For centuries, the Great Swamp has hidden hints of an ancient culture of barbarian kings. While passing through this miserable bog, the PCs encounter Stygoth the Damned, a half-dead black dragon driven mad by a mysterious disease. Delving further, the heroes discover that the disease is tied to the very swamp itself. A great corruption once infested this place, destroying the savage barbarian kings and leaving only mighty statues as their legacy. Now this corruption has returned, and a terrible Witch Queen is mining the corrupted swamp-earth to produce evil, blighted artifacts. In order to stop the spread of these evil weapons, the heroes must enter the ancient caves of the savage kings, put to rest the corrupt legacy of their downfall, end the disease that scars the land, and then face off against the Witch Queen herself.
The Haunted Hamlet and other hexes details four unique modular locations for your game. Made for old school essentials, but can easily be used with other old-school systems or even 5E. The four locations detailed in the zine focus on gameable content and being easy to use at the table. The locations are not connected to one another and can be sprinkled onto your campaign map however you like, or run as one shots. The PDF is graphic and art heavy and utilizes random tables and other tools to make it easier for GMs to run in a pinch. Details: 40 pages Single column text 8.5 x 5.5 aspect Black & White Bookmarks Four hex locations Random tables A rival NPC party A sky merchant A one page town Two hirelings
This scenario was presented to Gryphcon's 30th anniversary last year. The party finds themselves coming to the Triland on their way to Taco Del Toro. This island chain is unique in that it has a land mass made of clouds, hovering over the island. Upon landing, your group discovers that the governor's child has been abducted by a Cloud Giantess. Time for your hero hats...
Order of the Goat is an introductory adventure that is 1/3 of a mini campaign designed to take a group of PCs on the road to 6th level. The Kingdom of Neville is an aging monarchy that is currently being attacked from all sides. The current threat that the PCs will be dealing with is a group of brigands known as “The Triad”. This group is coming out of the wastelands and are attempting to cut the kingdom in half so that they can take it as their own. This adventure offers a wide area to be investigate with multiple encounters of varying difficulty. While best used in conjunction with the other adventures, it can easily be dissected as one-shots or as a quick scenario in your own campaign!
A dangerous beast - but one with a mission. Even the gods slip up now and then, but few dare remind them of it. Ri Conn's son was killed by the white boar of Kilfay, and he has passed sentence of death upon it! What starts as a hunting expedition for the PCs ends up being a grand adventure through the forest. Several interesting set pieces on the path of the boar's rampage are included in the adventure. The path of destruction leads through a goblin camp and ends in the tower of a now-dead mage (which still holds the target of the boar's ire, a mutated bulette that the mage bred). Will the party help the boar kill the bulette mutation, or let it free? Pgs. 32-47
What Makes Heroes into Villains? Damien Anthilas has fallen from ally to adversary, but something desperate in him has struck a chord with you. Why would he risk everything to steal the memories of the citizens of Anduria? Left with only a cryptic clue, the characters seek answers from the burned out remnants of his former home. Anthilas Manor is a place of dark magic and even darker history, where the ghosts of the past hold sway and the influence of the mad god is still felt to this day
The ground-breaking introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons that served as a DM aid in the first D&D Basic Set, released by TSR in 1977. This set included a 48-page rulebook covering the first three levels of play, and was skillfully edited by Dr. J. Eric Holmes from the original 1974 D&D rules written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The original set included an exemplary dungeon level, but it was a loose collection of examples and not geared toward starting characters. Holmes advanced this concept by writing a new thematic dungeon with a strong backstory, creating an adventure that has remained a fan favorite over the decades. Officially, its only title is "Sample Dungeon" but colloquially it goes by various names based on Zenopus, the doomed wizard who built the dungeon under his tower
A special underworld encounter from DUNGEON Adventures! The toll may be higher than you can afford... To travel further into the Underdark the party must cross a bridge spanning a deep chasm. But to cross, they must pay the toll, or risk another route. Pgs. 47-54
The Dark Tide of Damodan is an underwater rescue adventure, where time is of the essence. A mysterious disease is killing of locals and visitors alike in the port town of Havenword. While the adventurers are in town, Havenword is attacked from the sea by nasty fish-headed creatures. After the battle, the characters learn that the creatures dragged off several townsfolk. They have been tasked with finding the captives and returning them safely. The only problem...they were taken out to sea. The characters must delve into the depths into an underwater keep to rescue the captives. Using the knowledge the captives to help locate one another, all the while, avoiding the sinister Damodan's forces. Will the characters turn the tides in their favor? Or will they swim with the fishes? Published by Crit Academy
Mimic Madness is a psudeo-adventure with four interesting mimic encounters. These four encounters are structured in a way that they can be used together as one adventure, or each individually dropped into any adventure from EL4 to 7. The encounters vary the mimic's tactics significantly, such as by having them we a weapon rack that wields the weapon it holds, pretending to be animated furniture using its ability to speak, and pretending to be a floor covering a pit; none of them rely on the typical chest or door mimics. Pgs. 24-25
An ancient cave, defended by ancient death traps and weird arcane seals conceals the antediluvian vault of an archlich whose reign predates recorded history. Undisturbed for untold eons, the vault now stirs thanks to the machinations of cultists who have meddled with secrets best left undisturbed... This module sends the heroes to an ancient cave occupied by cultists dedicated to the Mists of Madness. Defended by ancient death traps and weird arcane seals, the caves conceal an antediluvian vault, the resting place of an archlich whose reign predates recorded history in the Known Realms. Undisturbed for untold eons, now the machinations of the cultists and their eladrin master threaten to awaken the archlich, to dire ends that none can predict.
Sail beyond the realm of the living. The wages of sin is sometimes worse than death. "The Vaka's Curse" is a short AD&D adventure for two PCs. The adventure is set entirely on board a ship, so it can occur whenever the PCs take a sea voyage. At least one PC should possess a silver or magical weapon. Pgs. 8-13 & 70
"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.
Deep in the swamp, villagers claim something unnatural is happening at a large manor on the edge of town. A suspicious owner whose wife died years ago is attempting something dark and terrible, and it's up to the party to stop him. The true fun of this adventure lies in the house itself, which is filled with hidden references and homages to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, with the author himself filling the role as the suspicious home owner.
A wandering farm boy falls foul of an ancient trap and is plunged into a death-like sleep. The cure lies in a temple hidden in the green gloom of Merthington Woods, but to find it, the adventurers must brave a set of terrible traps laid by a forgotten sect of priests...
Figgy Puddin' Steals Christmas is a short adventure Designed for use with Shadowdark RPG. The adventure is designed for three to six characters of low to mid experience. The anticipated run-time is 2- to 4-hours. There's a bit of roleplay in this adventure, which may extend the playtime. Adventure Background A traveling jester known as Figgy Puddin’ and her Coal Smudge Gang have stolen Christmas presents and now hold them for ransom. While safe and secure in her lair, she awaits either a payment of an outrageous ransom, or a crew of heroes to claim the presents after they navigate her not-so-festive lair. What's the Adventure? After you introduce the hook, the adventure occurs in Figgy Puddin's lair - a refurbished kobold bunker consisting of eight rooms. As the characters explore the linear dungeon, they encounter new creatures, complete challenges, and are tested about their Christmas knowledge. However, the final confrontation with the naughty Figgy Puddin' could make for a very Unhappy and Unmerry Christmas for our heroes, the children of Thistleton, and their parents. Who Is Figgy Puddin’? Figgy Puddin’ was once a happy jester who loved Christmas. For years she traveled the realm, bringing fun and festive cheer to villages and children while preparing the way for Santa. However, times have become tough, and entertainment doesn’t always pay as well as one would like. As Figgy prepares for retirement, she’s learned she doesn’t have enough gold to last. During this time, she’s also decided that Santa doesn’t know who she is, let alone appreciate the work she puts in every year. Using her savings, extortion, blackmail, and other nefarious means, she’s convinced several mechanical geniuses and arcane specialists to help her refurbish her underground bunker with wondrous effects, creatures, and tests.
Revenants are terrifying. They are powerful and undeterred by magical concealment; if they are slain, their tortured spirits merely seek out new bodies to continue the hunt for their killers. Their only weakness is a ticking timer: they have one year to exact their revenge before their spirits fade from this world. But not Gorm. Gorm has no time limit. Gorm will pursue its target to the ends of the earth, taking new bodies as it goes, in pursuit of its ultimate goal: the utter eradication of its killer’s entire bloodline. Tyrants and Hellions is a Dungeon Master's aide, containing fifteen villains complete with schemes, lairs, backstories, and everything else you need to drop them into your own 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Within its 400 pages you'll also find the methods, both mechanical and thematic, used to create villains that spark the imaginations of your players. Hex is one of these villains, and his adventure takes up 15 pages (pg 94-109). Published by 2CGaming
The world of Filbar was built upon the remnants of the Adurite Empire an ancient empire that extended among the continents. Centuries ago a curse befell the land and the empire causing its destruction. In the campaign the players were given the opportunity to discover a very difficult way to lift the curse. While this adventure can be used as individual fillers it also offers campaign players the opportunity to lift the centuries old curse. Can your players piece together what happened and solve the mystery?
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
After carving out quite the reputation, you and your associates have been summoned to meet with the local regent. As you wait in the audience chamber you notice that the furnishings appear to be in the middle of an upgrade. After being introduced to the slovenly king, his vizier explains the task ahead of you. Apparently the monarch wants to decorate his throne room and wants a Giant Ape as the showpiece. As luck would have it, rumors point to a nearby island in the Jarteach Mere…