Abyssal Aerie is a redesign of the fifth and final level of the iconic Palace of the Vampire Queen adventure module by Wee Warriors; it was the first adventure module produced for Dungeons & Dragons. This tournament version that was run at the 2024 Long Con Game Convention held in Longview, Texas.
This adventure details the fifth underground level of the Palace of the Vampire Queen. The entire underground “palace” is comprised of five levels - each is distinct and progressively more dangerous to intruders. The Vampire Queen allows a certain degree of autonomy on each of the upper four levels as she relishes watching her underlings vie for her attention.
This level of the palace is very active with numerous creatures that have formed alliances and feuds with their neighbors. The inhabitants are accustomed to new “visitors” as the power of the queen has created cults throughout the Misty Isles. The PCs are not be attacked outright unless they trespass - which is very likely. Most of the denizens are very wary of newcomers and they avoid affiliation in the short term.
Unless specifically described otherwise, most of the occupied chambers and all of the main halls are illuminated by lanterns. The lanterns are fueled by a magical oil produced on the lower levels of the palace and each lantern burns for 30 days until requiring refueling.
Why are the PCs here? What is their motivation? The answer to each of those questions can be found in module V5 PotVQ: Castle Blood. But in short, the PCs are most likely invading the palace to put an end to the Vampire Queen’s reign of terror. But the road to that goal is long and dangerous. The PCs must to explore the palace and discover the secrets of the queen, gain magical devices to aid them in their quest, and they must grow in power if they hope to confront the Vampire Queen and her min-ions!
This adventure module is designed for use with the original D&D Basic/Expert set as well as the BX RPG and is completely compatible with many old school D&D game systems. The scenario is best played with six to eight first to fourth level characters. No particular class is required, but at least two fighter types and one cleric are recommended.
NOTE: The entire first printing of 100 copies are numbered!