Give your game’s locations a character all their own! Build encounter themes, emphasize magic places, and connect it all to the monsters living there with Expanded Environments and Additional Actions. Use traits to make creatures stand out and enhance their bond with the land, then add lair actions to reinforce the connection and escalate the fight. New interactions encourage a race between players and monsters to gain the upper hand using the environment around them with additional options in combat. In non-combat encounters, regional effects keep the feel of magic heightened in the surrounding area. Grab characters’ attention, and limbs, in the clutches of fallen armies on the ancient battlefield. Apply library traits and lair actions to a dragon to create an encounter with a bookwyrm. Tempt characters with the allure of enchanted gold in the treasure hoard. Bend fire itself to your will in the heart of a volcano. With Expanded Environments and Additional Actions ties “where you are” to “what & how you fight” with 21 environment templates for attributes and abilities you can apply to existing monsters and places that include all of the following: 80 lair actions that give the terrain a role, and often a roll, in the fight. 75 traits so familiar monsters gain new tricks and special features. 73 regional effects to add to the wonder of the world between combats 64 interactions for players or monsters to make the most of their surroundings This supplement was designed for dungeon masters who want more dynamic combat and more magical encounters. The collection started as my own expansion of the environments found in MCDM’s Flee, Mortals! but can be used on its own (along with the existing D&D 5e rules).
This campaign was created as a response to comments from some friends of mine. Though they were avid board game players, they didn’t want to try D&D because it seemed like too much of a time commitment with too many rules to learn before getting started. This campaign uses stripped down characters and a simple campaign, and was made to give them a chance to try it for half an hour on a regular board games night. I’m putting it online in the hopes that other people can do the same with it and expand the community. Inspired by /u/plaintreality of Reddit.
A mind flayer has called for a massive conference of monsters in the Underdark beneath Hillsfar. Trolls, umber hulks, demons, and more have answered the illithid's call. To infiltrate this gruesome menagerie, you must embrace the monster within yourself.
It is Midwinter. The air is cold, the wine is warm, and all sensible adventurers have their feet up before a blazing fire. But a mysterious bard, a broken man, and a clockwork pig, lead our heroes into an extraordinary land full of strange magic and terrible danger. Before the adventure is over, they will be faced with a heartbreaking dilemma, one that can't be resolved through might alone. It features exploration, roleplaying, puzzle solving, and fanastical combat encounters! The adventure includes 10 new monsters, 8 new magic items, and an amazing map by Elven Towers!
How’d you get here? Let me explain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Rescued a retired hero's hapless nephew from goblins at some ruins on a hill Found out that there aren’t any goblins, but spider creatures called chitine instead Uncovered a chitine plot to start a war between the surface world and the drow Got convinced to try to stop that war Got trapped in the caves under the ruins Chased the chitine’s leader, a choldrith, further down into the cave system Nearly got crushed in a cave-in Fought your way through an undead infested mine Nearly got eaten by a colony of chitinous reptiles Picked up the choldrith’s trail and followed it deeper into the earth And now you stand at the entrance to a massive cavern filled with all manner of aggresive creatures. Yep, that about sums it up! And now, here you are, in this giant cavern thousands of feet beneath the surface. All you have to do is pick up that choldrith’s trail again, and manage to navigate the many factions vying for control of this little section of the Underdark. Good luck! And have fun storming the Hollows! This Gazetteer contains: Descriptions of the factions that live in The Shadowed Hollows, a massive cave complex far below the surface The underground city of Naakrasad and the important NPCs that live there Three quests leading to brief adventures within the Hollows for characters of level 4 to 6 7 custom maps of the Shadowed Hollows, Naakrasad, and the quest destinations All necessary monster stat blocks Everything needed to set the scene for the upcoming second chapter of the Into the Underdark Adventure Series
An inexperienced eladrin leader leaves herself dangerously exposed to her enemies. An exiled hag schemes to rebuild her army. A bog troll conspires to overthrow. A child is kidnapped. PCs find themselves in the middle of a power struggle between competing forces, each seeking to dominate the feywild territory known as the Unbound Regions. Trapped in the feywild until they complete the quest, the adventurers must deal with the curious culture of the fey by striking deals, battling opponents, and ultimately deciding which competitor they will support.
The trade coster Commus is up to something big, and its rivals want to know what it is. The PCs must investigate the situation before things get too hot to handle. Where There's Smoke is a single session adventure for four to five 1st level characters. It is an urban adventure, taking place in a large town or small city. The adventure also includes 5th edition write-ups of two creatures from the 3rd edition Monster Manual II - the Ash Rat and the Grimalkin.
Invasion of Veluna - Level 1 Demons have invaded Veluna, laying waste to Verbobonc and small towns! Survive the siege, and track down their origins. This adventure has inspiration from The Village of Hommlet. Infiltration of Dorakka - Level 2 Rumors of Demonic Invasions have the characters traveling across the lands of Iuz, surviving in the war torn wastelands to reach the Rift and back to infiltrate the capital of the fiendish Empire. This adventure has inspiration from The City of Skulls, with a special optional twist. Scant Rebellion - Level 3 Rumors of demonic forces across the Flanaess are forcing the hand of the Scarlet Brotherhood. Aid or covertly work against the Brotherhood to eliminate or save the Free Onwall Army of Rebellion and create a temporary peace. Assassination - Level 4 The Free Onnwall Army of Rebellion has been weakened. The Scarlet Brotherhood mean to end its threat with the permanent removal of a key leader and funder of the army. Beneath the Gnarled Root - Level 3 Mad demonic cultists wandering listlessly across the Gnarley have been ranting and raving of a secret asylum hidden beneath the gnarled root. Find the dungeon, and learn what secrets it may hold. Quarry of Elemental Chaos - Level 4 The demonic forces near the Gnarley have constructed a massive quarry to tap into the elemental chaos, using its power to locate a magical artifact for a greater evil. Dive into this massive dungeon and end the insanity in an adventure inspired by the Temple of Elemental Evil. Irongate Heist - Level 3 Azure Masks have tracked an important magical relic to be in the possession of a traveling author who has just come home to Irongate to celebrate his newest book launch. During the party, enter his home and steal the artifact while forces work against you. The Bright Desert - Level 4 Rary the Traitor has partnered with the demons to gain information on the Lost Pyramid of Kesh. Within is the legendary Scorpion Crown that would hand the fiends an army of tlincalli. You must race across the desert to reach the pyramid before Rary's forces in this adventure based on Rary the Traitor and Desert of Desolation. Bastion on the Borderlands - Level 5 The bravery of the characters has seen them rewarded with a bastion in Keoland abandoned by the Knights of the Watch due to political pressure. The characters may take a moment to breath, place roots down, or bring order to the nearby chaotic caverns in this adventure inspired by Keep on the Borderlands. The Neverending War - Level 6 Transported to and trapped within the neverending war in the lost city of Rauxes, the characters are tasked with ending the curse upon the city to escape this D&D roguelike adventure. Jungles of Hepmonaland - Level 7 The mirror of gates, an artifact to easily bring groups of people across the planes, has been split. The first piece has been discovered to be deep within the Jungles of Hepmonaland in this adventure inspired by Needle. Across the North - Level 8 Rumors of artifacts in a hidden vault in the northern Flanaess have circulated for decades, but with the keys now showing up, and demons circling, this rumor could be a key to stopping this invasion in this adventure inspired by Five Shall Be One. City of the Lizardking - Level 9 The Silent Ones have maintained a close relationship with a band of Lizardfolk in the Hool Marsh. Their recent silence, following a discovery of another piece of the Mirror of Gates could only mean one thing... They need to be saved in an adventure inspired by Tomb of the Lizardking. Lair of the Kraken - Level 10 The Ladies of Crede had discovered yet another shard of the Mirror of Gates, having it transported to Oakenisle when the shipment was attacked by a kraken. Now the characters must go on a very deep sea adventure to take back what is theirs. The Demonic Rainbow Dungeon - Level 11 Unbeknownst to most, beneath the Free City of Greyhawk is a massive dungeon constructed by a variety of creatures to funnel power for Demogorgon to maintain his charade of an alliance with the Queen of Chaos. Put an end to his scheming in this adventure inspired by Castle Greyhawk. Comes Sail Away - Level 12 The characters partner with the Scarlet Brotherhood to traverse the sea of worlds and enter the City of Glass in the Elemental Plane of Water, trying to gain the Ax of Severance before the Queen of Chaos. This adventure was inspired by The Vortex of Madness and Other Planar Perils. Fly Away With Me- Level 12 Dropped into the middle of Aaqa in the attempt to stop the Queen of Chaos' plan, the characters must naviagte politics and the infinite skies to reach the Ax of Severance before the demons. Through the Fire and the Flames - Level 12 Inspired by Secrets of the Lamp, this is a political-intrigue quest, with characters forced to navigate the politics of the City of Brass, getting a new sultan in power to gain the Ax of Severance before the demons under the Queen of Chaos can seize upon the chaos they wrought. Underground - Level 12 The characters must navigate the shifting labyrinths of the Elemental Plane of Earth to pull off a heist and find the Motherlode before the demons! Portal of the Drow- Level 13 The time has come to enter the Abyss. The nearest - permanent - portal is inside the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu and is guarded by the son of Demogorgon. As a result, only one action is reasonable: besiege the great city in this adventure inspired by Vault of the Drow. Invasion of the Abyss - Level 14 Upon finding themselves in the Abyss, the characters arrive in the uppermost layer of the Abyss, trudging through 13 layers to reach the home of the Queen of Chaos in this adventure inspired by the Demonweb Pits.
Far from shore, in the cold depths of the ocean, lies a legendary whirlpool, five fathoms wide, hungry for sailors, their ships, and their goods. By its side sits a man-eating monster, many-headed and hungry for any who escape the maelstrom. But beneath these perils are the ruins of a palace, rumored to be filled with treasure beyond imagining and, maybe, a history of secrets lost to time beneath the waves. In the midst of a storm, the party’s ship is caught in a strong current. The whirlpool traps them inside of the ruins of an underwater palace, which was once home to a group of nymphs and now is the last vestige of the story of how the nymph Scylla was transformed into the infamous peril she is today. Pgs. 165-171
Lycanthropy or Misanthropy? When the moon shines brightly, someone – or something – is stalking the streets of Timbertown. Can the heroes figure out who – or what – and settle the matter before panic breaks out?
Vampires in service to Shar, the Mistress of Night, are somewhere in Vanrakdoom. You must locate them without drawing the attention of the other residents of this dangerous place. Part Two of the Undying Threat trilogy. A 4-6 Hour Adventure for Tier 3 Characters. Optimized For: APL 13
The busy port city of Jute’s Landing is built into the white cliffs of a deep, protected harbor. It is an important trade stop for many ships and merchants, but this was not always so. Long ago this quiet harbor was home to a coven of hags. Jute Windbrow killed two of the three when he and his crew claimed the harbor for themselves. Evanore, the surviving hag, has lived for more than 100 years in disguise while the city grew up around her. The legend of the heroic Jute Windbrow defeating the wicked monsters has grown as great as her bitterness and desire for vengeance.
Many of the local lords had gathered for a peace moot. A perfect opportunity for the demon-possessed Aeldrith Forkbeard to murder them all in cold blood. The PCs, attending the moot, must now flee for their lives. Harried by a Northlander warband, the party is forced to flee into the dreaded Witchwood. To reach the safety of the Kingdom of Marshes they must traverse the depths of the forest, avoiding Northlander raiders and the strange creatures of the Witchwood. The adventure also takes the PCs into the Feywild, where time runs strangely and memories are fragile. Finally, they must face the chilling Gatekeeper guarding the Feywild portal that allows the PCs to return to the Material Plane. Into the Witchwood is a generic adventure suitable for use in the Moonshae Isles. The adventure includes a map of the area, three new creatures and a new legendary magic item, the Circle of the Forest God.
In this level 1-5 adventure for 3-5 players the party is tasked with the rpg standard mission a.k.a. catching rats in a cellar, only in this case they are not rats but guinea pigs. However this is all a big ruse to get some test subjects together, because the mage who gave them the job actually wants to start a gameshow. People from around the world can compete here for prizes in front of a live audience. However the games will have to be tested and that's where your brave adventurers come in. This adventure contains 10 different puzzles, 10 different rewards and tips on how to adjust the encounters for players of higher and lower levels than the recommended level of 3.
There is the well-known regional legend of Iptiz, a spirit naga whose greed was remarkable even among its own kind. Murderous raids and relentless pillaging yielded a hoard so valuable that the creature needed some place to store and protect it. Thus was the Vault conceived: an underground complex custom built to destroy anyone who is not its creator. Years ago, Iptiz's campaign of terror suddenly ended without precursor or cause. The location of the Vault was never discovered. Until now. The ring-city of Sulindal, built upon the shores of a mile-wide desert oasis, has come under martial law by an invading army of yuan-ti. They intend to exploit the resources in this renowned city of knowledge to locate the third and final Beacon of Selune. ...but for what purpose? A four to six hour adventure for four 5th level players.
In the fortified city of Port Nyanzaru the situation grows volatile. Reports of mysterious strangers from unknown lands, that are trespassing forbidden holy grounds far within the jungle, have caused great turmoil in the city’s foreign relations with the local tribes. The players must travel through the deadly jungles of Chult towards the ruins of ancient Mezro, and confront an ancient religious sect of gruesome practices, charged with keeping imprisoned the right-hand servant of a Primordial evil- Dendar the Night Serpent. Will the ancient evil be unleashed once more in the world, or will the heroes be victorious? The fate of the world lies on their hands.
This dungeon is suitable as a one-shot or drop-in for characters between levels 12 and 17. Taken from the Against the Idol of the Sun high-level hexcrawl campaign, the Death Knight's Tomb is a location-based exploration adventure. It features increasing localized time distortions that ultimately pit the party in a fight against an ogre Death Knight and his minions who just destroyed an elven time lab over ten millenia ago, which is just a few seconds ago in relative terms at the bottom level. There are six distinct sections to the dungeon containing four combat encounters of increasing difficulty. As written, the party enters the structure to rescue an overly adventurous Scorpionfolk couple and their rescuers, but they can be omitted or rewritten to any other species.
A group of dwarves in the Hulburg region are in need of help. Strange lights have been seen at night and a deadly terror has struck their mining camp. Venture into the ancient ruins and discover the source of this terror before it's too late.
Where have the staff gone? Why do the doors not lead where they should? What dark experiments were performed here? And what has become of the asylum’s enigmatic owner? During a routine train ride, the characters are halted by a powerful force within Enfri Asylum. Haunted by murderous doctors, revolutionary patients, and creatures beyond description, the characters must venture into the old hospital and put an end to the madness to reach their destination. The Monsters of Enfri Asylum is a 8 to 12 hour horror adventure for 1st to 5th-level characters.
Travellers are going missing on the Long Road, on the 100 mile stretch between Triboar and Longsaddle. Our heroes investigate and discover a haunted mansion with a dark history and a gruesome secret. Their quest brings them to the very gates of hell itself, where an infernal abomination presents them with their greatest challenge yet... Inspired by a Clark Ashton Smith story.