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.
War brews beneath the emperor's notice, nature convulses as unholy demons bring woe to entire prefectures, and hobgoblin mercenaries wearing powerful machine armor march in greater numbers than ever before. Will you rise to save the empire or is Soburin destined for destruction? Soburin is beset upon by dark forces from its ancient past—not only the evil mists that transform men into monsters, but now too the return of a potent necromancer set to bring about a reign of agony, despair, and death! In the looming crisis the immortals that have treated the world as their gaming set are gathering their agents and pawns, deploying unique warriors across the continent with goals as mysterious as they are. It is within this epic game of intrigue that the adventurers become entangled as they undertake quests for the governmental bengoshi in the Sukochi, Yokuba, Ikari, Hakaisuru, Fuson, and Gekido prefectures as well as visit the enigmatic Tsukisasu, city of oni. Demons begat by the entities that consumed nature plague the party during their travels as do a very special gang of smugglers, the gun-toting Mubo Brothers, and the bloody hobgoblin mercenary erikotera warriors suddenly far more populous across the countryside than ever before. By the time all is said and done the PCs take part in a furious mass battle, nail-biting race through an undead dungeon, and finally an epic fight against an ancient evil atop the Hone-Noroi bone tower before it all comes crashing down! This extensive adventure path takes characters from 3rd to 12th level and includes all previous Mists of Akuma modules (Scourge of Róbai Shita Temple, Feud Primordial, Fangs of Revenge, Cursed Soul of the Scorpion Samurai, Yai Sovereign of Storms, and Revenge of the Pale Master) paired together with connecting material that creates one intensive campaign sure to delight GMs and players for months on end! It would be exhausting to list everything that's inside of the 374 pages of Trade War—here are some quick highlights and if you think this book is for you, peruse the table of contents (below) and sample PDFs. Over 50 maps 90 different NPCs and monsters 6 highly-rated adventure modules ranging from straightforward dungeon crawls to sandboxes of intrigue and back (and 2 sidequests by Andrew Engelbrite and Dirk van de Rijt) 8 new class archetypes: survivalist barbarians, smuggler bards, acrobat monks, tumbler rogues, enigmatic eye warlocks, desperado warlocks, and wizards of the inside out 32 new martial arts stance feats including new weapons martial arts stances Hyperlinks throughout to make accessing statblocks from the core rules a breeze Rules for mass combat An epic 9-level bone dungeon inspired by Buddhist hells Mists of Akuma character sheets
When an injured child collapses in the street, will you venture into the cellar he fled from to discover what hides, creaking in the dark? Published by Nord Games
The Disappearance of Esme is a short adventure for four or five characters of 2nd to 4th level. It will take a party from an ancient forest to a magical island at the fringe of the Feywild to the Feywild itself. As a standalone one shot, it is possible to complete it within a session of six+ hours. However, it is ideally played over two or even three sessions so that the players have time to absorb all that is happening and make decisions with more care. It can be placed within any setting where travel to the Feywild is a possibility. Features A painstakingly crafted 25 page full-color and fully illustrated PDF, a printer friendly B&W version, and a tested for screen readers accessible version A customisable, standalone adventure with opportunities for exploration, skill challenges, NPC interactions and combat Multiple entry and exit points, suggested developments for many different pathways Well rounded, complex NPCs with old school portraits Tooth Fairies, Flying Monkeys and Foglings: custom monsters with stat blocks A colorful battle map with both DM and player versions and separate monster and environment art assets
Barric Jingle promised the whole region he would deliver all kids presents in a single night! How he intends to do that, no one knows. It was no long before the promise reached an oni, who took hold of the warehouse Barric works in and kidnapped him! It's up to you adventurers to go through a fully industrial cabin full of weird toys and conveyor belts to save Barric. The adventure features widely different encounters with tons of surprises and environment to interact with. Aventura completamente traducida al ESPAÑOL This adventure was created for the RPG Writer Workshop 2020 with accessibility in mind.
An adventure for the Midnight campaign setting from Fantasy Flight Games. The adventurers make contact with the Baden's Bluff underground to investigate a pair of recent murders. This adventure emphasizes information gathering and deduction, rather than combat.
A Scavenger Hunt? The adventure begins in the city-state of Zoa as the wizard Geolain tasks the player characters with a quest to gather three ingredients they will use to forge a magic coin to defeat an evil wizard. Which will be more dangerous to collect, the mysterious diamond touched by death, the blood of a devil spilled by a coward or a blue dragon's breath? As the player characters race around Reanaaria Bay ti find the rare items, their nemesis Daresh the wizard begins to grow in strength and wrest power from the Skryvalkkers of the Lands of Skaarna. Will the player characters find the ingredients and enchant the coin in time? They just might be Skaarna's only hope. Published by Kenzer & Company
“Come! Sit! Be my guests. You will find that dinner is up to the highest standards, and I’ve even provided a show.” When the adventurers entered the manor of the old mayor they did not expect to fall into another plane of existence. It seems Archmage Lonore was ready for their arrival, and had arranged the finest entertainment... for herself. Can the adventurers survive Lonore’s death trap and capture the mad mage once and for all? This one-shot adventure is designed for characters of 6th level, and contains plenty of traps, encounters and misdirection. Adventure Synopsis Chasing the bounty on a murderous archmage, the characters find themselves plunged into an arcane deathtrap. Their quarry was prepared for their arrival, and had devised entertaining challenges (for herself) in this magnificent mansion demiplane. The characters will fight through various arcane hazards on their path to the inner sanctum of Archmage Lonore. As they get deeper and near the sanctum, the characters will meet the mage and her mother, possibly learn a bit about the relationship between them. This encounter leads to the final showdown in the archmage’s sanctum, where the orb of reality is located. The adventure includes a map for every encounter! (Print & VTT versions) Published by Beyond the Screen
War is looming between Nanch and the Fey. Those on the border are caught between two dangerous dynasts. Pressed into duty for lord and country, the peasants and gong farmers of Nanch find themselves in a strange and unnerving forest full of denizens older than the practice of naming. In this new world, the rules of life and death are a game of whimsy practiced by fantastic forces, and bizarre ancient feuds re-ignite in the chaos of war. Those errant attendants of Nanch will be fortunate to survive the madness of either ruler! The adventure spans a series of strange and otherworldly encounters with the magical and surreal denizens of Greenwood—while under the incompetence, cowardice, and bullying of Pertrub (one of the King’s footmen). As the encounters continue, signs of the Earl’s fate are everywhere. The players must pick up clues and begin to grasp the realities behind them! The adventure features a number of visual puzzles with handouts to help the players solve them. This 20-page, stand-alone adventure includes a new class: the Wild Elf. The adventure is for low-level characters. It is not setting specific and can be placed near any ancient woodlands.
Local villagers whisper of a mysterious place deep in the marsh - a place shrouded in mist and dotted with barrow mounds, ruined columns, and standing stones. The tomb-robbers who explore beneath the mounds - or rather the few who return - tell tales of labyrinthine passages, magnificent grave goods, and terrifying creatures waiting in the dark. Are you brave (or foolish) enough to enter Barrowmaze? Barrowmaze Complete (BMC) is a classic megadungeon for use with any old school fantasy role-playing game. BMC includes everything in Barrowmaze I and II in the same book in addition to new material, art, layout, and cover art by Ex-TSR artist Erol Otus. Barrowmaze Complete will keep your players on their toes and your campaign going strong. BMC is brought to you by the Old School Renaissance (so don’t forget your 10’ pole). This edition includes art by the aforementioned TSR artists Erol Otus, as well as Tim Truman, Jim Holloway. New old-school artists include Peter Pagano, Cory Hamel, Stefan Poag, Zhu Bajie, Stephan Thompson, and others.
A midwinter adventure for Draw Steel. Battle dangerous ice monsters, explore a strange fey realm, and negotiate with a powerful archfey to save a village from endless winter! This one-shot takes about 3 to 4 hours to complete and is balanced for three to six 1st-level heroes. Includes notes on how to adjust for a shorter session length or for higher-level heroes (up to level 8). Heroes can earn up to 3 victories. The Snow Queen's Fury is designed to introduce players to the core mechanics of Draw Steel—basic power rolls, combat, negotiation, and montages—in an easily digestible order. It's a great beginner one-shot, but would also work well as a seasonal interlude for an ongoing campaign. The adventure includes: - a charming midwinter festival with plenty of roleplay opportunities - one combat - one negotiation - one montage And your files will include: - battlemaps for all combat encounters (including a Christmas variant) - a reference map for the director - custom statblocks (including malice abilities!) for new ice-themed monsters - a PDF version and an Obsidian vault version of the adventure, for easy reference mid-session - a bonus level 10 solo statblock for the Snow Queen herself, just in case your heroes decide to do something really foolish
An adventure for the Midnight campaign setting from Fantasy Flight Games. While sheltering from a storm alongside a Shadow patrol, the adventurers discover that their hosts threaten both sets of guests. Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Delve into ancient ruins of civilizations past in this one-session adventure for 4th level heroes of the world's greatest roleplaying game! The Corwyn Catacombs is a one-shot adventure that sees characters delve into ancient ruins of a precursor civilization to rescue citizens of Corwyn and keep the village safe from harm! Will the heroes succeed in vanquishing the evils that lurk within? Or will they meet a grisly end, to rise again as servants of the undying Chiran Empire? Published by Animancer
The village of Gyles has been taken over by Ajax's forces, but after weeks of occupation, the War Dogs are becoming impatient with its newly appointed ruler. They weren’t made for watching over a bunch of villagers, they were made for action! The heroes arrive, seeing the devastation these monsters have caused and lives they’ve ruined, and realize they can offer them just what they need. Will they turn their Ground Commander against his master, or will they stand and fight them all, against impossible odds?
Picking up where Chapter 33: Adventures in the Ptolus book leaves off, the adventures in The Night of Dissolution cover an arc that pits player characters against the darkest foes the city of Ptolus has ever faced. Following the threads of a hidden conspiracy, the characters find themselves up against insane cultists, wild chaos magic, and horrors from the primordial days of the world. This adventure book is laced with urban intrigue, high action, and even some dungeon exploration. Some highlights include: A description of Pythoness House, a haunted oracle/brothel that hides a trove of weapons vital in the fight against the Cults of Chaos. A huge secret temple of chaos where insidious fanatics worship the dreaded Galchutt. Details of a city-wide network of covert spies and agents that extends even into the highest echelons of Ptolus’ elite society. These adventures culminate in the player characters’ attempt to stave off the Night of Dissolution, a dark time long foretold when the slumbering Galchutt will awaken in their hidden lairs deep below the city—and bring catastrophe and woe to the world. Published by Malhavoc Press
When a band of orcs attacks the town of West Fork, will you and your party bravely defend the townsfolk, and strike back? This adventure is intended to be used in any campaign setting and at any party level (see ‘Instructions’). This particular adventure takes place in a medium-sized village or small town. Most of the NPCs within this adventure are human, but they can easily be substituted for other common races to best suit your campaign. Published by Nord Games
The town of Ylraphon on the border of the Flooded Forest has been targeted by the yuan-ti. One of them has uncovered an ancient ritual to change the people of the area called the Old City into their servants. Can the adventurers stop the yuan-ti in time? The whole of the Moonsea may be at risk if they fail. Published by Mount Ogden Gaming Company.
Deacon Manor used to be a friendly and welcoming place. Often hosting nobles from far and wide as well as supporting the local community of Fettercairn. However, since the return of Lady May, and the unfortunate death of her parents, things have changed. Very few people visit now and those that do never return... Published by Fortiter Games.
Trouble festers in the old sewers beneath the fishing village of Sandwall. A bandit king extends his slimy grasp, mutated goblins prowl the winding tunnels, and aquatic abominations lurk within the polluted waterways. It’ll take a particularly foolhardy band of adventurers to deal with these labyrinthine sewers ... are you up to the task? Published by Absolute Tabletop
Do you want to fight a moon? The Matter of an Overmind is an epic space-faring Draw Steel adventure for three to six 4th-level heroes. When the heroes follow a protean ship through the ethereal void, they encounter a rogue planetoid which turns out to be a living overmind! How do you even fight something that size? At 4th level! Hop aboard your starsail and find out! Over the course of 2-3 sessions of play, the heroes can earn up to 8 Victories. This adventure includes: - Four combat encounters of varying difficulty - A negotiation and a high-action montage test - 10 new monsters, 1 retainer, and a new title to claim!