Ashvale is a simple village, full of people who live their simple lives without knowing anything about the world outside their simple valley. But there is one thing that they know: animals can sense danger. And, for the last few days, animals have been running out of the woods. Characters are hired to investigate and must venture into the forest. But the culprit, a dryad, may have a good reason for chasing all of those animals away.
From time out of mind, the standing stones known as the Circle of Cahervaniel have stood lonely vigil on a grassy hilltop. Sheepherders once moved their flocks over the hill and through the circle, sometimes resting in the cool shadows cast by the ancient stones. Everything changed when a stone finger fell, revealing a fissure in the earth. Now, dark shadows caress the circle after the sun sets. Creatures out of nightmare dance upon the hillside at night. Many swear that a unicorn of deepest ebony now hunts all upon two legs who draw near, while stunted creatures scurry in the shadows, abducting sheep from their sheds and drawing them down below ground for food. After the disappearance of a sheperd, fear grows stronger in neighboring villages. Who will brave the black hollow of the ancient Circle of Cahervaniel? Heroes of stern mettle must descend into the cavity and explore the ancient spaces existing there. Product History "The Shattered Circle" (1999), by Bruce R. Cordell, is a generic adventure for AD&D 2e. It was published in January 1999. Origins: Another Generic. After Wizards of the Coast began publishing D&D, their first year and a half of generic adventures were all classic revivals: returns to RPGA tournaments, to classic adventures, and to Dungeon scenarios. Even "A Paladin in Hell" (1998) was a return in its own way, to the demons and devils that TSR had become afraid of. Wizards was staking out new ground by reclaiming the past. "The Shattered Circle" (1999) was the first generic Wizards adventure that was simply a generic adventure, with no deeper origins and no hidden motives. Artifacts of Note. the foundingstone and the harp Euphonious are both one-off named magic items. However, it's sword Icerazor that's the most interesting. It's said to have grown from a shard of Frostrazor — a sword that would only appear ten months later in Return to White Plume Mountain (1999). There, it's listed as one of Keraptis' four implements of power, alongside Wave, Blackrazor, and Whelm — meaning that Icerazor (and this adventure) are just one step removed from White Plume Mountain itself. Monsters of Note: Chitine. It's somewhat curious, given the Greyhawk and Neverness connections, to note that the chitine debuted in MC11: "Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix" (1991). The spider-humanoids have generally been a Realms creature, featuring in bestiaries and histories for that setting. However, they also received a more generic "Ecology of the Chitine" in Dragon #223 (November 1995), which introduced the choldrith, or chitine priestess. This is their major adventure appearance. When asked about pronouncing their name Cordell says that he "can't be 100% sure of the original designer's pronunciation", but he prefers "KI-TEEN". About the Creators. By 1999, Cordell was one of D&D's most prolific writers. He'd previously authored many slightly related adventures, such as The Gates of Firestorm Peak(1996) and the sahuagin (1997) and illithid (1998) Monstrous Arcana adventure trilogies. 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 The Shattered Circle, originally available in hard-copy and now for sale in Digital format at the DMs Guild. This adventure is a generic adventure, not specifically based in any existing setting. Suggestions are given in the conversion guide to place the adventure in the Forgotten Realms.
Just beyond the fields of Orleans a small hole in the earth hides treasure and monsters. The townsfolk are far too scared to delve inside the abandoned cave, but the marquis needs its silver, and right quick. Just a couple of miles away from the town of Orleans, between rolling hills and well maintained forests, a small mine, long abandoned, lies in wait. Once a lucrative silver mine the “little cave” is now shunned by both the miners and its owners, the marquis of Orleans. Local whispers say that a few decades ago its miners stumbled upon something evil that lurked beneath the earth which killed the marquis’s son and twenty miners. Old people tell of a curse that lay on the mine which if reopened would cast doom upon the town. A few even tell of tiny demons, not taller than a housecat, that live in the mine and torment the smiths of the city. True or not these stories have all one thing in common: they have kept people from using the mine and extracting its precious silver ore. This that has plagued the marquises for three generations already and so the last heir of the family, Touvel of Orleans, is looking for brave adventurers, knights, sorcerers and all able bodied folk that wish to brave the mines and secure them from whatever evil may lurk inside them.
When a galvanice weird goes berserk in an Izzet Laboratory and begins wreaking havoc on its way out, the evening’s events are brought to a halt. Someone needs to head into the lab, look for survivors, and try to find out what went wrong. This is an introductory adventure for use with Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica and is set in the Blistercoils neighborhood of Precinct Five in the Tenth District. While Off to a Weird Start is designed for a party of three to five characters of 1st or 2nd Level, the Dungeon Master can easily scale the adventure up by adding additional enemies or increasing the hit points and damage output of the listed antagonists. Off to a Weird Start includes: An easy to run introductory adventure for Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica A new creature: the Lightning Mephit Plot hooks for characters of all ten Guilds, as well as those who are unaligned Seeds for an ongoing campaign and teaser information about the upcoming adventure The Palace of Pain's Pleasures Start YOUR adventures in Ravnica TODAY!
A family has been abducted and the village of Myrehall needs help in getting them back. This is the third adventure in a miniseries with the following adventures being: A Chance Encounter The Mystic Circle A Dark Veil Falls
The town of Proskur has been cut off from the rest of the kingdom of Cormyr by a terrible storm, just as its people begins to suffer from a feinting sickness. Now the crops are failing. Are these the acts of a vengeful god? Or something more sinister? While aiding the good peoples of Cormyr in their plight against goblin hordes, the restless dead, a band of cut-throat pirates and the wilds of the Gritstone Moorland, the adventurers must investigate the true cause behind these calamities while uncovering a century old past, following in the footsteps of a legendary band of knights. Will they bring the fight to the evil hag, Bad Blood Hattie in her accursed Bloodtower lair? Or doom Proskur to become a blighted ruin?
The Hardest of Hearts is a gothic horror adventure for 4-5 characters of 5-6th level. It can be played over the course of 6-8 hours and should roughly take one playing session if the party is quick, or two if the party is progressing slowly. This is the first part of the Carnival of Lost Souls campaign. It can also be played as a standalone adventure. The Hardest of Hearts features: - Exciting journey through the cold wilderness of Lamordia, which features a special travel system and survival rules - Exploration of the old mansion which has been taken over by the vicious local gang - the Corpse Collectors - Several custom diseases to challenge your players - Moral dilemma at the end of the adventure which the characters will have to solve - New custom monsters to make combat encounters truly memorable and exciting - High-quality maps, also available in universal vtt format Look out for the next adventures in the Carnival of Lost Souls series: Dementlieu: Dance with the Devil, Kalakeri: The Forbidden Temple and Valachan: Hunter’s Moon! They will be released over the course of the next two months. Once all four adventures are out, we will also release a special Campaign Guide, which will explain in detail how to best set up and play the campaign. However, if you want to start your campaign right now, don’t worry - we have included a short appendix at the end of each adventure which will explain the basics!
An original one-shot adventure designed for 3-6 level 3 characters. A DMsGuild bestseller! SUMMARY: In the city of Ibrido, locals enjoy a life of splendor and frivolity. Every week, a lavish party is held at the Castel di Maschera, hosted by the Marquis di Maschera, Prospero, who has a reputation for being a generous party-thrower and avid patron of the arts. Receiving an invitation to a Marquis di Maschera party is coveted, and those who enter his social circle never leave it. But the Castel di Maschera holds many secrets. When a strange, hybrid creature — half bird, half man — is found brutally murdered in Ibrido’s city square, tattooed with the Marquis’s signature symbol of two masks, rumors have begun to spread throughout Ibrido that something more sinister may be occurring. Did a Marquis di Maschera party simply get out of hand, or does a real danger threaten the inhabitants of Ibrido? DETAILS: 2-4 hour session for 3-6 players Play-tested material Unique items and mechanics Original maps Printable cards Scalable combat difficulty 22-page campaign guide Enjoy the adventure? Share your experiences with me! Hashtags: #ANOMAM #NightOfMasksAndMonsters
With the discovery of an enormous diamond deposit nestled on their borders, the kingdoms of Peldadrin and Belford both claim the repository of indispensable gemstones as their own. After years of negotiations fail to bring a peaceful resolution, the two nations (further incited by sentiments of national pride that have risen over the years of negotiations) determine the diamonds will be claimed only through war. In the early days of the war, Private Geth Heston, a Belford scout with rich Peldadrin ancestry, was dispatched into enemy territory to uncover Peldadrin unit formations, patrol routes, and any other information he could find. It’s been two weeks since Geth sent his latest report, putting Belford command in a state of unease. The information Geth alluded to in his last message could change the course of the war, if proven true.
The 13th Circle is an epic battle with one of the archfiends of legend, the demon Baphomet. Designed for Tier 3-4 characters (levels 15-17) and set in the Dread Domain of Kachelior, the adventure requires the party to navigate the mysterious and maddening mazes that protect the demon's castle, and battle fiends of all kinds to reach his throne room. But will they discover the truth of his machinations? Word has spread through the small collection of towns within the Grey Shade that a cult of Baphomet has been preparing something for their master within his palace. The players will travel to Baphomet’s palace, and make their way through the massive forest maze that surrounds it. They will find the corpse of one of the previous heroes enshrined near the center which hints towards the true purpose of the cultists. They will then have to infiltrate the dread palace either stealthing or fighting their way through the defenses. They then must make it past Baphomet’s Lieutenant, Aphalos, the Godeater. The characters defeat Aphalos or persuade him to leave his master to his fate. Once they enter the chamber, Baphomet’s plan is made clear. He wishes to create a maze within time, thus trapping this world in the same cycle of pain and doom as before.
This adventure is light and comedic and is indeed a heist adventure! It is designed as a one-off side quest for an established party but can be tweaked to work as an introductory adventure for characters meeting one another for the first time. This is ideal for a well-rounded party in which each player can show off and play a vital role in the mission’s success as they rob an evil potion master blind! Players can obtain potions of Heroism, Invisibility, Flying and Mind Reading. This adventure is perfect for DMs looking to fill a shorter session or injecting some light humor after an intense end-of-the-world campaign.
Descend into the depths of a tomb which has remained undisturbed for decades. However, a few weeks ago, the gears of war started turning, grinding the northern folk to dust. An undead host marches, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. A decisive strike to cut off the snake’s head might save thousands of lives! Pgs. 16-39
The village of Silverwell lies at the foot of a mountain range in the icy north. Through most of its history it has enjoyed relative peace, save for its battles with the harsh elements. Recently however, a group of villagers were attacked by bandits while hunting in nearby Rothir’s Pass. The bandits left behind a grim message warning for none to follow. Frightened by the possibility of a larger attack on the village, the headman will happily reward any brave adventurers that can help. Unknown to the inhabitants of the remote village of Silverwell, this new terror pales in comparison to the troubles that have already begun to flood down from the distant Mount Neboria – troubles stemming from the dark wish of a dying dragon. This is an introductory adventure for a group of four or five 1st level characters, which should run for roughly 4 hours of gameplay (excluding preparation time), ending with a quest hook for groups that wish to continue into a full campaign. It includes extra tips and tricks both for new DMs and for interaction with new players.
The Eye of the Storm is a tower storming adventure for parties of 3 to 7 adventurers from 8th to 12th level. It takes around 6 hours to play and is designed to fit into any campaign that needs a wizard in tower. In this adventure the party are tasked with stopping the storm obsessed wizard, Atonitus, from completing his ritual to become a living storm. Atonitus' ritual is causing dangerous elemental storms in the area surrounding his tower, causing death and destruction in nearby settlements. A pair of Cyclopes, Pameen and Mezrah, have been tricked into doing his bidding too. The siblings have been raiding passing caravans, local settlements, and travellers for all the metal they can carry. Featuring a maze of interconnected rooms, puzzles, a rather annoyed Yugoloth, and the new Ice Para-Elemental monster, this adventure is perfect if you want a dungeon crawl or something a little more social.
A far realms themed delve into a twisted dungeon complex, filled with unique hazards, creatures and items. This adventure is designed for 4 level 6 characters and should take one or two sessions. Player and GM maps included.
A small adventure that can be used as part of a larger campaign or run as a one shot for 3-4 Tier I or II characters. A small urban adventure set in Waterdeep with various hooks to extend beyond this adventure. A character needs to repay the debts he accumulated in life, but now his family isn’t so keen to just let someone take what they are owed. This family may have more sinister secrets that they wish to keep hidden.
This quest is for a party that urgently needs to resurrect a fallen character but lacks the means of casting or accessing standard resurrection spells. With no other options, the party seeks a hag whose preternatural magic can bring the deceased character back to life. However, the characters must save the hag from a misguided group of knights looking to slay her. Includes a quest-related NPC that a player can control if they're waiting for their character to be resurrected.
When a priceless relic goes missing from the archives of an ancient monastery, only one party of stalwart adventurers has the determination and strength of character to go forth and recover it from a dangerous underground fortress. That party is yours.
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.
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!