A mysterious ship emerges from the dark ocean mist, its lantern-lit deck silent and empty. When invisible hands cast lines and ropes over to the characters, will they accept the invitation to board and enter the secret afterlife of departed sailors? Ghostlight is a nautical sword-and-sorcery adventure and includes: -A haunting foray into the afterlife for good and evil sailors -A mad witch, a dashing rat pirate, and a tavern full of departed souls -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -High-quality digital maps for use with virtual table tops
Explore an abandoned wizard’s tower in this short mini dungeon! This adventure is a Micro Dungeon. Preface Long ago a wise wizard named Adubeus lived deep within the forest. As he lived, he would pass out nuggets of wisdom to those in need, and aid the local townsfolk in times most dire. Long past are these happy days, however, and the kindly old wizard has not been seen in many decades. Some say he found a calling elsewhere in the world, while others whisper of his demise at the hands of a secret experiment gone awry. One thing is certain, however. His tower, long forgotten, still stands out there in the forest. Occasionally, some hapless person wanders upon it much to their personal peril. The specific details of Adubeus are left vague on purpose. This small adventure is intended to be played as part of a larger campaign, and the location can be modified to fit your setting. The reasons for your adventuring party to be heading towards the tower are entirely up to you, however, below are some good sample adventure hooks.
Synopsis: Goblin Bathwater, a magical drug, has taken hold in a sleepy coastal town at the edge of the Empire. As the characters investigate the origin of the drug, they uncover an international criminal conspiracy, wild and ancient magic, and a threat to reality itself. Contents: This beautifully made, 54-page adventure offers: A fully fleshed out, setting-agnostic starter area, brimming with colourful NPCs and hooks for adventure. Balanced encounters to bring characters to level 2; then some more devious encounters on their way to level 3. Three mini-dungeons built on the design philosophy of the "5 room dungeon method" Multiple big, cinematic set-piece boss encounters what will make your players feel epic. A facetted intrigue, which does not immediately suggest a simple, ready-made solution but invites the players to come up with their own, personal approach. Why pick this adventure? Hey, my name is Marius. This is my first time publishing on the DMs Guild but I wouldn't call myself a newcomer. I started playing Pathfinder 1e back in 2014. When I took over as our group's DM in 2019, we swapped over to 5e. We have run many, many modules and adventures since. Currently I play three games a week. In short: You could say I'm hooked. I created The Goblin Bathwater Incident as the ideal adventure for in-between your big modules, but it isn't a simple little adventure. With a playtime of about 30 hours, it still manages to hit that sweet-spot, where it establishes context, makes you grow fond of NPCs, and makes those big bossfight wins so much sweeter, all without taking more than a few sessions. The Goblin Bathwater Incident is different from many of the 1st tier adventures in that it pits the characters against traps and monsters, but also asks difficult, open-ended ethical questions, where a simple strategy of "apply sword to head of bad guy" will not cut it.
Mystery, intrigue, infiltration. The inner politics of an active thieves Guild. The Thieves Guild Fence, Tessa, knows the head of her Guild is trying to kill her. But there is more at stake than their lives, the very soul of the Guild is in peril. Tessa turns to a party of adventurers to find evidence of the Guild Master's betrayal, uncover his shadowy benefactor, and support her in an All-Masks meeting to determine the fate of the Misbegot Thieves. As well as an adventure, this book can also be used to give you the framework of a Thieves Guild in an agnostic setting and offer quest seeds for follow up quests working to get the Misbegot Thieves Guild back on track. Sharpen your knives and prepare for war.
*THIS IS A D&D NEXT/5E PLAYTEST ADVENTURE* Imani, a Turmishan wizard and former adventurer, seeks the aid of heroes to infiltrate Dretchroyaster’s lair and recover the Diamond Staff of Chomylla—the key to powerful magic and wisdom locked away for thousands of years. In addition to his own sagely interest in the lore of lost Uvaeren, Imani recognizes the dangers of such powerful magic falling into evil hands. The dracolich has secured the staff in his lair’s cen- tral chamber, using ancient wards of protection that can be bypassed only by four artifact-idols once belong- ing to a cult of Bhaal. Each group of adventurers enters the dungeon through a different section of the dun- geon—a forgotten temple of Bhaal, a vast underground lake, a troglodyte village, or Dretchroyaster’s vaults. Dretchroyaster’s lair is no simple set of caverns and ancient ruins. It sits atop a source of great power and energy, which the dracolich and his Cult of the Dragon allies hope to use to unlock the secrets of the staff. Only by undertaking a unified assault against Dretchroyas- ter’s lair can the adventurers hope to recover the Diamond Staff and survive the dracolich’s fury. The adventurers must make their way through the lair and recover the Bhaalite idols that will help unlock the Diamond Staff, all the while dealing with the lair’s creatures and avoiding the dracolich as he pur- sues intruders. Entering the Chamber of the Diamond Staff, the heroes must overcome its magical wards and claim the staff before being slain by the dracolich and his servants.
The follow up to the ratfolk warlock lair, A Rat Among Us, Part One. It is suitable for four or five 3rd-level characters. The lairs can be run separately or together as one longer adventure. The Demon Lord of Rats is making his play for control of the city. Will our stalwart adventurers find the source of his power and thwart him?
The woodland surrounding the village of Turvin is becoming a dangerous place. Strange lights and sounds have been coming from deep in the forest, and now people from the village are starting to disappear. Some evil force is turning nature against mankind, and it's up to the PCs to put a stop to it. A D&D adventure for 4th-level characters.
One page adventure, one page map. A necromancer desiring to increase her undead army has unleashed a zombie horde on a remote village. Patch, one-eyed dog of Duff the blacksmith, survived the village massacre which turned most of the inhabitants into zombies. The dog lost his eyepatch in the confusion. If a Speak with Animals or similar spell is used or if a character can read animal emotions well, Patch may tell the location of some of the zombies and the massacre's survivors. Adventure hooks included. Published by Wicked Cool Games
The Brightness of Mornstead This challenging, three-hour, one-shot adventure is intended for parties between levels 5-8. Five years ago, a dragon destroyed the peaceful town of Mornstead. Now, a man named Wiles Killinger has rediscovered a mysterious artifact from the ruins and seeks revenge against the dragon that destroyed his life. However, not all is as it seems in this tale of lore, mystery, and betrayal. Will the dragon be slain by mighty heros or will the horrors of the living dead return to cover the land? Adventure Features Flavor text and pre-written quotes let the DM jump right in with minimal prep time. A level-scaling table for on-the-fly-customization of the final battle. NPC information and backgrounds. Multiple plot points that can be expanded into a full-fledged campaign.
Surviving the shipwreck is easy; living through the wizardly bet afterward is not. Their game could mean your lives. A storm caused the PCs' vessel to sink and is now forcing them to seek shelter in the keep on the remote isle. Their goal is to locate a boat or some other means of transportation to return to the mainland after the storm has passed. But first, they must survive the tests and traps the island's inhabitants have set for them. Pgs. 45-64
In this level 6 adventure for 4-6 players the party comes across a man named Johann Dhomm who was transporting animals in cages to his private island where he has a menagerie (a kind of zoo) that he eventually wants to open to the public. But the animals have escaped and he asks the party to try and catch them alive for him. However, the animals are actually quite dangerous and range from Gazers to a Wyvern.
HORROR THEMED ADVENTURE FOR THIS HALLOWEEN!!! EXPLORE A HAUNTED PIRATE SHIP!!! What is this adventure? This is a short location-based horror adventure where the characters explore a haunted derelict pirate ship in the ocean. The whole adventure can be played in a typical four-hour session. The Derelict is perfect for situations where the party suddenly decides to sail off into a completely new direction and the gamemaster does not have anything prepared for the destination. It is designed to be simple and the gamemaster is empowered to read and run it quickly. Since combat is not the main focus for this adventure (it is more atmospheric and exploratory), scaling this adventure for parties of different levels is trivially easy. How to use this adventure? This adventure can be used in two different ways - A random encounter - This is perfect for use for a random encounter in the sea A retrieval mission - This adventure can also be used as a missionto retrieve an artifact that was looted by the pirates a long time ago What is included? The adventure pdf DM's map of a haunted pirate ship with four separate levels High resolution maps for the pirate ship (all four levels), which can be printed out as a tabletop map to play on.
'A Doven Investigation' is an adventure for 5e to take characters from level 1 to 3. Within the city of Doven a series of bizarre accidents have worried city authorities. They suspect the origin of these accidents come from a necromancer and so seek out a group of adventurers to hire. Their job is to find out what is causing these accidents and put a stop to it. This job though won't be as easy as it seems. The party will have to make sure to not accuse innocent people, work what the city authorities aren't telling them about these accidents and finally uncover the more infernal origin of what endangers Doven. This adventure serves as a sandbox mystery adventure presenting the party a variety of ways to uncover what truly is happening in Doven. It is a good way for a parties characters to meet up and explore the city of Doven together as they work out more and more about the city.
Dracula, the Lord of Shadow and Darkness, has covered the land in shadow and dispatched armies of monsters and undead from his magical castle. His armies threaten to overrun major cities and plunge the world into a literal Dark Age. The last of the vampire-hunting clan that traditionally opposed him has disappeared, and still the armies advance. He must be stopped. If that's not enough motivation, it is well-known that his castle is full of magical items and great riches... but also great danger. If you've ever wanted D&D and Castlevania to meet, look no further. This adventure is exactly what you wanted. Every area of the castle poses different and unique challenges to keep the party engaged and on their toes. Written for the DM as a ready-to-run adventure, it is designed for four to six characters. The adventure starts at level 3 at the outer defenses of the castle, and ends with the party advancing to level 13 after defeating Dracula in an epic battle. The adventure includes documentation to help even a new DM succed, including suggestions for how to run each of the area "boss" monsters in combat. There are approximately 50 new enemies and over 3 dozen new magical items. It also comes with a list of suggested music for many areas of the castle, and a 25-page campaign log recounting an actual tabletop play-through of this adventure from the DM's perspective.
A storm brews on the cliffs, and thunder takes wing. Near a remote coastal village, livestock vanish and tempests rage without warning. Locals whisper of a legendary beast: the Stormwing—a massive eagle wreathed in lightning, said to nest high among the windswept cliffs. But is the creature truly a menace… or merely a misunderstood force of nature? Dare your party scale the perilous cliffside, brave elemental hazards, and confront the Stormwing atop its thunder-blasted perch? Inside This Adventure: ✅ A lightning-charged dungeon crawl through cliffs, caves, and stormy ledges. ✅ A dramatic final encounter with the Stormwing—can your party fight, negotiate, or outwit it? ✅ A thunderous environment with gusts, static surges, and dangerous terrain challenges. ✅ Unique rewards, including the Gloves of Conducting, a magic item that crackles with power. ✅ Multiple adventure hooks for easy campaign integration. This adventure is part of Thirsty Tiger Tales, an ongoing collection of thrilling one-shots for D&D 5e! Perfect for a one-shot or a side quest in any elemental, coastal, or storm-themed campaign. Pay What You Want until the end of May! Suggested price: $1.00 Will your party tame the skies—or be cast down by the storm?
The chapel, once populated by the priests and priestesses of Eldath has now been desecrated by cult of necromancers who sought its secrets to prolonged life. They soon discovered the bodies of the chapel’s clerics they slew, and those interred in the catacombs below, were unnaturally strengthened and preserved by the chapel’s white waters. Their bodies were soon used to create powerful undead. Seeing this desecration of her followers, Eldath stemmed the flow of her life-giving waters. The cultists remain in her chapel, seeking to corrupt the well and harness its powers for their vile plans. Published by Arcana Games.
If you're looking for a light-hearted adventure, you've come to the right place. Can a wizard and her beloved chef live a quiet life of baking and brewing, or is trouble destined to enter their innocent kitchen? It's up to the player characters to see what these two have cooked up before things get too hot to handle (without potholders, anyhow). Game designer Andy Collins offers the latest in our series of monthly free adventures. This original Dungeons & Dragons scenario, including full description and stats for a crusty new culinary creature, is suitable for a party of four characters of 2nd level. Adventure Preview When Andolyn met Gendrew, it seemed a match made in heaven. Andolyn was a skilled wizard with a love of a good meal, looking for an excuse to settle down from adventuring, while Gendrew was a master chef looking to create new methods of cooking. Together, they took up a quiet life of baking and brewing, content to live in a small cottage on the outskirts of town. But now one of their experiments has gone horribly wrong, and the characters must save poor Gendrew from his own delicious concoction, while defending themselves from the inhabitants of the cottage, and one unwelcome invader.
While lightning may strike anywhere, there is but a single Temple of Pure Lightning. This temple could be located just about anywhere – out in the middle of an expansive dungeon or even hidden beneath the streets of a bustling city. Regardless, this temple is not for the faint of heart. Within these walls are floors charged with lightning, ancient powerful weaponry, a vast series of winding powered minecarts, and rooms that are filled with eternal storm clouds. Just as dangerous are the aetherspawn that have been drawn to this place of great power and now see it as a home that will not be taken from them by the likes of a few mere adventurers.
Deep in these caverns overrun with all sorts of foul creatures are two sister hags. Once of the same coven, they now have a bitter rivalry but both refuse to the leave these caverns they call home. The cave received its name thanks to the terrifying sounds that echo through it. Some say it is just the wind brushing against the stone but the rumors all speak of two horrifying sisters casting curses and performing diabolic rituals with human sacrifices in a never-ending hatred. Heroes will face goblin, hag, bat, hook horror, and other terrifying monstrosities deep within the tunnels of The Shrieking Caverns. This dungeon does not contain any of the puzzles from the puzzle section, though there are a few situations the players will find themselves in that will require more than phsyical strength. That being said, this dungeon contains many combat encounters and is expected to take multiple nights to complete.
The party has been contracted by House Tor to provide 'extra security' during a ball. Unbeknownst to the players or House Tor, a spy from another house of an attending noble is going to try to sabotage the night in an attempt to ruin the evening. Can the party stop the spy? Will the nobles finally snap?