Five Best Free Places to find a D&D Dungeon or Adventure

If you’re a Dungeon Master running your own campaign, you probably enjoy creating new adventures for your players. But you may sometimes get writer’s block or just not have time to think up a new adventure.

When these situations arise, many DMs turn to buying published dungeons or adventure modules. But not every DM can afford to buy an adventure before his next game-night. And no one wants to wait until payday to play.

If you are stuck with no dungeon for your players to play, never fear. Here are five places to find free dungeon adventures to keep them entertained.

1.  D&D Adventure

Are you running a new campaign with level 1-5 PCs? D & D Adventure maintains a list of free dungeon modules for new characters. Most of these adventures were created for 3rd edition, but you can use Wizards’ 5th Edition conversion rules to make them work for your 5E party.

Here are a few notable titles in their collection:

Curse of The Menstaughter Manor

The PCs are looking for adventure in the city of Cat Watch when they are approached by local guards. The guards bully them into meeting with a local lord who offers them 50 gold each to find his son and threatens to make their lives miserable if they don’t help.

When the PCs start looking for the noble’s son, they are led into the haunted Menstaughter Manor, where zombies, skeletons, and treasures abound.

The Dark Crypt

The PCs discover an ancient crypt that is being used by troglodytes to stage raids against nearby human and elvish settlements. Many valuable treasures lie inside the crypt, along with troglodytes, a black pudding monster, a bugbear zombie, and other threats.

For Whom the War Rages (also called “Versus”)

The PCs are hired by Berrico Trading Company to deliver some cargo. On the way, they are attacked by bandits. They soon find themselves embroiled in a dispute between two rival businesses. Which side is responsible for the banditry? And who will the PCs choose to work for?

2. Random Dungeon Generator

Another option for free dungeons is to use a 5th Edition random dungeon generator like the one found at Donjon.bin.sh. Input your party’s level and size, add a motif and map style, and change other parameters to suit your taste. Then click construct.

Ta-da! Now you have a complete dungeon full of gold, equipment, traps, and enemies.

You still need to come up with a basic “hook” to get the PCs into the dungeon. But aside from that, most of the hard work can be automated with this tool.

3. One Page Dungeon Contest

Each year, the One Page Dungeon Contest seeks submissions from DMs throughout the world. Judges vote on the submissions, and the winner becomes known for all time as one of the most efficient dungeon-creators ever.

The official website for the One Page Dungeon Contest contains links to many of the winners. Unfortunately, many of these links are broken or simply lead to the homepage of the dungeon’s writer. But the 2016 entries can all be found in their original form by selecting click for original entry files on this page.

These dungeons have names like The Umber Woods, The Dimensional Dial of Dr. Diago, and Death and The Dandy. By combining a few of them and creating some narrative elements to join them together, you should have enough material to get you through at least a few hours of gameplay.

4. Wizards of The Coast Free Dungeons and Adventures

Did you know that Wizards of The Coast actually gives away a few of their adventure modules? These free modules are hidden away in hard-to-find places within the WotC official website. But they are there, nonetheless.

You can search for these gems yourself or just rely upon this list from Technoskald’s Forge.

Here are a few of the great free dungeons offered by WotC and found on this list.

Shadows Over the Moonsea

The PCs are hired by Doomguide Yovir to investigate a series of attacks that have been occurring in nearby coastal villages.

As they investigate, they encounter a multitude of dangerous adversaries, including degenerate villagers that wield demonic powers, a cult that is looking for an ancient book believed to be lost at sea, and pirates that have returned from the Hells to seek revenge on the living.

Winter’s Splendor

The PCs are enjoying the Midwinter’s Gala in the Sea Ward. But when one of the performers is attacked, the PCs are locked in the villa by the King’s Guard. They must now help with the investigation if they want to be let out.

Upon investigating, they follow a path of clues that leads them to the City of the Dead - where they come face-to-face with a minion of Asmodeus.

The Barber of Silverymoon

In the city of Silverymoon, people have been disappearing. And no one knows why. When the PCs try to investigate, they are led to the shop of the local barber, Jooge.

But there is something strange about Jooge’s barber shop; something evil.

5. Dragonsfoot

If you haven’t found a dungeon you like from the previous four sources, you can always try the free samples offered by DragonsFoot. These adventures are intended for the old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game, also known as “1st Edition” or AD&D. But they can be converted to 5th edition using the same conversion rules mentioned earlier.

Here are some of the most notable DragonsFoot adventures.

The Tomb of Kings

The PCs are scheduled to meet with up with a halfling named Eberhard Fairfoot at the local tavern. Fairfoot claims to know the location of an ancient tomb filled with treasures. But when the PCs arrive, a fight breaks out between dwarven and half-orcish patrons. Fairfoot is caught in the middle of the fight and suffers mortal wounds.

As he dies, Fairfoot utters a word that could be interpreted as a clue to the location of the tomb. When the PCs follow this clue, they find the tomb. But inside it are gas traps, an altar of evil, spectres, wraiths, and of course...enough gold and jewels to make them all rich.

The Village With No Name

While the PCs are traveling along the road, they encounter a village that is permanently under siege by bandits. If they’ll help the townspeople, they will be justly rewarded. But in order to do so, they’ll have to fight their way through a stables, inn, church, house, and other structures - all while trying to understand the complex politics of the bandit gang.

Ruins of The White Watch

The PCs meet with a wizard-sage named Astenon Bluecowl. Astenon believes he has determined the location of an ancient fortress that contains powerful magical lore. He is willing to offer the PCs the location of the fortress in exchange for a promise that he will be able to read the books they find there.

To get to the fortress, the PCs must travel through the treacherous Ash Woods and Bramble Run, home to ettercaps, giant spiders, and wolves. And when they arrive at the fortress, they must fight their way through troll and ogre skeletons, as well as the legendary swordwraiths, before finding the magical artifacts they seek.

Conclusion

Game-night is approaching. But you have no dungeon to send your players through? Don’t despair. Use these resources to find free adventures your players will love.

Some of these adventures are made for previous versions of the rules. But they can be converted to 5E rules fairly easily. So have fun with these free adventures. If you want to buy a dungeon or make one up completely on your own, there’s always time to do that later.

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Disclaimer

Last updated: January 27, 2019

The information contained on www.SkullSplitterDice.com website (the "Service") is for general information purposes only.

www.SkullSplitterDice.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. (source: Section 5)

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In no event shall Blueshift Nine, LLC be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. Blueshift Nine, LLC reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modification to the contents on the Service at any time without prior notice.

Blueshift Nine, LLC does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components.

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Some of the links are "affiliate links", a link with a special tracking code. This means if you click on an affiliate link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission.

The price of the item is the same whether it is an affiliate link or not. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers.

By using the affiliate links, you are helping support the Service, and we genuinely appreciate your support.

Affiliate advertising programs that the Service uses are:

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• As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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