The Lost Tomb
By David C Farcus
A Short 1st Level Adventure for 3-4 Players and new GMs.
To run this adventure, you will need the free **Shadowdark RPG QuickStart Rules**,
which includes all the essential mechanics and guidelines for exploring the grim world of
Shadowdark. Whether you are new to the system or a seasoned player, the QuickStart
rules offer everything you need to dive into classic dungeon crawling with a modern
edge. Be sure to download the Shadowdark RPG QuickStart Rules from
**www.thearcanelibrary.com** before starting your adventure. This supplement expands
on those core rules, offering new encounters, treasures, and deadly challenges for your
players.
The map was created using DNGFOG
www.dungeonfog.com
The Lost Tomb is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-
Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG ©
2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.
2
Contents
How to Run This Adventure ................................................................................................................ 4
Tips for New Game Masters ................................................................................................................. 5
Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Random Encounters................................................................................................................................ 6
The Lost Tomb Map ............................................................................................................................... 7
Starting text:.............................................................................................................................................. 8
Entrance ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
Trap Room............................................................................................................................................... 10
Water Room ............................................................................................................................................ 11
The Divide ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Hallway ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
Alcove Room .......................................................................................................................................... 17
Throne Room .......................................................................................................................................... 20
Secret Chamber ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 23
New Magic Items ................................................................................................................................... 24
3
How to Run This Adventure
When running a tabletop RPG adventure, it's important to describe the world in a way that
engages your players while keeping the game moving. To help you with this, boxed text (like the
example below) is used for read-aloud descriptions. This text is meant to be read directly to the
players when they enter a new area or encounter something significant.
Example of Read-Aloud Text:
The stone corridor opens into a vast chamber, its air thick with the scent of dust and
decay. Flickering torchlight reveals a golden amulet, shaped like an eye, resting atop
a stone pedestal, its surface cracked with age. Shadows dance along the walls, stirred
by an unseen breeze.
Key Features of Read-Aloud Text
It’s written from a second-person perspective ("you enter the chamber") so players can easily
picture what their characters experience.
Bolded words highlight objects of interest — things that are obvious at a glance and may be
interacted with for more details.
It does NOT include hidden information (such as secret doors or traps). If the players need to
search for something, you describe it only if they investigate the right place.
How to Handle Bolded Objects
When players examine an object in bold, you provide additional details. If the object has special
information, it will be formatted like this:
Golden Amulet → This finely crafted pendant resembles a stylized eye, its surface polished to
a mirror sheen. The metal feels unnaturally warm to the touch. → DC 12 Intelligence Check:
The amulet bears the symbol of a one-eyed demon lord that is worshipped by a local cult.
Stone Pedestal → The pedestal is ancient, its edges chipped and weathered. Faint carvings
along its base depict figures bowing before a towering, one-eyed entity.
4
There is no need for a skill check to learn the basic details about an object, but some deeper
knowledge or hidden lore may require one. The required DC (Difficulty Class) is listed after the
→ symbol along with the ability required.
Tips for New Game Masters
Included in this adventure are some helpful tips marked with GM Tip.
These tips are specifically designed to help new Game Masters (GMs) feel more comfortable
and confident while running the adventure. They provide helpful hints and reminders that will
guide you through common challenges or overlooked details. Whether it’s something easy to
forget in the excitement of the game or an idea to enhance the experience, these tips are meant
to help you keep the game flowing smoothly and ensure everyone has a great time.
5
Overview
Background
Zardok the Vile was feared not only for his cruelty but for his appetite, he believed consuming
his enemies granted him their strength, an offering to Veylara, the Whispering Hunger. When he
was finally slain, his loyal warriors, fanatics who shared his dark faith, drank poison to follow him
into the afterlife, their bodies sealed in his crypt alongside Doomfang, his cursed blade.
But death was not the end for Zardok. Veylara’s blessing warped him into a twisted undead
creature, cursed with eternal hunger. For centuries, he has survived by devouring the giant
spiders that infest his tomb, but their flesh no longer satisfies him. He hungers for the taste of
the living. His skeletal warriors remain at his side, guarding the crypt, waiting for their master’s
first true feast in centuries.
Danger Level. Unsafe. Check for an encounter every 3 crawling rounds.
Light. There is total darkness in the tomb.
Ceilings. Unless otherwise noted, all ceilings are 10’ high.
Random Encounters
D6 Details
1 A gust of wind extinguishes all non-magical light sources.
2-3 One Giant Spider (Only Water Room or later. Otherwise, nothing happens)
4-5 One Stingbat (Only The Divide or later. Otherwise, One Giant Spider)
6 One Skeleton (Only Alcove Room or Later. Otherwise, One Giant Spider or One
Stingbat, GM’s Choice)
Stats for the monsters can be found in the Gamemaster’s Quickstart Guide.
Giant Spiders: Page 35, Spider Swarm: Page 36, Skeleton: Page 35, Stingbat: Page 36
6
The Lost Tomb Map
7
Starting text:
As you descend the worn stone steps into the abandoned tomb, a cold draft carries
the musty scent of dust and decay. Faded glyphs and intricate carvings of forgotten
tales line the moss-covered walls, their meanings lost to time. Your torchlight
flickers, casting restless shadows as your footsteps echo ominously in the darkness.
Hilda, a worried dwarven woman, sent you on this journey to find her missing
husband, Bren, and his brother, Tabor. A week ago, Bren discovered this tomb while
searching for an old mine entrance. He rushed home, gathered some supplies and his
brother, then returned to the tomb. Neither he nor Tabor had returned since. Before
you left, Hilda pressed her lucky ring into your hands—a family heirloom gleaming
faintly in the torchlight—as payment for braving the dangers ahead.
Faded glyphs and intricate carvings These carving show men fighting in battles. Most of
the carvings and glyphs are faded and damaged by time. DC 15 Wisdom Check: The player
notices that some of the figures in the carving appear to be biting other soldiers. (They are
eating them).
Lucky Ring The ring is a Ring of Protection.
GM Tip: You can hand the players the card for the magic ring if you print it out or just have
the player write it on their character sheet.
GM Tip: Ask the players a few questions to get them thinking about the adventure: Who is
holding the torch? What is their marching order down the steps? The stairway is wide enough
for characters to walk down the stairs in pairs if they would like.
GM Tip: Start your timer for the torch. The torch will last an hour in real time.
8
Entrance:
As you reach the bottom of the stairs and step into the dark chamber, the air is thick
with dust and decay, clinging to the ancient stone walls. The 20-by-20-foot room
stretches before you, its edges barely visible in the flickering torchlight. Footprints
disturb the thick layer of dust, proof that someone passed through recently.
A sense of foreboding settles over you as your eyes land on an old stone door,
slightly ajar, its rough surface worn by time. Nearby, a crowbar lies abandoned, its
metal faintly gleaming — left behind in haste or frustration, a silent clue to past
struggles.
Old Stone Door Carved into the door is some words: “Here lies Zardok the Vile, his cruelty
was only matched by his devotion to darkness.” DC 15 Intelligence Check: Zardok was a
warlord and cannibal that terrorized the people of this land centuries ago.
Crowbar Dwarven made, but bent and damaged beyond repair.
9
Trap Room
As you traverse the hallway, the oppressive stillness amplifies each footstep against
the ancient stone walls. The passage opens into a cavernous 20-foot-square chamber,
where the air hangs heavy with the stench of death, clinging to the walls like a grim
reminder of unseen horrors.
Two sets of footprints disturb the dusty floor—one leading straight ahead before
vanishing abruptly, the other veering west along the south wall toward a looming
doorway. As you focus on the entrance to the west, a faint, rhythmic patter fills the
chamber, eerily resembling rain—a haunting sound in a place where the sky is long
forgotten.
1st set of footprints Heads North 5ft towards the center of the room then stops.
In the center of this room is a 10ft pit that is filled with spikes. There is an illusion of a stone floor
over the pit. Any character that walks into the area needs to make a DC 12 Dexterity check or
fall into the pit, taking 1d6 points of damage. At the bottom of the pit is the dead body of Bren. If
searched, Bren is carrying a dagger, 3 torches, 6sp, plus flint & steel.
2nd Set of footprints Run West along the South wall through the entrance.
10
Water Room
As you enter the entrance to this chamber, the sound of dripping water echoes off
the walls. The 20-by-20-foot room boasts finely crafted stone walls, evidence of
skilled workmanship. Yet above, the natural ceiling looms 30 feet high, its surface
rough and riddled with countless small holes. Water trickles down in a steady rain,
rippling across the dark pool that covers the floor.
At the water’s edge, a dwarf’s half-submerged body drifts, his limbs swaying gently in
the water. The air is thick with moisture and death, the scent of damp stone clinging
to your lungs.
Countless small holes The holes appear to be about 3” in diameter on average.
Dwarf’s half-submerged body This is the body of Tabor. He is dead. There are two holes in
the side of his neck that are inflamed and swollen DC 12 Intelligence check: Tabor died from
poison. On the body are a dagger, backpack, 60ft of rope, 3sp.
11
As the party examines the body of the dwarf, read:
As you crouch over the dwarf’s lifeless body, a faint but unmistakable click-click-
click echoes from above. A chill races down your spine. Slowly, you lift your gaze—
just in time to see two enormous, chitinous forms skittering down the wall, their
many eyes gleaming hungrily in the dim light. Their fangs twitch with anticipation,
venom glistening as they close in.
GM Tip: Keep the same initiative and just add the spiders in when the turn order gets to you.
GM Tip: Remember to roll for random encounters every 3 rounds, even during combat. If you
roll a 1, roll on the Random Encounters Table on Page 6.
GM Tip: Remember to roll a Morale check (DC15 Wisdom save) for the giant spiders when
one of the spiders is killed. On a failure, the remaining spider(s) will flee up the wall and into one
of the holes in the ceiling.
12
If the players examine the water, read:
As you peer into the water, the murky surface ripples, revealing a faint glint of metal
beneath the depths. Squinting, you make out the outline of a heavy metal door set
into the western wall, The water sways gently, distorting the image, but the door
remains unmoving.
Heavy Metal Door 10ft below the surface of the water. Its edges worn with age and
corrosion. At its center, just visible through the shifting water, is a distinct imprint—a handprint,
eerily precise, as if waiting for someone to press their palm against it.
If a character places their hand on the handprint, read:
As you press your hand against the handprint on the door, a flash of blue light
streaks along its seams. A sharp CLUCK rings out, and suddenly, the door swings
open with force. Water surges forward, vanishing into the endless blackness beyond.
As the water is rushing out into the Divide (See next room), the force of the water tries to pull
the character along with it. Have the player roll a DC 12 Strength check. Success means the
character keeps themselves from being pulled out the doorway. If they fail, the character is
pulled out the doorway. Have the player roll a DC 12 Dexterity check to make a last second
grab. Failure means the character is pulled into the void beyond the doorway and fall to their
death in the huge crevasse.
GM Tip: If the character tied a rope to themselves and something solid, they should pass
automatically. If another character is holding the rope, give the player Advantage on their rolls.
13
The Divide
A damp gust rushes past the open metal door, carrying the rancid stench of animal
waste. Before you, a jagged 10-foot-wide chasm stretches into the darkness, its
depths filled with the eerie fluttering of unseen wings.
Across the divide, a shadowed hallway leads southward, beckoning you forward—if
you can find a way across. The smell from below suggests whatever lurks there is
anything but welcoming.
10-foot-wide chasm The chasm stretches hundreds of feet up, down, left, and right.
The only pathway seems to be the opening that is 10ft directly across the chasm.
Hallway A 10ft hole in the wall directly across from the doorway. The hallway
appears to head South appear passing through the wall.
A DC9 Strength check is required to run the chasm with a running start. Failure means
the character plummets to its death in the darkness below.
14
After the first player rolls (success or not), read:
A sudden disturbance ripples through the darkness below. A deafening whoosh fills
the air as hundreds of stingbats erupt from the depths, their leathery wings beating
furiously as they spiral upward into the black void above. The air churns with their
frantic movement, the sound of chittering and shrill screeches echoing all around.
Amid the chaos, two of the creatures break away from the swarm, darting through
the openings. Their piercing red eyes lock onto you as they let out shrill cries. In a
blur of movement, they swoop in, diving straight for the attack!
GM Tip: Remember to roll a Morale check (DC15 Wisdom save) for the stingbats when one
of the them is killed. On a failure, the remaining stingbat(s) will flee up out the doorway and up
the chasm.
15
Hallway
The narrow hallway extends 20 feet before opening into a humid chamber, the air
thick and clinging to your skin. Damp clusters of pale, glistening eggs rest against the
stone walls, their slick surfaces reflecting the dim light. Wisps of delicate, silvery
spider webs stretch across them, clinging to the damp shells like gossamer shrouds.
Some strands sway slightly, disturbed by the faintest movement in the stale air.
Among the tangled webs, several cocoons dangle from the ceiling and cling to the
walls. Some are small, barely the size of a fist, while others bulge unnervingly. A few
have already been split open, revealing the shriveled remains of small animals—rats,
birds, and other unfortunate creatures. Here and there, glimpses of metallic glints
and splintered wood hint at other objects trapped within, their shapes obscured by
layers of silk.
Eggs These are giant spider eggs. The soft shells of the eggs are slightly moving. You can
see darkened shapes inside the eggs. The eggs are almost ready to hatch.
GM Tip: Roll a 1d4 as a timer. In that many rounds the eggs will hatch into a spider swarm.
If the eggs are damaged by fire, they are destroyed. Any other attack on the eggs causes the
swarm to appear early.
Metallic glints and splintered wood Among the webs are a dull dagger (1gp), a moldy
wooden box (contains 10gp), and an undersized pearl (20gp).
16
Alcove Room
You step into a room measuring 20 foot long and 30 foot wide. There is a doorway
on the opposite wall. Next to the doorways, four stone pillars stand, each adorned
with empty sconces, their original purpose long forgotten.
The air is thick with the smell of decay. Shadowed alcoves set into the walls cradle
the decayed remains of ancient warriors, their rusted armor and brittle bones bearing
witness to ages long past.
Pillars Each pillar bears strange, faded markings—runes or symbols whose meanings have
long been lost. Some are etched deep into the stone, while others appear almost clawed into
the surface, as if by something desperate or enraged.
Alcoves each holds a decayed skeleton wrapped in tattered remnants of burial cloth. Some
remain undisturbed, while others have collapsed into unnatural positions. Faint carvings mark
the alcove edges, their meaning lost to time.
17
When it reaches the GM turn, read:
As you step into the room, a brittle crack echoes through the silence. From the
alcoves, two skeletons begin to stir, their ancient bones shifting with an unnatural
creak. Dust spills from their hollow eye sockets as they lurch forward, clawing their
way out onto the stone floor. With slow, deliberate movements, they rise to their
feet, empty gazes locking onto you as they prepare to strike.
GM Tip: Skeletons are undead and immune to morale checks: they will fight until destroyed!
GM Tip: While the skeletons are wearing chainmail armor and fighting with short swords,
these items should be considered unless for the players since they are so rusted and broken to
be used.
GM Tip: Roll a 1d4 when the skeletons appear. After that many rounds pass, and if the
players are still in the Alcove Room, another skeleton appears.
If the party searches the alcoves, they will find two finely forged dwarven shields (20 gp), 12 gp
in the pocket of a ripped cloak, dusty leather armor dyed black (10 gp), a Level 1 Potion of
Healing (1d6 HP, 80 gp).
18
Crypt
As you enter the 20-by-20-foot crypt, the cold air thickens around you. To the
east, a statue of a winged female demon stands in sinister grace, her sharp
features commanding attention. Two piercing green beams of light emanate
from her eyes, casting an eerie glow across the room.
The light focuses on the open lid of a sarcophagus in the southwest corner,
creating strange shadows on the ancient stone. The oppressive silence is
broken only by a faint hum that seems to pulse from the statue, as if the
figure itself watches and waits.
statue of a winged female demon A solid obsidian statue of a female demon. The
light beams eminate from her eye sockets (nothing in there). DC 15 Intelligence
Check: The statue is of Veylara, the Hungering Shadow. She is a powerful demon lord and
seduces humanoids into her service with offers of power. Followers usually perform cannibalistic
rituals in her name.
sarcophagus The sarcophagus is empty except for a sword (Doomfang).
GM Tip: Don’t give the players the card for Doomfang until they begin to use it. That way they
don’t know the benefits and drawbacks of the weapon until they have used it. The unknown
hazards of using a powerful magic item without learning about it first!
19
Throne Room
The 30-by-30-foot room ahead is thick with the oppressive stench of decay and death.
To the east, a raised dais supports a throne flanked by two menacing lion statues,
while behind the throne, the cruel visage of a dark lord is carved into the wall, his
twisted features radiating malice. His presence is palpable, even in stone.
At the foot of the throne, a pale creature crouches, noisily gnawing on the leg of a
giant spider, the grotesque sound echoing in the stillness. As you step into the room,
a wave of pure evil presses down on you. The creature’s glowing green eyes lock onto
you, and it growls, “Flesh,” as the green gem around its neck pulses with sinister
light, casting eerie shadows across its ghoulish face.
Zardok will immediately attack the party, his hunger for flesh insatiable.
GM Tip: If any of the players use Doomfang during the battle, make sure you give them
½ damage done to target as HP back from successful attacks.
GM Tip: If the player using Doomfang kills Zardok, remember to have the player roll a
DC 13 Wisdom save or attack the nearest creature.
20
Zardok the Vile
AC13, HP15, ATK 1 Claw +2 (1d6), MV near, S +2, D +3, C +2, I -3, W -1, Ch 0, AL C, LV 3
Undead: Immune to Morale Checks
Throne Made from stone and covered in dried blood. The name “VEYLARA” is scratched
into the stone of the throne is various places.
Lion Statues Each lion statue is carved from a single piece of stone. Each of the eyes are
rubies (10 gp each)
Cruel Visage of Dark Lord This is an image of Zardok the Vile at his prime. He is wearing
the same necklace in the mural, but the gem is missing and just an empty socket. If the gem
from the corpse of Zardok is placed into the socket, the secret door opens.
Green Gem The gem will stop glowing when Zardok is killed. The gem emanates feelings of
cold and evil to anyone that holds the gem. If it is inserted into the socket in the empty necklace
of the mural on the back wall, the secret entrance will open. The gem is worthless glass and
anyone who handles the gem would not want to possess it.
21
Secret Chamber
As the secret door grinds open behind the dark lord’s throne, a wave of stale, cold air
rushes out, carrying the scent of dust and decay. Beyond the threshold, a small
chamber is revealed, its stone walls slick with age and shadow. In the center of the
room, a lone chest rests on the floor, its iron fittings tarnished. The silence in the
chamber is heavy, as if the very air is waiting—watching—to see who will dare take
the first step inside.
Lone Chest The chest is not locked but it is trapped. DC 12 Wisdom check to determine
there is a trap. DC 12 Dexterity Check to disarm. If not disarmed, lifting the lid triggers a puff of
green gas. DC 12 Constitution Check or take 2D6 damage from poison. Inside the chest are 50
gp, a silver and gold circlet (10 gp), a sapphire (10 gp), a pair of elf-forged shortswords (10 gp
each), a golden bowl stained with blood (10), and a set of golden teeth (10gp).
22
Conclusion
With the secret chamber opened, the treasure within is yours to claim—but the
weight of this place remains. The carvings on the walls tell a story of horrors long
past, yet the whispers of the demon Veylara may still linger in the dark corners of
the world.
As you step from the crypt into the open air once more, the night feels colder, the
stars distant and uncaring. The question remains—what will you do with the cursed
blade Doomfang, and what other horrors might you have awakened in this lost tomb?
GM Tip: If this is going to be the star ng adventure for a campaign, you can award the players
5XP each for the adventure. This should put them ½ way from Level 2.
GM Tip: Also allow them to roll on the Carousing Tables to see if they can gain addi onal XP.
This can make an interes ng start to a campaign. While the sword Doomfang is powerful, players might
want to remove the curse and get rid of the sword, especially if the owner of the sword keeps a acking
them a er each kill. That could be a good quest to start a campaign!
23
New Magic Items
Doomfang
Cursed shortsword, magical, +1
A jagged, blackened blade etched with infernal runes, Doomfang radiates a chilling aura of malice.
The sword’s hilt is wrapped in aged leather, s ffened by dried blood, and its edge never dulls. When
wielded, the blade almost seems to pull toward flesh, eager to taste blood once more.
Proper es:
Magic Weapon: Doomfang grants a +1 bonus to a ack and damage rolls (1d6+1).
Life-Drinker: When you deal damage with Doomfang, you regain hit points equal to half the
damage dealt (rounded down). This effect only triggers once per turn.
Cursed Hunger: Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 HP with Doomfang, you must succeed
on a DC 13 WIS save or be compelled to a ack the nearest creature (ally or enemy) on your
next turn. You can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of your turns to regain control.
Bound by Blood: Once used to draw blood and regain hit points, Doomfang cannot be
discarded unless Restora on is cast upon the wielder. Doomfang will become the user’s
most prized possession.
The blade whispers to its wielder in their darkest moments, urging them to spill more blood in the
name of Veylara, the Hungering Shadow.
24
Ring of Protection
A metal ring etched with Dwarven runes
Benefit. You get a +1 bonus to your armor class.
25
www.tabletop-thoughts.com
The Lost Tomb is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-
Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG ©
2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.
26
