Desert Sands is a 5-page short adventure module for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition released on February 23, 2002. It is suitable for player characters of 13th level.
- Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers for an adventure module.
Official synopsis[]
It's time to heat things up in your campaign with this desert miniadventure. Merchant caravans have been disappearing as they cross the sands. Who or what is responsible and, most importantly, why is it happening?
The PCs can make strange alliances or deadly enemies as they seek out answers to these questions.
This is a good side trek adventure -- it's easy to insert into an existing campaign any time the player characters are traveling near a desert. Alternately, its villain can become the central antagonist in a longer story that you devise.
Desert Sands is suitable for four 13th-level characters
Adventure Preview
Some quest for glory and adventure. Some seek power. Different goals motivate different heroes and villains. As for Vythenus the efreeti, he seeks gold. But his quest is not his own?.
Vythenus had the ill fortune to be summoned by a red dragon, who bound him to acquire 500,000 gp worth of treasure for her. To say the genie resented this mandate is to say the Elemental Plane of Fire is "a bit warm." Obliged to serve, Vythenus takes his time gathering the wealth; he conscripted some fire giants and set up a lackluster operation in the desert, raiding and destroying caravans. And slowly, the efreeti plots his revenge
This scenario can take place in any desert area that lies in the middle of a trade route between two cities. Special opportunities exist for player characters (PCs) who take the ranger and druid classes; for the latest new skills, spells, and equipment available to those classes, see the new guidebook Masters of the Wild.
Over the past few weeks, most of the trading caravans that left the small city of Hesron to travel through the desert to the large city of Gryth never arrived. No one knows who or what impeded the shipments?.
Plot[]
Background[]
Synopsis[]
Development and release[]
Development[]
The book was written by Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel. Art was provided by Cynthia Fliege and Sean Glenn.
Release[]
Desert Sands was originally released for free on the Wizards of the Coast website on February 23, 2002, as part of its Original Adventures series. It remained online until around 2014.
On July 05, 2016, it was re-released on digital sale. It is currently available on DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Masters Guild for $0.99.
Reception and influence[]
Critical reception[]
As of 2023, Desert Sands reached the rank of Silver seller on DriveThruRPG.
Influence on other works[]
External links[]
References[]
| Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 |
|---|
| Core rules |
| Player's Handbook • Dungeon Master's Guide • Monster Manual • Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game |
| Supplements |
| Arms and Equipment Guide • Book of Challenges • Book of Vile Darkness • Defenders of the Faith • Deities and Demigods • Enemies and Allies • Epic Level Handbook • Fiend Folio • Ghostwalk • Hero Builder's Guidebook • Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Gazetteer) • Manual of the Planes • Masters of the Wild • Monster Manual II • Oriental Adventures • Psionics Handbook • Savage Species • Song and Silence • Stronghold Builder's Guidebook • Sword and Fist • Tome and Blood |
| Adventures |
| The Sunless Citadel • The Forge of Fury • The Fright at Tristor • The Speaker in Dreams • The Standing Stone • Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil • Heart of Nightfang Spire • Deep Horizon • Lord of the Iron Fortress • Bastion of Broken Souls • City of the Spider Queen |