*** WARNING: this adventure contains strong scenes and descriptions which may not suit all kinds of public. It's heavy on horror, suspense, gore and sadism. The entire adventure available in the Full Preview, so that you can self-assess the content and buy in confidence. *** The main theme of the adventure is horror, using suspense elements as well as gore and sick scenes to shock your players. The adventure is divided in 2 parts: the first part involves a mad vampire spawn who tortures as a hobby, full of scary stuff like you see in horror movies. The second part involves a lesser demon lord stuck in a kind of inverted world (Stranger Things/Silent Hill style) which has a dread passion for a very disturbing and wicked art. There are tips on how to set the mood and make your players actually tense or even scary.
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.
The party finds themselves in a town being plagued by goblins, but not ordinary goblins - these goblins are zombified. Many of them are missing limbs and dripping with rot, but they still march to town with powerful intent. The party must help track down the origin of this plague - a Necromancer whose Blight Stone has been stolen by a group of mischievous kids who thought it would be fun to mess with the strange old man out in the woods.
A dispute erupts between a trade ambassador and a wealthy merchant and the players are hired as champions only to learn that they face a brutal and savvy opponent. Will the players be a second in time? "A Second in Time" is a two-hour adventure for 3-6 players. It is written for characters 1st-3rd level. The players act as a champions in a harsh blood sport that is as much the court of a river city as it is entertainment. This module includes a new poison, a new type of item and a rudimentary rule for addiction. The river city of Lotian is a rough place, where might often means right and the thirst for blood is nigh unquenchable. Gold may be the currency of the realm but justice is paid for in blood...
Not every journey follows a simple road, and some groups find themselves needing to take the path entirely untraveled to reach their next destination. There are rumors of a treasure deep within the forest, but no one has made it out alive to recount their tales. Compelled by the prospect of a quick journey and the chance of treasure, the party decides to risk a journey through the forest. Little do they know that their chosen route is ruled by a trio of lilitu, who are eager to play with the new toys walking willingly into their grasp. Wits, wiles, and wind hide in the forest, and the lilitu are eager for amusement. This adventure is intended for 5th level characters but can be scaled up or down. It is setting-neutral, and can fit into any published or homebrew location. This is intended as a puzzle-based adventure but could be used as a combat encounter. Pgs. 129-135
Hada the Black, a necromancer who was apprehended during an investigation of five missing orphans perished last night in the custody of city officials. The inquisitor who questioned Hada is certain that the children are still alive. After the characters hear of a contract offered by the city guard, they discuss the situation with the inquisitor. The tired and disheveled man smooths his crimson robes as he speaks.
Expand your game with this collection of 56 NPCs of various Challenge Ratings, thirteen of which include maps and details of their lairs. Add these NPCs as a side-quest, a main villain, a one-shot, a bounty for easy money, or however else you wish. Written by some of the best-selling authors on the Dungeon Masters Guild and outstanding podcasters, each NPC includes an image, a backstory, motives, flaws, and a stat block. Some even include new magic items!
A short adventure of human greed meeting weird horror with a quite messy outcome. An encounter set in a church, with a Shoggoth like eldritch horror as the Boss.
Along the caravan routes that tie the Cities of the West to the Kingdoms of the East, many tales are told of the mountains called the Towers of the Sun. One of these legends concerns a dark road said to be hidden among the twisty trails that spiderweb the mountains. Into the earth the road leads, into and through a series of vast caverns filled with treacherous traps and cunning monsters. Yet dangerous though the path is, many a party of adventurers have been tempted to walk it, for the stories say that the loot of a hundred lost caravans lies concealed along that evil way. [Comment: Uncertain for what levels of play this adventure is designed]
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?
Every seven years, the elven village of Mellorell hosts the Festival of Life, an opportunity to trade, shop, and celebrate with the folk of nearby lands. But a dark secret that could cost the life of fairgoers draws the heroes into a plot that leads all the way to Hades. The core of the adventure is a short thirteen room lair with grimlock guards, a basilisk pet and Malifustal the Night Hag, who guards a portal to Hades. Pgs. 12-33
"Can you solve the Labyrinth within 13 hours and get back what was stolen from you?" A 4-Hour Adventure for Tier 1 characters optimized for APL 3 taking place in the Feywild Domain of Delight, Labyrinth, where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems. This adventure takes place when the characters have been abruptly teleported into the Feywild Domain of Delight, Labyrinth. The Kobold King has given the characters thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth, or they will lose what he stole from them forever. "It's only forever, not long at all..." Pillars of Play: Skill challenges and exploration. Minimal/optional combat. Content warning: Non-consensual theft Adventure Inspiration: Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986)
While the PCs continue the quest for the missing pages of the Codex of Gamber Dauch they find the lands of Count Elam. The ruler has recently been informed of an agricultural problem with a herd of Anhkheg tearing up the lush farmland. Further investigation will uncover darker secrets in the area, and those involving Drow and Derro!
A group of snaketongue cultists has occupied an abandoned, partially sunken temple near a swamp. They grow impatient waiting for their yuan-ti master to join them, unaware that he has been slain by a rival faction of yuan-ti. Frustrated, the cult strikes against nearby villages in the hope of drawing the favor of Zehir. Investigating rumors of a serpent cult harassing a nearby town, the PCs have explored the swamp and discovered the overgrown temple. Its once-ornate stone door now hangs off its hinges, providing a narrow space for one character at a time to squeeze through. Pgs. 42-47
This module features 5 locations ready to be put in any D&D 5e game. It features these 5 locations: - An old warehouse (lvl 1) An old building occupied by a gang of Kenkus that are trying to build a mechanical way to fly. - Ruined Sanctum (lvl 2) A decayed temple lost to time, some decades ago it was breached by some blights and they still use it as a resting place and a trap for adventurers. - The Lunar dove (lvl 3) A small and secretive brothel used by the elites. Unbeknownst to them, however, the Owner spies and hoards secrets to use to their advantage. - Cave of Mending (lvl 4) A cave with a magical healing lake, protected by a Druid that uses it to heal the wildlife from the surrounding area. - The temple to Xotarr (lvl 4) A hidden temple to an evil God where the cultists partake in calculated sacrifices.
As the story goes, worshipers of Bahamut and worshipers of Gruumsh spent years warring. As the dead piled up, a Bahamut faithful crafted a weapon of devastating power. Most of the inventor’s peers balked at its use, but some felt it was justified. Those few who used the weapon were twisted into mad, dark beings by its corrupting power. The rest of Bahamut’s flock locked them and the weapon away in a dungeon prison. The dungeon and its terrible secret were long forgotten—until a group of rakshasas happened across the ancient tale. Now they seek the weapon for their own designs. Pgs. 132-137
Don't feed the animals. Be kind to animals or else. The party is shown a rare set of baby monsters that they must face. Pgs. 56-59
A dungeon of tricky puzzles, ancient magical secrets, and more than a few lingering mysteries, designed to be played as a standalone adventure and not incorporated into another campaign. Six adventurers descend into the Temple of Mysteries to find a mystical artifact called the Strand of Tears. Seems straightforward enough, except that some of the party may not be who they say they are. In fact, none of the party may be who they say they are. Not only that, but they might not be who they don't say they are, either! Worst of all, they're trapped in the ruins of an underground temple specifically designed to keep people from proceeding unless they're proficient in puzzle-solving...and there may be doppelgangers on the loose.
Everyone who went to opening night of the Monveau Theater's newest show has gone completely insane. Can the characters uncover the shocking secrets inside the theater and find a way to end the plague of madness without losing their own minds? The Horror Within is a cosmic horror adventure for 8th-level characters. It's a one-shot that takes about 3-5 hours to complete and includes: -A maddening mystery where the characters' sanity is at risk -A thrilling battle against an Old One in the lost depths of the city -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -High-quality digital maps for use with virtual table tops
Two feuding kobold tribes have been left alone in their dragon queen's lair. Without supervision, surrounded by the wealth of nations and piles of magical artifacts. How long before things devolve into utter chaos? Set inside an enormous dragon's lair, the adventure allows players to take control of the best and brightest among the kobold tribe known as the Redscales. Their entire lives they have been the Dragon Queen's minions and her lair's caretakers. But the Dragon Queen has been gone for some time now and an ancient feud with another kobold tribe (the Bluescales) is about to be a rekindled. And the trap- and treasure-filled lair is to become their battleground. The gameplay is a mix of roleplaying, involving some tough moral choices (well, tough for kobolds), solving puzzles and wacky combat with kobolds wielding powerful ancient artifacts. There is an abundance of magic items, specially chosen for their potential to lead to hilarious situations.