?pib`jiH\b\udi`<iip\g The Best of D&D Insider™ Sample file CREDITS Design Cover Illustration Logan Bonner, Bruce R. Cordell, Brian R. James, Steve Argyle Ari Marmell, Mike Mearls, Robert J. Schwalb, Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson Graphic Designers Leon Cortez, Robert Jordan Development Mike Mearls, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Interior Illustrations Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert, Chris Sims Rob Alexander, Dave Allsop, Matt Cavotta, Eric Deschamps, Empty Room Studios, Izzy, Editing Mike Krahulik, Scott Kurtz, Ron Lemen, Damien M, Miranda Horner William O’Connor, Wayne Reynolds, John Stanko, Francis Tsai, Sam Wood, Ben Wootten Additional Editing Jennifer Clarke Wilkes Cartographer Jason A. Engle, Kyle Hunter, Sean Macdonald, Mike Schley Managing Editing Torah Cottrill Publishing Production Specialist Christopher Tardiff Editor-in-Chief, Dungeon™ magazine Chris Youngs Prepress Manager Jefferson Dunlap Director of D&D R&D and Book Publishing Bill Slavicsek Imaging Technician Carmen Cheung D&D Creative Manager Christopher Perkins Production Manager Cynda Callaway Senior Art Director Jon Schindehette Game rules based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the later editions by David “Zeb” Cook (2nd Edition); Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison (3rd Edition); and Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and SampleJames file Wyatt (4th Edition). 620-25031720-001 EN U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, & EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS WIZARDS OF THE COAST, BELGIUM 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LATIN AMERICA Hasbro UK Ltd Industrialaan 1 First Printing: May 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC Caswell Way 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden ISBN: 978-0-7869-5200-7 P.O. Box 707 Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH Belgium Renton WA 98057-0707 GREAT BRITAIN +32.070.233.277 +1-800-324-6496 Please keep this address for your records DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, d20, d20 System, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, EBERRON, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Dungeon Master’s Guide 2, Monster Manual, D&D Insider, FORGOTTEN REALMS Player’s Guide, FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Guide, Adventurer’s Vault, Keep on the Shadowfell, Scepter Tower of Spellgard, Barrow of the Ogre King, Arcane Power, Dungeon magazine, Dragon magazine, Seekers of the Ashen Crown, Manual of the Planes, D&D Miniatures, Dungeon Tiles, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Wizards characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events included herein is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC. VISITOURWEBSITEATWWW.WIZARDS.COM/DND DungeonAnn.indb 2 3/3/10 8:07 AM DUNGEONMAGAZINEANNUAL It’s a new world for the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game. “Throne of the Stone-Skinned King,” by Print and digital content live side by side. Magazines Logan Bonner. Dungeon #166: page 60. The Scales and game supplements are complemented by a suite of War adventure selected for this compilation is for of electronic tools intended to enhance the play expe- 15th-level characters, the heart of the paragon tier. rience of players and DMs alike. And we’re releasing Logan takes the heroes into the insanity of a fomo- the book you hold in your hands: our second D&D rian king’s lair in the Feywild, where they must also Insider™ compilation. contend with the most insidious of threats: Tiamat’s This supplement contains adventure material shapeshifting green dragon exarch. A combination from Dungeon® magazine, our digital magazine that of tense negotiation and thrilling combat, this adven- provides DMs with monthly support content. Inside ture was also the first place where we revealed that this book, you’ll find a total of five adventures span- Tiamat was the über-threat of Scales of War. ning two campaign settings and over twenty levels “Storm Tower,” by Christopher Perkins. Dun- of play. Although Dungeon also includes articles, geon #166: page 111. What compilation of Dungeon we stuck to adventures here for a couple of reasons. adventures would be complete without a contribution First of all, the selection window for this book (from from Dungeon’s most prolific author? This 3rd-level the launch of 4th Edition through September 2009) adventure is also unique because it was originally run ended just before the first Dungeon feature article for the power-gaming quartet of Scott Kurtz (from appeared. More importantly, while Dungeon is the PvP), Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (of Penny home of all things DM-related, we know that first and Arcade), and Wil Wheaton. The adventure also fea- foremost, this magazine is still the ultimate home tures the amazing illustrations of Mike Krahulik. for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventures. We wanted to “Heart of the Forbidden Forge,” by Luke recognize that here. Johnson. Dungeon #167: page 129. An EBERRON As I looked at each of the adventures we published adventure for 7th-level characters caps off the Dun- in our first year plus, I realized what a tough job it geon Annual. Two words: warforged dragon. When would be to narrow my choices to a mere 160 pages. Luke first proposed this, I remember visiting the desk My first selections resulted in almost 400 pages of of Design Manager James Wyatt. “Can we do this?” I adventures, and I had to come up with a way to narrow asked. “A warforged dragon?” His face lit up, and his the field: I wanted an adventure from each tier of play. answer should be apparent by now. Perhaps the most I wanted at least one adventure from each of our two innovative villain in the book is ready to rock the currently published campaign settings, EBERRON® and world of any adventurers who get in its way. Even if the FORGOTTEN REALMS®. Finally, I wanted something you don’t usually play in the EBERRON setting, I think from the Scales of War adventure path. Sampleyou’ll file find this adventure as fun as they come. At the end of the day, after my managing editor Honorable mentions go out to a few other adven- gently informed me that I couldn’t double the size of tures that we couldn’t shoehorn into this book. the book, we put together the following list. “Haven of the Bitter Glass” (http://www.wizards. “Menace of the Icy Spire,” by Sean Molley, com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/duadp/2009March) Dungeon #159: page 4. Our first adventure takes and “Rescue at Rivenroar” (http://www.wizards. place in the FORGOTTEN REALMS and challenges 2nd- com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/duadp/20080711) level characters. Set near Loudwater, the sample town were both outstanding Scales of War adventures from presented in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Guide, Dungeon’s first year, and “Last Breath of Ashenport” it features everything that makes a short, low-level (http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/ dungeon crawl memorable. You have classic monsters duad/20080729) proved that a little Lovecraftian (goblins with a twist), an unexpected villain, and horror in your game makes for an amazing experi- some fun noncombat challenges to handle. ence at the table. “Winter of the Witch,” by Stephen Radney- It’s a privilege to work on the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MacFarland. Dungeon #161: page 23. We follow game each day, and a privilege to continue to have the our lowest-level adventure with our highest, for 22nd- fires of my imagination stoked by such great adven- level characters. This is the only epic adventure you’ll tures each month. I hope you find the offerings in this find in this supplement, and one of only a handful supplement to be as inspirational in your games as I we’ve produced so far. But even if I hadn’t wanted to do, and that you visit us at D&D Insider to see all the include an epic adventure in this product, I would other adventures and articles we have, ready to make still have picked “Winter of the Witch.” Wayne Reyn- your game as exciting as possible. olds’ art, combined with the terror inspired by the Witch herself, makes for (no pun intended) a chilling —Chris Youngs experience. DungeonAnn.indb 3 3/3/10 8:07 AM Sample file MenaceoftheIcySpire An adventure for 2nd-level characters by Sean Molley illustrations by Rob Alexander, Ben Wootten and Ron Lemen ✦ cartography by Kyle Hunter “Menace of the Icy Spire” is a DUNGEONS & DRAG- BACKGROUND ONS® adventure for five characters of 2nd level. The ® adventure is set in the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting About 30 years ago, a dwarf warlock named Draig- near the town of Loudwater in the Gray Vale. This durroch came to the Gray Vale. Draigdurroch adventure is designed to work well with the sample was part of a cabal of warlocks, and his particular F adventures found in Chapter 1 of the ORGOTTEN research dealt with the creation of new types of REALMS® Campaign Guide. In particular, this adventure eldritch pacts. He believed that the Dire Wood ™ makes an excellent sequel to Barrow of the Ogre King , contained a particularly potent source of untapped which introduces Loudwater and the surrounding energy—the remains of a failed deity. Thousands of area along with several NPCs who would make ideal years before the Spellplague, a Netherese city called patrons for sending the PCs on this adventure.