Remember the golden days of role-playing, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Well, those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics feature bloody combat, intriguing dungeons, and no NPCs who aren’t meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know, the traps you fear, and the secret doors you know must be there somewhere. In Idylls of the Rat King, goblin bandits are once again attacking the silver caravans, killing innocent miners and stealing cargo. The goblins have taken up residence in an abandoned mine northwest of Silverton. Someone must get rid of them. But this is no ordinary abandoned mine. It was deliberately barricaded generations ago when the Gannu family, founders of Silverton, discovered an unspeakable evil on its lowest levels. And these are no ordinary goblins, for the curse of the Gannu family courses through their veins…
Aleyd Burral, the Risen Hero of Phlan has sounded the call to battle! Intent on retaking her home of Phlan, Aleyd has amassed a surprising amount of support from the citizenry of Phlan, including that of the High Blade himself. But as lofty as her goals might be, the honor-bound warrior seems willing to sacrifice much in her quest—including everything she once stood for.
Player's pickup the quest from the Greyhawk Adventurer's Guild to escort a barge down the Nyr Dyv.
The once-dwarven wizard Hehranna knows that her previous race, for all its pride and skill, is hampered and distracted by lesser concerns—family, friendship, emotion. Once they join the Hive, they won’t begrudge a few moments of pain in exchange for the industrious awakening she has to offer them. Pgs. 16-32
The Sunken City is a companion adventure made to go along with events unfolding in Folio #18 (WS5 The Shattered Tower). It contains the information needed to run a side adventure that will help characters in their journey through The Corsair Mists. After completing the tests of The Shattered Tower, the players are invited by the sea elven queen to ward their ship and crew from the Ghost Eye Corruption that lurks within the mists. Plunging into the waters that now cover one of the lost trade cities of Uthoria, the players must overcome a corrupted dwarven temple to find the cure for the contagion before it can take over their ship. This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.
Four great and powerful heroes travel in search of adventure. Led by Mordenkainen, wizard without peer, they have come to mysterious Maure Castle, a forlorn and foreboding place, source of wonderment and awesome adventure, following a strange and terrible story. For, somewhere deep beneath Maure Castle, from whence no person has returned alive, there stands two massive iron doors - doors without latch, lock, or handle - the Unopenable Doors. And if the doors are opened, what then? Such potent evil, such terror lies beyond, that even the bravest adventurers may quail before the ultimate test! Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure is a challenging adventure for high-level play. Four original characters from Gary Gygax' famous Greyhawk campaign are included for your use. Can you meet the challenge? Can you survive what lies beyond... the Unopenable Doors? TSR 9112
Old soldiers never die... For more than three decades, Dr. Rudolph van Richten stood against the forces of darkness, and hunted their servants in the far corners of the land of Mists. Now he had thought his long battle over, had thought he could spend his declining years in quiet enjoyment with old friends. But for some, a tragic end is inevitable. Dark forces have been gathering in the Mists. Their objective is to see Ravenloft's foremost expert on the supernatural destroyed, shattered in spirit as well as in body. From the crumbling edifice of Van Richten's childhood home, an enemy long thought vanquished spins a web of powerful evils and lost souls, drawing Van Richten to his doom. And then a group of heroes gets trapped in the web as well. . . . Witness the final stand of Rudolph van Richten! Inside this box is a grand-scale Ravenloft adventure that pushes heroes to the brink of madness, and draws them into the terrifying scheme to annihilate Rudolph van Richten. TSR 1141
In this adventure, a temple to a snake god that has lasted, yet changed, through the ages. This adventure takes place many years following the events that occur in the fantasy age in UN3 Dungeons. Part of a double dungeon adventure that is set in two fantastic time periods. UN3 Dungeons GK3 Descendants This adventure is formatted to both 1E & 5E gaming rules.
The Premature Burial is the first in a series of four interconnected stories that recall the themes and atmosphere of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror. Baldur's Gate, year 1492 DR, a dark and terrifying sect works secretly in the slums with the aim of punishing all those who have long oppressed, marginalized and killed the city's poorest and weakest citizens. The patriars, unaware of anything, are the cult's main targets, and a magical plague is about to fall on them that can cause a veritable slaughter. The characters will find themselves caught up in these dangerous events and will be drawn into a spiral of horror, blood and madness that will strain their bodies and souls. The Prior who leads the mysterious cult has "a special plan" in mind for them and will do anything to achieve his goal. Players will be forced more than once to question their morals and make difficult choices in a scenario of complex social conflicts, personal revenge stories and tremendous machinations. What repercussions would the cult's plan have if it were carried out? And what would happen instead if it were averted and the patriars continued to run the city as they always have? Shadows as black as night once again loom over Baldur's Gate, and this time they may change its face forever. - Adventure: story lasting 4 to 8 hours for characters ranging in level from 4 to 6 - Setting: adventure set in the famous city of Baldur's Gate but easily adaptable to any setting - Narrative: detailed descriptions and an emphasis on story immersiveness - Roleplay: in-depth characterization of NPCs with biographies, descriptions of their personalities and their physical appearance - Bestiary: 3 new customizable opponents with the mechanics "Affixes," which can add an extra degree of complexity to confrontations, and " Weak spots," which grant a strategic advantage to characters who manage to discover them - Magic: obscure and unknown spells used by cultists to carry out their plans - Layout: designed to make it easier for DMs to browse information, featuring special attention to color coding and visual immediacy of text boxes - Maps: 3 maps available in high resolution, VTT and printer-friendly versions - PDF: available in high-quality, interactive, printer-friendly print versions - Playlist: a collection of songs selected by the authors to create the right atmosphere during game sessions
Troubles simply mushroom in the Underdark. The alchemist would like some fungus and spores, but no one wants to get them. Perhaps you could help. The adventure begins with the party finding a caravan. In addition to being able to trade with these NPCs, the party also can be hired by an alchemist to bring bag some red fungus and some Myconid spores from underground. Underground, the party will have a chance to interact with friendly Myconids and venture through a large labyrinth of passages (this labyrinth isn't mapped and is dealt with through storytelling, random encounters, and roleplay). The adventure culminates in a battle between the Myconids and Flinds, and the players can participate. Pgs. 4-12
It's all over (and literally so) after midnight. A mission with an unforgiving deadline. The characters must remove the magically-infused remains of a dead wizard and his medallion from a crypt. Pgs. 10-23
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
This 5th edition investigation one-shot is planned to be played by 4 to 6 level 1 characters. The characters will face a spirit in the form of a scarecrow out to wipe out the villagers of a town, the group will discover that all is not what it seems and that this spirit is actually out for justice... or revenge.
A Mists of Akuma adventure for 4 to 6 characters of 13th level. This second adventure in the second wave of Mists of Akuma adventures comes to you from the mind of Anthony Alipio and is a tale inspired by the classic film Seven Samurai! Join the legendary iconic hero Tomoe Masamune (the samurai known as the Crimson Blade) and defend the simple village of Noru from the power-armored bandit king Calvert Boyd and his raider army in an epic mass battle your table will never forget! A two-page spread preview of the contents of this adventure. What you'll find in Honorable Wills: 3 Maps! (classic Noru, modern Noru, and Bandit Camp) 11 New Statblocks! including heroic samurai, rebellious tengu, devious bandits, and more 2 Ways to End the Adventure! Included in Act 3 are directions for running the final climactic mass battle like it's seen in the film that inspired this module and for a more contemporary approach tailored to the nuances of D&D 5E mechanics
The ancient dwarven kingdom of wonder and fable is no more! Only the tales of it's grandeur remain to entertain the children, or so you thought. Then you met Nimron. Distraught and desperate, you alone can pass the gates sealed so long ago. Within are the lairs of bandits, cutthroats, and worse. The evil that destroyed the dwarven home - the Halls of Paradise - is awakened again. Into this horror ventured the dwarven princess Grona Marblefist to reclaim her kingdom. She, like so many others, has not returned. Now you must face this peril alone. Thunderdelve Mountain is a solitaire adventure for the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Expert game. Players who don't wish to face the fallen Halls of Paradise alone may also use this adventure for group play. TSR 9157
Your PCs are reaching the upper end of the heroic tier. New worlds are opening up to them—they might have already ventured to the Feywild, for example, and made contacts with inhabitants of that magical plane. Now they are ready to take their first steps into the darkness. The Shadowfell awaits... Vandariel, a shadar-kai witch who calls herself the Voice of Pain, is a fanatic devotee of the Raven Queen. She has founded and become the self-proclaimed high priest of a bizarre cult, the Lords of Pain, whose purpose is to bring more fey into the shadow pact with that goddess of death. Although the original shadar-kai entered this pact voluntarily, and the race breeds true, Vandariel is consumed by what she sees as a divine mission to reveal the mystery to all fey—whether they wish it or not. Those who do not come voluntarily to the truth are brought against their will. Dark stalkers move like the night, seeking out and abducting suitable subjects. This Side Trek can serve as an introduction to the dangers of the shadow realm. It works well for PCs who are approaching the paragon tier, since it presents a reasonable challenge for characters of 10th level. It is suitable as a climactic encounter for lowerlevel adventurers, as well. It consists of only two encounters.
On the world’s first offshore rig Captain Seaslick and his crew are drilling for dragon essence - a rare and valuable substance often called Red Gold. They’re about to be filthy rich, but not everyone’s happy for them. Dragon cultists have infiltrated the rig and are trying to steal a stash of the precious essence for their rites. In their eagerness they’ve magically sped the drill up to a perilous rate. With the rig rattling and falling apart around them, will Seaslick and his enterprising ex-pirates team up with nature worshipping tribes folk to defeat their shared enemy? And will they escape with their liquid hoard, or will the sea have her revenge for their greed?
The Denali Monarchy has been toppled and the citizens have formed a new government. The new head of the government, called The Hona, has requested additional help from the party. For a long time an island to the east called Rodo has been a source of goods for the land. The Hona wants to make sure that local regent, Lord Karlock, is going to continue to be a part of Denali or if he has other “thoughts” on the matter. Is your party ready for a diplomatic relations mission?
Sometimes protecting the cargo is easy but getting the pay not so much. The caravan is already on its way, some disagreement with the guards makes them leave the cargo without protection midway. You are just in the right place to catch up fast and guard the wagons the last stretch home.
The Noble Rot is a location-based adventure for characters of 5th to 8th level. This adventure can be played in one or two sessions of reasonable length. It is a straightforward, haunted house-style adventure. The story revolves around Le Chateau Gluant, a vineyard and winery of repute. Vintages of its famous white (chardonnay) and red blend (cabernet sauvignon) are sought throughout the land. Some vintages can bring up to 200 gp per bottle from the right buyer. A case (twelve bottles) of the wine in pristine condition can fetch up to 1,500 gp. Unfortunately, the winery fell upon dark days and the prized wine has not flowed from its cellars for a few years. Approximately five years ago, the head winemaker, Malcolm Roth, hired Tobias Suey as an apprentice. Unfortunately for Roth, Suey was a member of the Cultus Limus (Cult of the Ooze). The Cultus Limus makes sacrifices to its demonic master Lumaszu in her faceless form. Lumaszu or “she who erases” is an ancient demoness who preys upon travelers by drinking their blood. She is the cause of nightmares, pestilence, infestation of pure water, and a bringer of disease, sickness, and death. Her worshipped form in Cultus Limus is that of a gigantic ooze. Suey turned the field hands who tended the vines against the winemaker. Then the new cult turned its attention to the Gluant family. Eventually the cult members started preying on each other. With each sacrifice to the ooze, Suey’s power grew—until there was no one left but Suey. The whim of demons is fickle. Suey was blighted and corrupted for his work. Now he deep in the cellars under the chateau as a minor ooze demon. His handiwork, however, remains. The chateau is now the abode of its former residents and workers, in undead form. Also slimes, molds, fungi, and other foulness fester in the fields, buildings, and cellars. The riches of the Gluant family remain undisturbed; would-be thieves and robbers quickly fall prey to the current residents. Besides normal valuables, cases of wine remain undisturbed and waiting to be plundered. The title The Noble Rot refers to a few factors in this adventure. The first is the rot that befell the Gluant family in the form of the Cultus Limus. Another is actual noble rot disease that may aid the PCs in overcoming the challenges posed. The phrase also refers to a real-world gray fungus, Botrytis cinerea, which in the right conditions creates world-class dessert wines such as French sauternes. In the wrong conditions, it destroys grapes and is known as gray rot.