The wizard Allustan requests the party's company on a trip to Blackwall Keep, a militia outpost on the border of a treacherous swamp. But what of the green worms and unkillable zombies plaguing the region, and what fell secret is locked in the keep's forlorn basement? "Encounter at Blackwall Keep" is the third installment of the Age of Worms Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures, several "Backdrop" articles to help Dungeon masters run the series, and a handful of poster maps of key locations. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Worm Food" articles, a series that provides additional materials to help players survive this campaign. Check out issue #335 of Dragon for three sample cohorts that they might want to take on. Pgs. 16-40
"A dwarven prince has requested your party's aid in quelling the coming invasion (if there is one, of course). Do you take him at his honorable word, and gird yourselves for battle? Or do you listen to the street talk, and take the side of those who disbelieve the warmongering? Most importantly of all: what if you make the wrong choice?" Patriots of Ulek is an adventure set in the world of Greyhawk - designed for a party of six to eight characters of first to third level who must help defend the Principality of Ulek against the despot’s horde and uncover a conspiracy which could lead to Ulek’s defeat. Fighters and clerics with healing spells are best suited to this adventure, as it involves a substantial amount of combat. Mages are helpful, but not required. Thieves will find minimal opportunities to practice their trade, although their skills as spies and scouts may come in handy. This adventure was designed specifically for inexperienced players and beginning dungeon masters. TSR 9385
Every year, the small town of Whitetree has to sacrifice a child as tribute to a fiery salamander slaver, Zassan. The players must pursue the slaver, attempting to stop him and retrieve his precious cargo before it’s too late!
Agents for the Mayor of Kleine have discovered the stronghold of the Red Hand goblins deep within the Burning Hills. They have also discovered that the goblins are forming an alliance with local hobgoblin and bugbear tribes to sweep the humans out of Thunder Rift forever. The PCs must reach the lair before the hobgoblin and bugbear agents return to their own tribes. if the envoys do not return, the tribes will assume that the goblins murdered them and attack the goblins instead of the human settlements. In this way, the humans of Thunder Rift gain some unexpected allies against the Red Hand goblins. This is the most dangerous and demanding of the three adventures in this set. It is recommended that you play it after Red Hand Trail and Trouble Below. However, it can stand alone as an adventure in its own right if you wish. Part of TSR 1076 The Goblin's Lair
In this adventure the heroes invade Susurrus, the palace of the githyanki lich-queen and attempt to end Vlaakith's reign forever. The adventure begins when Zetch'r'r, a githyanki warlord petitions the heroes to confront and destroy Vlaakith. However, the lich-queen's spies know of Zetch'r'r's treachery and are preparing to deal with him and the PCs.
You and your associates have been contacted by Janko Milosh, fourth Earl of Tambish. Apparently, he has come into possession of a cursed item and he requires it be delivered to someone he trusts to examine it. With no mounts and none for sale, you better hope your boots are in good shape!
Guilds Town is in the middle of Dravens, a province of the realm of Shrave. 50 years ago, the neighboring dwarven province of Kiernard rebelled and tried to overthrow the green dragon Shrave who rules the realm. They failed and their province was dissolved. Dwarves who left the province mostly fled to Dravens, and are called Nards as both a racial slur and a stigma of their people’s dishonor. Guilds Town are the ones really in control of the province and are the current opposition of the Dravens nobility. In recent times, corruption and crime in the city have risen to new heights as 4 cults compete for control of the city and their citizens. Published by NaturalCrit
Centuries ago, the despotic Alphaks, ruler of Alphatia, was banished to another world. From his own sphere of entropy he learned to manipulate men, and now seeks revenge against the human race. The volatile region of Norworld, a perennial battleground between Thyatis and Alphaita, draws Alphaks's attention. The already existing frictions, small-time political players, and petty vengeances are the sparks Alphaks will use to ignite a huge war that will destroy man-kind. This is an adventure of politics and diplomacy, of treachery and treason. Only courageous and bold actions can save Norworld from the horrors of war and liberate its people from oppression. The Vengeance of Alphaks may be played as a sequel to module M1, Into the Maelstrom, or separately. The D&D Master Set Rules are necessary for running this game. TSR 9148
The humanoids of the north are preparing to attack! Reports of large gatherings of evil creatures are coming in near the Holdfist Mountains. With more and more verified reports coming in something needs to be done quickly. With your fame firmly intact the people have asked your group to once again save the day....are you ready for your next challenge? Ya know....wasn't there an old castle around here somewhere?
Kidnapped! The cursed Baron von Hendriks has kidnapped your betrothed. Now the madman wants as a ransom your Alandah's weight in unrefined gold! How are you going to pay? The baron himself has been kind enough to provide you with that answer: streams of raw gold gush from a burning mountain somewhere in the Sea of Dread. All you have to do is find this mysterious mountain. Unfurl the sails! The open sea awaits you and your crew as you sail from the city harbor. But beware! The Sea of Dread has more than earned its title over the centuries. Can you survive the perils of the sea? Will your crew mutiny before you reach the Burning Mountain? Or will you have to throw crew-members overboard just to make room for the gold? Solo adventure. "Lathan's Gold" is a real innovation in solo adventure design, considerably more complex than any of the gamebooks then being produced. Though the adventures uses the typical trope of numbered paragraphs, its paragraphs are divided into six types: "S"pecularum, "U"rban", Island "E"xploration", "C"oastal", "T"rade Routes, and "V"oyages. Players can jump between the sections, then return, in slightly freeform ways. Players are also required to keep track of hit points, money, and treasure (which were typical for the more advanced gamebooks), and rations, days remaining, and hull points (which were not). Another freeform element, quite unusual for gamebooks, is the "wandering monsters" table, which introduces semi-random encounters. TSR 9082
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
Designed for a party of five characters of at least 9th level, this adventure will challenge players seeking a powerful magic item of the GM’s choosing. A sphere of annihilation has been provided and is woven into several elements of the adventure, but any appropriately powerful item can be substituted if something else suits your campaign better. Though the adventure is designed to test every type of character class, a rogue who can deal with traps is essential, as is a wizard or sorcerer of at least 9th level. Larger groups will have an easier time; parties of four or fewer characters will be in for a very bad time unless you mitigate some of the tower’s more lethal traps and encounters. This adventure culminates in an encounter with devils and a sphere of annihilation. The sphere of annihilation is hidden deep within the tower-and-dungeon complex of Crane the Sorcerer. Originally set atop a high mountain in a secluded and wild part of the world, the tower and dungeon can be relocated to meet the situation in your campign. Crane, an introvert, stayed as far away from civilization as possible, as is detailed below. The tower above the dungeon doesn’t present many difficulties for a group of powerful characters or alert players. It might lull PCs into a false sense of security before they enter the areas where they’ll really be put to the test.
Kingdom of the Blind is a short adventure for four 8th-level characters. The adventure is set in a minor duchy that is fairly removed from the ruler of the land. As a result, trouble can brew in the land and the king would not know immediately. About three years ago, a medusa, Zhanna Serpentlock, began systematically turning every person in Duke Jellhyn Fedorel's (N male human Ari5) duchy to stone. After losing many peasants to the medusa, Jellhyn attempted to placate her. He offered her his second son, Dephyl, for a husband. Duke Jellhyn and his family had always been rather tense and uncomfortable around Dephyl anyway due to the fact that Dephyl had lost an eye in a freak magical explosion as a boy. Zhanna accepted the marriage, and though Dephyl didn't really care for his family due to how they treated him, he was also less than happy with the arrangement. A year ago, Zhanna appeared at Fedorel's citadel again. She claimed that Dephyl had been untrue and that she had turned him to stone for his adultery. Throwing Dephyl's stone head down in the courtyard of the citadel, she swore vengeance on all Fedorels for his betrayal. Duke Fedorel and his household fled the citadel. Rather than give chase, Zhanna took up residence there and began ruling the duchy as the sole remaining Fedorel family member. Jellhyn and his family have lived in exile for a year. This is what the PCs can learn, but more is going on. As it turns out, Dephyl is alive and quite happy with his marriage. Zhanna is not repulsed by his disfigurement as his family was, and Dephyl's missing eye is something of an asset in the relationship since it lessens his chance of being accidentally petrified by his wife. In the two years of his marriage, he has grown up and gained ambition -- he wants to rule. As a second son (pawned off on a monster), he would never have received the chance. Now, with Zhanna's help, he can rule. However, Dephyl doesn't have the stomach for killing his father and brother. Instead, he and Zhanna plotted to take over the duchy by frightening everyone away. Zhanna carved a stone bust of Dephyl and used it to frighten off the rest of his family. Now Dephyl and Zhanna live happily in the citadel and rule the duchy together, though Dephyl's existence among the living is a secret.
A barque with a bark; or, You can't be Sirius! Another day, another kidnap victim to rescue - but this victim has four feet and likes old soup bones. An adventure with some bite. Sir Veneti of Chardon's prize mastiff was stolen just before the city's mastiff duel. He knows that it was his biggest rival, Sir Machi. Sir Veneti needs the party to seize Sirius, the mastiff, from a ship called Gale's Teeth. What the party doesn't know is that a pirate stranged in town is also planning a heist on this ship the very same night that they plan to steal back the mastiff! This adventure has opportunities for both combat and roleplaying, and allows for multiple ways for the players to finish the adventure. Pgs. 32-38
The Approaching Swarm is a short adventure. The party can consist of any mix of classes, but it should include at least one character that is good in wilderness settings, such as a druid, ranger, or barbarian, and at least one cleric. The adventure takes place in a swampland that is near a small settlement. The characters have just arrived in the small settlement of Crivdall, which is a fort on the edge of a huge, dangerous swamp. In the dead of night, a small armada of monstrous vermin attacked the characters and their hosts, and the PCs may have spied a mysterious figure that controlled their actions.
Deep under the ruins of Maure Castle lie the Chambers of Antiquities, vaults designed by ancient wizards to store magic items even they didn't quite understand. A continuation of last year's hit "Maure Castle." This adventure is set under the infamous ruins of Maure Castle, a monolithic edifice of night-black granite built by a powerful family of wizards. The Maures sealed themselves into the dungeons below their castle long ago, and today these dungeons have become one of the most infamous adventuring sites in the land. Although estimates have placed the number of monster-infested and trap-haunted dungeon levels below Maure Castle at 17, there may in fact be even more. This adventure presents one of those dungeon levels in detail. Pgs. 76-101
Horror has swept over the small village of Whitwick. Men, women and children have gone missing in alarming quantities in the past few months. The culprit? A cannibalistic mad-man deep in the woods nearby. Will the players be able to find and defeat the menace and bring relief to the people of Whitwick? This one-shot adventure is inspired by the strange and hilarious (Actual Cannibal) Shia LaBeouf musical Youtube video created by Rob Cantor. Watch your players unravel terrifying mysteries and uncover the true madness of Shilo the Buff! This 4-page PDF is print-ready, includes a statblock for Shilo the Buff, is easy to customize and is a fun, simple adventure for new DMs to run. Enjoy!
Base of Operations is a short adventure intended for four 5th-level characters. DMs can easily modify the adventure to suit higher- or lower-level adventurers, or larger or smaller parties of adventurers. Simply adding a few monsters to every encounter area makes the adventure more challenging for larger parties, and adding levels to any of the humanoids can make them more of a threat to high-level groups. For low-level adventurers, make the relationship between the two factions within Brightstone Keep more strained, and take away a few monsters from each group. You can remove levels from some of the humanoids in the adventure to make it a lower-level challenge, but it is important that the orc cleric (described in encounter area 8) still have the ability to animate the dead. Still, he can have fewer minions around him when encountered, and that makes him less of a challenge for a lowlevel party.
A black dragon’s treasure hoard has been located in the Twilight Marsh, and within it are secrets that hold interest to the factions. With the dragon marauding over the countryside, the horde is left unguarded. Now is the time to plunder its lair!
Into the void. It all started with two wizards feuding now a sphere of annihilation and a daemon princess threatens the whole town. It is up to the party to stop things before the city is destroyed. Pgs. 24-47