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.

Terror roams the dark and brambled paths of the Kryptwood. A pack of giant spectral hounds rule the night, savaging those foolish enough to brave the forest. The villagers of Hendenburgh cower in the shadows of the ancient boughs as each morning heralds a newly savaged corpse. Explore the ancient paths of the Kryptwood in a 25-hex hexcrawl. Discover the mysterious Tyrant's Tomb. Negotiate, serve or betray the factions of the Kryptwood (a ghostly despot, a gang of highwaymen with excellent PR, a horrifying witch coven, and the eccentric inhabitants of Hendenburgh). Fight new monsters such as owlboars, kryptwood hounds and ghostly tyrants. Hounds of Hendenburgh is designed for use with Cairn by Yochai Gal but compatible with other OSR systems. If using OSRIC, OSE or other OSR rulesets then the adventure is best suited to low-level parties (1-3). Reviews Hounds of Hendenburgh is an adventure brimming with potential energy, like a domino run—any prodding by the players is sure to set off a chain reaction, but where any individual piece will end up is anyone’s guess . . . For me, Hounds of Hendenburgh is a major highlight of A Town, A Forest, A Dungeon. I’m eager to bring it to the table, and I expect it’s the sort of adventure that will reward referees who run it multiple times. - Dododecahedron Blog This 22 page adventure presents a delightful little romp through a colourful town, a dreadful forest, and a small haunted dungeon/crypt. Would that everything I reviewed were at least this good. A credit to county Donegal! - Bryce Lynch (tenfootpole.org)

A centuries old evil has been cultivating an environmental disaster deep under the earth, waiting for the time when it will be unleashed on the world. A new mine has been created above and has broken the seal. The owner of the mine has lost contact with their foreman and shipments have stopped, and it’s up to an inexperienced but eager group of adventurers to investigate. This adventure is designed to present a challenge for a group of four veteran players using first level characters. While there are opportunities for roleplay scattered throughout, this adventure is heavy on the exploration and combat pillars of fifth edition. Death is a real and ever-present threat as they investigate the mine and the dangers below. Success and survival should bring them to the third level, and they may have found some treasure well worth the effort. So much so that they may become targets themselves from unscrupulous and more experienced NPCs. Written to be a seed for a larger campaign in any high fantasy setting, the outcome of this adventure could have world-changing consequences. It introduces a new and growing threat that, given enough encouragement, greed, time and apathy, could consume the world and beyond.

The Bale Crossing is a short adventure for Draw Steel. It takes about four hours to complete and is designed for 3 to 6 2nd-level heroes. It places the heroes at the center of a cat-and-mouse game between House Vorona and the agents of Ajax on a voyage across the Bale Sea. Directors can use this adventure either as a follow-up to The Fall of Blackbottom or as a drop-in scenario in a larger story featuring the power struggle between factions in Capital, Ajax's war of conquest, or war dogs. The adventure features advice for skipping straight to the action in a hot start, an optional negotiation, three possible montage tests, and a dynamic final combat with guidance for running the encounter as a stealth mission or a boarding action across the decks of two ships. If they succeed, heroes will earn 2 to 7 Victories.

The idyllic town of Evershade is about to get a lot less peaceful. Nestled in a small valley near the border of two kingdoms, Evershade is a small but prosperous town. But ranchers have been finding their livestock slaughtered, with no idea what's behind it. What begins as a simple mission to scare off a predator, turns into a race across hills and mountains to prevent agents of evil from destroying a future force for good. Includes A adventure for 4-5 characters of 3rd to 4th level A regional map of the areas surrounding the town of Evershade Descriptions of the town of Evershade and several of the notable NPCs that live there A map of the dragon's lair on a cliff near the sea Stat blocks for all monsters Unnumbered map suitable for use in your favorite VTT Published by Goblin Scrawl Games

Player's are transported to strange new plan of madness. The have a role playing encounter with the woman imprisoned there. They explore a wizard laboratory and kill the evil inside. A short well explain one shot or adventure for when the whole group doesn't show up. Pgs. 12-26 Published by Fail Squad Games

Short, ready-to-play scenario. "The Moment of Truth" has been written as a short adventure, but would work best if integrated into a current campaign. The events described should be used in the order in which they are presented, but DMs should intersperse them with events from their own campaigns. The locations of each event have been left deliberately vague, since it is intended that DMs should run them at any convenient point within the context of a long-term adventure.

Beginning in the prison of the Castellan of Whitecliff, this campaign arc takes the players from level one to four, presented as a sandbox area in a lonely and gritty peninsula full of villains and opportunities for the players to explore. Much like Stonehell, but for regional play. Published by Coldlight Press

Ever wanted to face the cold, dark, and dangerous unknown without the advantages of a fantasy hero? This is your chance! Fifth Edition Funnel puts a spin on character creation. In the Funnel, each participating player quickly generates several 0-level characters blessed with the abilities and low survivability of your average commoner. Those that survive will be promoted to 1st-level heroines and heroes. The Funnel bonds characters over common challenges they meet and (hopefully) overcome. The surviving 1st-level characters share a common origin as adventurers. Instead of merely rolling dice, there is a trial by fire where average people succeed against the odds to do something heroic (or hide under a table in a tavern).

In the deep, it has awoken. Hidden in the ruins of an old dwarven kingdom awaits a powerful relic, and an army kobolds are on the march to retrieve it. Dare the heroes enter this ancient place, and will they find the relic before the army arrives. In a race against time the adventures may unleash the greatest evil, while trying to save the world from a grim fate. Tomb of the Dragon's Heart is a low-level OSR adventure suited for Labyrinth Lord and other oldschool retro clones. The adventure was originally written for the Danish Living Campaign The Hinterlands, and it is for the first time presented in English. The adventure introduces the players to a different tradition of adventures, and it one with a focus on exploration and encountering the unknown. The adventure contains new magical items and relics and new monsters to challenge your players. Tomb of the Dragon's Heart also functions as a prequel to The Flooded Temple and to Grave of the Heartless. Published by Greis Games.

"The broken outline of Cear Ferros emerged on the horizon. Its ancient walls stand silent and looming as you approach them, casting long and eerie shadows across the land." An adventure through a cursed castle crawling with undead in search of missing merchants. For Shadowdark Published as part of the Shots in the Dark collection.

Questing through the forest, you will be tested. Which side will you take between a wizard and the Keepers of the Veil? Will you be able to find the materials necessary to help cure your friend of the ancient evil that assails him? And when it comes down to it, what are you willing to sacrifice for your beliefs? Third Time’s the Charm picks up where Second Glance left off and invites the PC to find a wizard who can help heal the Crystalline Curse slowly paralyzing the PC’s friend and protector. As the party grows closer on this adventure, learning to depend on one another, they must also navigate the Veiled Wood’s changing landscape, deciding who they can trust and who they will help as much lies in the balance. Though this was written as the third installment in the Crystalline Curse Trilogy, this adventure can be inserted into any campaign setting and scaled accordingly. Third Time’s the Charm is part of our mission to bring you high-quality, ready-to-play material that supports adventuring parties of 1 Player and 1 DM. This adventure is written for a third-level character in a one-on-one 5th edition D&D campaign. Everything you need for your own two-person game is inside! This product includes: -A 3rd or 4th-level adventure adaptable to any setting -Stat blocks for one new creature and two NPCs -A region map, two sitemaps, and a hand-drawn dungeon map to aid the PC’s investigations -A fully realized forest region with fleshed-out NPCs and places to explore -Detailed backstory for the ancient warrior sheltered inside the PC’s treasured amulet -Four custom magical items And helpful tips for DMing a one-on-one game This adventure is perfect for those looking to begin or continue their duet campaign. Published by D&D Duet.

Things are not right at Du Sharid Manor. Months ago, a deranged parish priest and his most devout followers formed a heretical cult. These self-proclaimed “Seekers of the White Heart” chose the desolate Wild Hills to practice their secret rites; but the strange goings on at the Wild Hills did not escape the prying eyes of the more pious villagers who set out to confront the cultists. Once there, the villagers witnessed something terrifying and unexpected. Since the events of that night, the cultists have vanished, but the remaining serfs of Du Sharid now live in constant paranoia. Your party has been hired by the local bishop to to learn the truth about what happened at Du Sharid Manor. For use with Swords & Wizardry (or the like) and designed for the experienced Referee, Jewel of the Lunar Rift is a first-level campaign-starter and an introduction to the Messoria setting. Included as a bonus are campaign journals from the author's own sessions.

A level 3 temple incursion adventure by Brad Kerr. In a golden temple of healing on a sundrenched island, blissful amnesiac patients are held prisoner by monstrous caretakers. Intruding PCs will need their wits and their swords to unravel the temple’s secrets, snatch its treasures, and escape. For Old-School Essentials (OSE) Included as one of four adventures in "Old-School Essentials Adventure Anthology 1"

They say the legendary Ashes of Evensong have been found! In the year 689 DR, the song dragon Evensong was incinerated by Kallurous, a red dragon. In the wake of her death, Evensong’s ashes were gathered into a hundred urns by members of the Harpers. Originally intended as mere relics, the urns fell out of the Harpers’ possession when the caravan transporting them was ambushed. They were thereafter lost to history. Three months ago, stories began to circulate that at least one of the urns has been found. An artificer from the city of Elskar claims to have acquired some of Evensong’s ashes. According to his story the ashes are more potently magical than even residuum, created as they were from the mortal remains of a powerful magical creature burned to ash in the fires of an even more powerful dragon’s breath. This tale is dismissed by most, but certain factions and private interests aren’t willing to reject the possibility without investigation. If true, the artificer may be in possession of a highly dangerous and unfathomably valuable substance. More importantly, he may be in possession of the knowledge of where it came from, and the secret of what happened to the Ashes of Evensong all those centuries ago. In search of the truth behind a rumour that some of the Ashes of Evensong have been found, the player characters find that the Ashes are ultimately incidental to a far more worrying development. The trail of the Ashes leads them to the discovery of a fiend pact warlock operating among the ruling class of the city, a vault of forbidden magics the secrets of which have been breached, and a diabolic artefact about to be reclaimed in the name of a Duchess of Hell. With a focus on investigation, puzzles, and dangerous traps, Ashes of Evensong rewards players for caution and cleverness. Published by Spilled Ale Studios

When her father goes missing, a young adventurer has no other choice than to gather her friends and head for the city of Loudwater. Soon after she gets swept away in an obscure design threatening to drag the entire region into chaos and war. At the heart of this mystery, lies not only her father, but the long-forgotten history of her once-despised family and a primordial beast influencing events from the shadows, moving her family like pieces on a chess board. Visit www.perfumersdaughter.com for more information. You can also address me directly on The Perfumer's Daughter Q&A on Facebook. All battlemaps and dungeons are free to download for use in digital platforms (such as roll20) on the aforementioned site.

There have been disturbing signs over the last few months, signalling that something is wrong in Humblewood. The troubles appear to originate from activity in the Scorched Grove, an ashen plain that was ravaged many centuries ago by a destructive fire. Whatever caused the fire has scarred the land with elemental magic, making it inhospitable to all but strange fire-based creatures. Of late, the Grove has begun to expand. At first, it was hard to notice the slow expansion, but those in tune with nature (especially the Tenders) could see the imbalance in the elemental forces of Humblewood. For many common folk, this imbalance has been experienced as unseasonal dryness, which has led to crop failure and an increased frequency of forest fires. There have also been a number of unusually aggressive emberbat clouds reported far outside of their natural ranges. The true nature of the danger still remains hidden from the people of the Wood. A corvum necromancer named Odwald Ebonhart has stirred the elemental aspect of fire, which has lain dormant beneath the Scorched Grove since its first burning. The aspect’s energies have begun to empower fire-based creatures within the Wood. The increased range of emberbat swarms have brought fires that have expanded the Grove. Many forest-dwellers, who have been left without homes, have turned to banditry to survive. Soon the elemental incarnation will break free, and players must find a way to stop the aspect of fire before it reduces the Wood to ashes.

The Dreaming Caldera involves the players infiltrating a volcano teeming with monsters that are intent on constructing a chaos god. The players must navigate through the hostile environment, disrupt the monstrous activities, and ultimately prevent a catastrophic event. 27 keyed locations Written for the Old-School Essentials (OSE) rule system

Goblins have returned to the area of Westgate, seeking an ancient magical item constructed for their foul kind. In their search, the goblins attack an imperial convoy secretly disguised as a merchant’s wagon. The knowledge that goblins are near must be kept quiet from the public, thus a small band of adventurers is required to seek out the creatures and the stolen magic item, deep inside the warrens of the great goblin chief! But the adventure does not end there...

The astronomer monks of Farsky failed for decades to tell the future by the stars. Desperate, they found a promising seer, and passed off her predictions as their own… until deadly illness struck. Unable to give up their lucrative scam, they trapped her spirit, which became a thing of evil: a banshee, whose howls foretold their doom. The party have heard rumors of a ruin, where once sages could answer any question… Notes by @Demian: Winner of One Page Dungeon Contest (OPDC) 2015. The adventure consists of a single small dungeon with 13 rooms and an exploration/time-based random Silence spell mechanic. It is themed around music and sound. Designed as a one-shot to be played in one 4–7 hour session.