable young adventurers. This is not that story. You can still walk away, and find some other engagement that your players will forgive you for running. Open this little document, and you will be introduced to the wretched streets of Elysium. Home of aberrations, mystery and futile quests for meaning in the drowned streets of the tortured city. Escape is unlikely. Enjoyment fleeting. I implore you, turn away and don't look back. Mind flayers stalk streets plagued by invisible death. Curses bubble from ancient evils sleeping beneath the water. Questions lead to questions, which evolve into answers you will only regret asking for. Go whilst you still can. There is nothing here for you but death. Prologue: Welcome to Elysium Chapter One: The Crooked House Chapter Two: The Broken Prison Chapter Three: The Temple of the Gaunt Silhouette Chapter Four: The Grand Library Chapter Five: The Adamant Asylum Chapter Six: The Dancing Spider Chapter Seven: The Undercity An adventure for characters of level 15+ Contains: An introduction to Elysium, a Ravenloft domain filled with eldritch mystery and drowned secrets, including Life In Elysium, The Rule Unspoken and the Marks of Horror that set Elysium apart. Guidance on Madness in Elysium, with Elysian Madness tables for your horror/amusement. A list of Elysian locations, some of which will be expanded in later releases. Elysian random encounter tables, day & night. An Elysian Wild Magic table, miserable magic items and tragic trinkets. The first installment - The Crooked House, in which we meet the Duchess and her parade of dead husbands. The seconf installment - The Broken Prison, where the shadows of gods walk amongst men The third installment, The Temple of the Gaunt Silhouette, where broken fragments of reality are reached by strange avenues. The fourth installment, The Grand Library, where the things we wanted to forget prove impossible to truly banish. The fifth installment, The Adamant Asylum, where medicine and madness meet. The sixth installment, The Dancing Spider, in which there is no rest for the wicked. The seventh installment, The Undercity, where your worst suspicions are confirmed. Three new character backgrounds: the Eldritch Detective, the Information Broker and the Tempter of Fate. The long-suffering Elysian character race, with two subraces. The first One Page Woes collection, included here for your convenience, which contains thirteen reasons to be thoroughly miserable.
People keep asking for "beginner" dungeons. Everyone can name "classic" dungeons - Tomb of Horrors, Barrier Peaks, Ravenloft, etc. - but in order for those adventures to make sense, there needs to be some sort of introduction. It's like all the adventures we have are Bach concertos. People keep writing amazing works of staggering genius, but someone needs to write a book on how to play the piano. I had the same questions, and since I couldn't find anything satisfactory, I decided to write the kind of dungeon I would have loved to find. I wanted to write the best basic OSR dungeon for beginners that I could, and I also wanted to show the design process. If you like this dungeon, please share it, tell people about it, print copies and leave them lying around local game stores, or email this post to friends who have "always wanted to try D&D but don't know where to start". The entire thing is and always will be free.
An omnious encounter with a fortuneteller sends a party of adventurers on a 200-mile journey across the Lands of Intrigue. While traveling throught the towns and terrain (detailed here for the first time) that lie in their path, they hear rumors and obtain clues about their mission. Their ultimate destination is Castle Spulzeer, a once proud stronghold that has become a den of terror. When the heroes enter the haunted keep, they meet a terrifying trio of residents: a madman armed with stolen magical power, a liche whose secret laboratory houses untold horrors and treasure, and a furious ghost bent on revenge. These three ensnare the party in their fight over an ancient weapon. Each will stop at nothing to keep it from the other two. The heroes must choose with whom they will ally - and the wrong choice could lead to their doom. Castle Spulzeer is an adventure complete in itself. However, as a crossover story, it offers every Dungeon Master a choice between two endings. The first leaves the party in the Realms. The second transports the characters to the Demiplane of Dread, where the plot continues in the Ravenloft adventure The Forgotten Terror. For 4 to 6 Characters of Levels 8-12 This conversion guide allows DMs to run the original module with 5th Edition rules. To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of Castle Spulzeer, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in digital format on the DMs Guild. Visit Classicmodulestoday.com for instructions on creating your own classic module conversions and selling them on the DMs Guild. Castle Spulzeer was originally scheduled for publication by TSR in June 1997. Then, near-bankruptcy caused a total failure of TSR's schedule, resulting in no books being published from February through the very end of July. Some books would be delayed for over a year, and others would disappear altogether, but Castle Spulzeer was relatively lucky: it was just delayed four months, until October 1997. The reason may well have been its theming, and its crossover with the Ravenloft line, which made Castle Spulzeer a great Halloween release. Castle Spulzeer has an even more far-reaching connection: its ending can lead players to the demiplane of Ravenloft and The Forgotten Terror adventure. This was probably intended as a bit of advertising for Domains of Dread (1997), the third edition of Ravenloft which was released in August 1997. In other words: in their last days, TSR was working very hard to cross-market their products, but they didn't live long enough to see the success of the Spulzeer-Intrigue-Dread connection.
The baron’s wife is dead. But she isn’t gone. Can the players lay her to rest and defeat the festering evil hidden away inside the Gilded Tower? Another thrilling tale of madness and mystery inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s writing! Following the events of Masque of the Worms, the story continues into the hauntingly beautiful forests of the Painted Valley… Valley of the Gilded Tower is a one-shot for four to six 2nd-level characters. It takes about 2-3 hours to complete and includes: Events inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's most ethereal writing: -A new monster that can take over the minds of its victims -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -Gorgeous, hand-drawn maps by Jake from Beware the Wizard
While investigating rumors of a dangerous blue dragon wreaking havoc in the deep desert, the heroes tumble under the sands into the magically sealed dome of an ancient palace. The temporarily weakened dome reseals above them, and they are left to explore the golden palace of Zahadran, once seat of power for the legendary Caliph Ardishir the Magnificent. But the dome is weak because it has been assaulted by the mythical storm demon Azi Dahaka and his trapped minions, evil creatures that were sealed under the magical dome to keep them from ravaging an unsuspecting world.
Located at the division of land between the Duchy of Starryshade and the famed Horselords is the historic Mystic Wood. Home to the site where the peace treaty was signed between the two countries this area is rumored to have a strange effect on magic. Information has reached the local thane that a gathering, or conclave, of humanoids is to occur this weekend. He has dispatched his military but they are too far to be of use. He has heard of your growing fame and asked your party to investigate this rumor and take appropriate action.
When local farmer Jonas Cappa goes missing while hunting mushrooms and then reappears, hours later, naked and without any of his belongings, his wife goes to the party to investigate. Jonas claims to have fallen into a hole in the ground, but none can be found. What really happened to him and can it be stopped before things get worse? (Spoiler: they are probably going to get worse). A one-shot adventure for characters of levels 1-4 designed to be dropped into any campaign, inspired by the X-Files (but firmly D&D).
Tragedy has struck the Dwarven Kingdom of the Hammerskin Clan. Recent quakes have opened the Dwarven mines to a humanoid invasion that have taken over the Stonegate and Irongate sections of the kingdom. On your last foray into the Dorgel Mountains you were tasked to deliver a plague cure for the town of Timel. On your way through the trade route you discovered the invasion and fought your way through to deliver the remedy. Now you must return to help the Dwarves secure their domain!
The follow up to the ratfolk warlock lair, A Rat Among Us, Part One. It is suitable for four or five 3rd-level characters. The lairs can be run separately or together as one longer adventure. The Demon Lord of Rats is making his play for control of the city. Will our stalwart adventurers find the source of his power and thwart him?
Kalzok the Minotaur pirate discovered an old smuggler's hold on a tiny island in the Nelanther Isles, not far from Nemessor. The island sits amid a dangerous archipelago encircled with scores of hidden shoals that is avoided by all but the most daring or foolish navigators. The area's waters are notorious for claiming the ships of unwary sea captains who tried to steer through the gauntlet of hidden reefs. This offering includes an overview of Kalzok's island along with the details of Kalzok's hidden lair.
Emancipation of Clauslandia is an adventure that has your young party meet with several northern lords for a few missions. One of these missions is the retrieval of some holly for the druid Thane Xmas. He will send the party to meet with the Elf lord Nicolanclauthus to procure this item. Unfortunately all is not well in Clauslandia where the Elf lord has been captured! Can your party free Nicolanclauthus and gain the holly needed for a good payday?
The world of Filbar was built upon the remnants of the Adurite Empire an ancient empire that extended among the continents. Centuries ago a curse befell the land and the empire causing its destruction. In the campaign the players were given the opportunity to discover a very difficult way to lift the curse. While this adventure can be used as individual fillers it also offers campaign players the opportunity to lift the centuries old curse. Can your players piece together what happened and solve the mystery?
This introductory level scenario brings a new group of players into an area formerly controlled by the Tunnmaa Dynasty. This group of rulers was rich in gold and gems before collapsing. It is well known that their kings, known as Ga Mantse, were buried in underground barrows that are well hidden and protected by traps. A few days ago a group much like your own found one of these hidden tombs and attempted to investigate. Sadly for them they were not up to the task. Can your party succeed where they failed?
Though villagers fear the monster in the water, the rusalka seeks the help of a party of adventurers to save her sister. The local village is welcoming and kind on the surface, but many there hide a dark secret that they would do anything to keep concealed. Pgs. 29-33
A Tutorial and Alternate Start for Lost Mines of Phandelver Before Phandelver is a tutorial adventure designed to help new players and DMs be better introduced to Dungeons & Dragons. Crafted with best educational practices in mind and covering important details of preparation and mindset often overlooked, especially by new DMs, Before Phandelver will help the Lost Mines of Phandelver truly become the adventure worthy of inclusion in the Starter Set.
Night of the Scarecrow is a fairy-tale adventure for Tier 1 characters (Levels 1-3), loosely based on the Russian story Vasilisa the Beautiful. The party must seek for assistance from the ferocious hag Lucinda Lilywhite in order to discover how to defeat a monster of nightmares, and must complete three deadly tasks to gain her help. The village of Nalva is no stranger to creatures of horror. All kinds of bogles and shadows find their way there from time to time. But when a new and unfamiliar creature appears and starts snatching locals into an unknown dimension, their normal defenses are insufficient. The only solution they can think of is to brave the forest and beg the assistance of the local hag, Lucinda Lilywhite. A fearsome creature in her own right, Lucinda has a reputation for burning visitors to ash when they are insufficiently polite to her. But by all accounts she keeps to her bargains, and if found in the right mood, perhaps she will provide the advice and help they need.
Rumors fly up and down the river. People have vanished. Bodies have appeared, horribly mutilated. Death stalks the streets of Zobeck, and the people are afraid. Will you stop the killer before he strikes again, and again … and again?
THE NEXT MARCH WASN'T DUE FOR ANOTHER 189 YEARS. TRY TELLING THAT TO THE MODRONS! On a regular schedule, the Great Modron March spills out of Mechanus, and the lawful automatons files their way around the Great Ring. No one knows why they do it, but everyone stays out of their way - because when the modrons march, they'll walk right over a berk who doesn't know enough to move aside. But this March has started decades before it was supposed to begin, and that's even more of a mystery. Caught unprepared, the planes shudder under the modrons' collective footsteps - and even the modrons themselves seem a little out of sorts. The Great Modron March anthology features 11 adventures for characters ranging from 1st to 10th level, as well as new information about the modrons of Mechanus. Each adventure can be played separely or linked together to form an extended campaign. The modron procession touches every Outer Plane in turn - and it isn't always welcome. On their unswerving path, the clockwork creatures will destroy celestial towns, be attacked by evil knights intent on using modron parts in foul experiments, and lead characters onto the deadly plains of the Abyss and into the famous prime-material labyrinth of Undermountain. Without help, they'll be lost in the swirling chaos of Limbo or even fail to complete the March entirely. And along their route, every blood on the planes seeks the answer to the most important question: Why have the Modrons abandoned their normal, lawful schedule to march years before they're due? TSR 2628
Summoned from across the multiverse, a small group of heroes must enter an ancient pyramid and prevent the Elder God Nyarlathotep's return to power. A Lovecraft-themed oneshot.