Start Your Own Duet Campaign!
For the last two and a half years, we’ve been writing and publishing one-on-one adventures for your duet gaming table. Our most popular set of adventures, the Crystalline Curse Trilogy (more on that below), links together adventures for levels one through three.
But now, you can start your own duet campaign!
Land of Vampires: A Duet Campaign for levels 1-10
The Land of Vampires campaign spans levels 1-10 and will be available in four parts: an introductory campaign arc, two middle arcs, and a concluding arc. In the future, we plan to compile the four pieces together.
The introductory arc (levels 1-2) and part one (levels 3-6) are available now, and part two (levels 6-9) releases July 31st, 2021!
Land of Vampires Introductory Campaign
Two duet adventures for levels 1-2
The prequel introduction to the Land of Vampires campaign!
ANSWER THE CALL OF ADVENTURE! THE WORLD DEPENDS ON YOU.
Several thousand years ago, the land of Steymhorod disappeared from the surface of Eldura.What had once been a mountainous region with fragrant springs, moderate summers, and colorful falls descended into the Shadowlands, its borders separated from the rest of the plane by impenetrable mist. At all times, Steymhorod remains under gray clouds, lit only by weak sunlight even at the brightest times of day. The forests remain on the cusp between autumn and winter, a state of living death. And over the land, a dark vampire lord, Draego, rules.
It is toward this land that our adventurer’s destiny leads, though Steymhorod has not yet cast its pall over their fate.
Your journey starts in the seaside city-state of Linolynn, where beneath the sun and the sound of crashing waves, a disturbing string of disappearances has begun to unfurl. Children have gone missing from their beds, vanished from late walks home after the fall of dusk. The city watch have uncovered a few clues as to what may have transpired, but as of yet, they have no leads that show true promise.
And they look to you to help them discover who – or what – is taking the children.
The start of your adventure takes you across the city-state, searching for clues. But you’ll also need allies to aid your journey. Luckily for you, there are other brave souls walking the Linolynnian streets, eager to put a stop to the vanishings.
Be sure to check out our adventuring companions supplement with two unique classes and seven subclasses for your DMPC/companion character! The companion characters and supplemental rules make for the perfect addition to your Land of Vampires campaign!
Land of Vampires Campaign, Part One
FIVE DUET ADVENTURES from level 3-level 6
Step through the portal and into a dark land teeming with vampires, fae, werewolves, and more!
The adventure opens with the PC (or party) arriving in Steymhorod disoriented and confused, hunting an escaped vampire. Fortunately, they encounter an elderly gentleman that points them in the direction of safety… Unfortunately, they are set upon by zombies and forced to flee even as night descends.
A lukewarm welcome greets the party in the small settlement of Willowhold, a town beset by sickness and suspicion. As the adventurers try to intervene, they’ll need to counter the power of the Witchwood and its denizens and then travel to the walled city of St. Sebastian in an attempt to forge further alliances for their quest.
The five adventures of Part One range across the land of Steymhorod. Inside the PDF, you’ll find plenty of worldbuilding, setting, and NPC details alongside several random encounter tables to keep your adventures fresh and fun!
Land of Vampires Campaign, Part Two
Five Duet Adventures from Level 6-level 9
You’ve answered the call and stepped through the portal. Now, you must choose between reviving the Fae Sisters and hunting your prey.
But the land of Steymhorod has its own plans for your fate.
Following the reprieve at Arethusa’s Enclave, a series of competing priorities vies for the PC’s attention. Will you return to your former allies? Awaken the vanquished Archfae who used to watch over this fallen land? Continue hunting Lord Nassarq?
Time presses on as both Lord Draego and Nassarq’s interest in you and your allies grows. And they are not the only forces who roam across Steymhorod.
Other tests wait, inevitably, along your path, regardless of what you choose. The true question is: Will you be ready to meet them when they find you?
The five adventures of Part Two operate along a nodal structure, with the PC choosing which path they would most like to follow next. There are also adventures and events weaving alongside the PC’s selected path to enable the Storyteller/GM to further the plots of forces operating outside the PC’s immediate perception.
Continue your adventure across the land of Steymhorod and delve deeper into this wild and dangerous land!
This has been a dream of ours since we started D&D Duet, and we’re so thankful to our amazing community for helping us (continue to) see it through. Jonathan and I want to extend a special thank you to our patrons for helping to make this dream a reality!
Duet Adventures for 5e, Levels 1-8
If you’re ready to start your two-person D&D campaign or are looking to continue on after playing through our introductory sequence, the Crystalline Curse Trilogy, we have several other adventures for you to choose from!
If you’re just getting started, this first section on the Crystalline Curse Trilogy is for you, or you can check out our post detailing the Trilogy.
If you’ve already played through those first three levels, look for “The Adventure Continues” below.
For new duets
Crystalline Curse Trilogy
Escape from a castle, rescue an ancient warrior, solve small town mysteries, and uncover the cure for the Crystalline Curse!
Available now on DMsGuild!
If you’re just getting started, we’d recommend picking up our three introductory adventures, called the Crystalline Curse Trilogy. It begins with First Blush, a level one adventure perfect for starting your duet campaign and, if needed, introducing someone to the game of D&D.
Part two of the trilogy is Second Glance, which takes the PC and their new friend, or sidekick, into the forest and a small town, where things are not quite what they appear.
In part three, Third Time’s the Charm, the PC must call deep on their courage and find a way to save their new companion or continue adventuring alone.
The Adventure Continues!
After the conclusion of Third Time’s the Charm, Seraphina might ask the party to enhance their skills and assist her and the fey with other problems brewing in more distant forests. This will take the party, first, to The Proving Glade.
The Proving Glade
The Proving Glade, a level 4 or 5 one-shot adventure, asks the party to work through a series of interesting challenges that require creative problem solving. The diversity of quest tasks is one of our favorite things about this adventure, and we hope you enjoy the variety!
A small town is slowly dying as its populace are forced to relocate since game is drying up in the forest, and a few people have disappeared entirely. Others return confused and unsure of what they witnessed inside.
Will you go in and uncover what lurks deeper in the glade?
After the party has uncovered the source of the disappearances, they’re ready for a darker challenge still, In the Heart of the Forest. This can be the same forest, if you’d like, or you can have the party traversing the Forgotten Realms and travel to new areas as their renown grows.
In the Heart of the Forest
This level 5 or 6 adventure takes a darker turn and asks the party to investigate the disappearance of a young man and the three others who have gone in search of him.
The leader of a reclusive Circle of druids is believed to be responsible for his disappearance, and the villagers assume he’s dead.
The PC and their companion must venture into the depths of the Darkwood Forest to uncover the truth, and they’ll need to convince Adelle, the druid leader, to trust them.
She knows more about the surroundings and history than the small town of Redvale, and she will take the party on a quest darker still—but will they succumb to the self-sacrifice that has claimed so many others in order to prevent a greater terror from being unleashed?
Totems of the Svalich Woods
A one-on-one Curse of Strahd adventure for levels 7 or 8!
Totems of the Svalich Woods* is a perfect one-shot side quest for one player and one DM or an additional Barovian adventure for duet CoS campaigns!
Several forms of darkness permeate this adventure. The twisted, primal evil of the Svalich Woods and the Dark Powers represents one manifestation, but the town of Barovia and its traditions encompass another.
Adventurers must resist both of these expressions of darkness to help a distressed young man. The village sent his sister into the forest as a sacrifice to the dark being that dwells within. Ultimately, this rescue quest leads to a confrontation with the leshen, an undead hunter who serves as the forest’s spirit guardian and enforces the Dark Powers’ whims.
A previous version of this adventure, scaled for groups, was published as part of The Bloodties Anthology, Volume I: Bloodstained as “Roots of the Elkmire.” If you’re on the hunt for a variety of blood-themed adventures for tiers 1 and 2, please check out the anthology!
More Duet Adventures
In the summer of 2020, we opened up the D&D Duet shop here on our site so we could offer you adventures directly! The adventures below take place in our homebrew world of Azuria, but you can easily adapt them to fit wherever it is your duet party likes to travel and play! (Did you know that Beth also writes fiction set in Azuria? Learn more about that here!)
The Swamplands Witch
A DUET ADVENTURE FOR PCS OF LEVELS 5-7
Welcome to the village of Festerwelt, which is only slightly more charming than it sounds…
A young boy has gone missing, and the villagers are in an uproar. Accusations fly around the swampy town, especially toward the boy’s stepmother who implores the adventurers to clear her name.
To do so, the party must investigate the boy’s home, where they find clues that lead to the Swamplands Witch, Callista Skinner. She may have witnessed the abduction…
A Spring Court Quest
A DUET ADVENTURE FOR PCS OF LEVELS 3-5
Travel to the enchanting forests and colorful fields of the Fae Brightlands and join a search for a mystical miniature fae unicorn—the pseudocorn!
An intrepid showman, Gavin Desantis, approaches the party with a request that he’s willing to make well worth their while—for 3000gp, would they be willing to do him the small favor of traveling to the Fae Brightlands?
What Gavin doesn’t say is that it will take more than their arrival and search to uncover the pseudocorn—they’ll need to find gifts and attend Queen Amaryllis’s elaborate Hatching Day festival in order for her to bestow the creature upon them. But be cautious—the fae have rules, whims, and wiles of their own.
Map of Fortunes
A DUET ADVENTURE FOR PCS OF LEVELS 5-7
Trust no one and risk it all for a chance at a great (but potentially deadly) reward!
In the foothills of the Cienne Mountains, the party sets out to recover merchants who were kidnapped by a band of centaurs. After returning them safely to the trading hub of Swinthorn, a local treasure hunter learns of their brave deeds and requests they assist him on a quest of his own.
With the help of a mysterious, magical map, he leads the party to a hidden mountain cave that holds buried treasure and more. But be on guard. The southern Ciennes can be quite dangerous, especially when one is keeping somewhat…unsavory company.
Prison of the Lighteater
A DUET ADVENTURE FOR PCS OF LEVELS 6-8
A temple has been discovered in the desert, but unearthing it has brought about some unintended consequences…
Thank goodness you’re here, adventurers! The town of Saleet is in desperate need of your help! The head of the dig site has shut the entire operation down following the disappearance of his friend and mentor, a Cleric of the Brightmother who discovered the long-buried temple.
The party will need to persuade the head of the site to explain what happened and brave the portal, traveling to the Prison of the Lighteater and subduing the creature and its foul minions once and for all.
The Hardly Haunted Library
A DUET ADVENTURE FOR PCS OF LEVELS 1-2
All adventurers begin somewhere, and every now and again, the call to adventure is quite bookish in nature!
Shortly before its grand reopening, the Librarium of Linolynn has suffered a serious setback—a ghost has appeared from among the tomes and is attacking innocent library patrons! The terrifying tales of Timothy Tooth are no longer willing for their author’s stories to go unremarked or ignored, and the creatures who dwell within have taken matters into their own, monstrous claws.
Will you brave the literary horror and return the books to their proper place before it’s too late?
Frozen Depths
A DUET ADVENTURE FOR PCS OF LEVELS 4-5
Plunge into a frigid mine to rescue an eager summoner in over her head. A few days ago, Glabrobelle, a young dwarven conjurer, and her penguin “familiar” uncovered a unique opportunity to test her newfound powers.
Her worried aunt, the ranger Rangwynn Frostbraid, seeks out the party and requests their aid in recovering her niece. The curious girl has disappeared into a partially underwater mine! Can they brave the icy waters and fish her out?
Seasonal and Celebratory Adventures!
Cupid’s Sparrow
If you’d prefer to take a lighter turn, or want a break from deadly encounters, then Cupid’s Sparrow* may be just the adventure for you!
It was originally created as a Valentine’s Day/Sune’s Day adventure, but you can easily adjust it to have exactly the level of romance that you would like, whether that is absolutely none or a fun and flirty time.
The adventure can be incorporated into any campaign or setting and invites participants to join hand-in-hand with chance in tribute to the goddess of love and beauty. Characters of any level can take part and enjoy the revelry, first experiencing and then investigating the strange and surprising occurrences taking place in and around town and at the romantic forest-side inn, The Lovers’ Nook.
There’s Snow Place Like Home?
Steal gifts! Fight Reindeer! Save the holidays!
Take on the dreaded devil Belsnickel and save the snowy gnomish town of Cheerington from his grasp in this fun-filled adventure for one-on-one parties or small groups level 4-5.*
We put together some of our favorite wintery stories and holiday tales in this entertaining holiday one-shot! It’s perfect for a side narrative to try out one-on-one play for the first time, introduce someone new to the game, or take your party to a festive demiplane for a unique wintery one-shot adventure.
Free Adventures!
The Penshaw Poisonings
Available exclusively to our DnD Community members and sponsored by our amazing patrons, this level-four one-shot for 5e takes place in our homebrew world of Azuria!
The city of Penshaw has an increasingly serious zombie problem and needs your help! Working alongside the captain of the guard and a local ranger, the party will have opportunities for plenty of action and intrigue!
This urban adventure has everything you need to have a fantastic time at your one-on-one table: vibrant NPCs, unique magical items, zombies, fire, small elemental creatures, an investigation, criminal organizations, and more!
Granny’s House
This mini-adventure can help bridge the gap between any of the adventures mentioned above. The quest-giver, herbalist Astorie Zadd, could easily connect to Seraphina or the sorceress in Third Time’s the Charm, be running around town during the festivities in Cupid’s Sparrow, or appear out of the mists of Barovia, beckoning the party further into the forest.
This mini-adventure is available for free on our website!
Get a duet adventure subscription!
Every month, we release a one-shot adventure on our Patreon. For as little as $5/month, you can get a new adventure, bonus supplement, and have access to our back catalog of adventures!
This post may contain affiliate links which means that—at no cost to you—we receive a commission when you follow the link and make a purchase.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider supporting the blog by purchasing our adventures and supplements in our shop or sponsoring us on Patreon. We appreciate you so much! Thank you for joining us on this adventure! – Beth and Jonathan
Dirk De Jonge says
Sure gonna look this up! Looks interesting……..
Beth says
Hi Dirk,
Thanks so much! They’re on DMsGuild, and we’d love to hear what you think after you get a chance to play!
All the best,
– Beth
p0cket mous3 says
Hi! I’m super excited to try these ! Im wanting something to enjoy with my wife and neither of us have ever really played a game of D&D. And this seems like something we both could enjoy in the comfort over our home with our 6mo . do have a place to suggest for me the DM to learn how to be a good or at least enjoyable DM for our first run about in this new magical world ?
Thank you !!!
Beth says
We’re so excited that you think these adventures will be helpful and fun! That’s exactly what we were hoping for! The first one is based on the first module we played together, and it’s great for new players.
The question of learning to be a good DM is a great one! We have a few posts about getting started, and we love Matt Colville and Matt Mercer’s videos on the topic. When I was first starting, blogs like The Monsters Know were also super helpful for me, because I struggled with making the combat side of things interesting. Jonathan really likes SlyFlourish’s website and Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master.
Outside of that, I think it can also help to watch other DMs or listen to a podcast so you can see or hear someone asking for rolls, describing settings, etc. The one caveat there is to make sure not to hold yourself to a perfect standard getting started as it takes time to develop your own style, and your wife will be happy with the time you’re spending together and won’t be comparing it to other DMs and games.
P0cketmous3 says
Thank you ! So much ! We are very excited been working opposite hours lof each other and just need something to do when a day off lines up
I’m about 30 hours in to “not another d&d podcast” I love the DM style there even the craziest of ideas are on the table they mite need a nat20 but it happens sometimes hah and I can pretty much call the rolls. So I’ll mix what ive learned from that and some of the places and people you suggested
Well once again thanks ! We are so excited and I’ll for sure stop by the comments and let y’all know how its going !!!!
~p0cketmous3
DnD Player says
These are very good adventures. I played the most of them and they are very fun. But the problem with these adventures are that they are either one shots or they are very short. Are you going to make a long campaign someday? That would be very cool. Thanks!
Beth says
Thank you so much for asking! The short answer is yes, we absolutely are!
The longer answer: On our Patreon, our primary goal is creating a full campaign, and we would love to have more people sponsoring us to help make that happen!
Beyond the time that it takes to create, there are a lot of other costs we’d need to cover with such a big project like the artwork and hiring an editor. We have some 2020 plans to scale up our Patreon rewards and hopefully start releasing pieces of a campaign to our patrons, but we’re not quite there yet.
We have a couple different campaign arcs in mind at the moment, and we’re so excited about being able to put more energy toward that soon! And we would be thrilled for you to join us if you’re interested! Here’s the link in case: https://www.patreon.com/groveguardianpress
Gabe says
Getting ready to start up The Crystalline Curse. Really excited to try the Duet play style!
Beth says
That’s so wonderful! Thank you for letting us know! We’ll be excited to hear how it goes, and we hope you have a ton of fun!
jamie olson says
Are there still plans for the Feywild Foray?
Beth says
Hi Jamie,
Yes! We had a few things come up, so it got shuffled around in our production order, but the plan is for it to come out sometime in March of this year!
Craig says
Just purchased the Crystalline Curse Trilogy and am really looking forward to checking it out with my son. We’re stuck at home and are looking for games using the imagination that do not involve electronic displays!
Beth says
How exciting! We hope you both enjoy the adventures!
Sharing the imaginative aspects with someone else is such a wonderful experience, and it’s also nice to get to escape a little bit, even when staying in the same place!
Mark says
I just picked this up and looking forward to trying this out with my grand daughter. Are there any classes that just don’t work in this? I’m sure she will want to make up her own character.
Thanks
Beth says
Hi Mark,
That is so exciting! I hope that you both have so much fun!
We think that playing in a duet can work with any PC class, but it is helpful to select a coordinating DMPC or sidekick class if you’re concerned. With the Crystalline Curse trilogy, for instance, we paired the PC up with a paladin since half-caster classes tend to work really well as supportive GMPCs—they deal lots of damage and can heal. But, let’s say your granddaughter also wanted to play a paladin. You could change the GMPC character’s class or tweak combats to skew more toward melee combats.
The primary thing we suggest is that the PC be flexible and able to manage both melee and ranged fighting. You could give her character a special magic item that would help to shore up an area of weakness without throwing combats off-balance. But it’s really more about making adjustments as you go.
If I can recommend a couple other posts to help, we talk about empowering the PC in more detail here: https://dndduet.com/primary-character-empowered/
And we talk about strategies for adjusting/scaling combat here: https://dndduet.com/ideas-for-scaling-a-dd-encounter/
I hope that helps, and please let us know if you have any further questions!
– Beth
I love D&D says
Thank you so much for these awesome page turners adventurers I love them all.
Beth says
That is so sweet of you, thank you! Your kind words absolutely made our weekend! We have some really cool things in the works that we’re excited to share (relatively) soon!
All the best,
– Beth
Malcolm Ro says
Hi. I’m wanting to try doing d&d with my
9-year-old son. I’ve had a look at the First Blush adventure and that seems appropriate but you mention that some of the adventures get darker. I’m just wondering if you could indicate which adventures you would think suitable for a 9-yr-old.
Beth says
Hi Malcolm,
Such a good question! I definitely think you’d be fine with any of the Crystalline Curse adventures, and I’d also say The Proving Glade would be fine. For the two dark forest adventures (Totems of the Svalich Woods and In the Heart of the Forest), I think it might depend more on what he tends to be frightened of. If he doesn’t like the dark or monsters, I’d rule both of them out. Either of the holiday adventures would be totally fine, especially Snow Place—it’s really fun!
The Swamplands Witch, A Spring Court Quest, Map of Fortunes, Prison of the Lighteater, and The Hardly Haunted Library should be fine as well. There is a little boy who’s missing in The Swamplands Witch, but (small spoiler) you find him over the course of the adventure.
The vampire campaign, starting with Out of the Witchwood, is the one I’m most unsure about for children, primarily because of the Gothic themes. I’m happy to dive in more specifically if there’s one you’re considering but not sure about! And if you’d prefer email as opposed to public comments, you can find our contact information on the “Contact Us” page, and I’d be more than happy to help!
Jenny C says
Hi. I’ve been playing various of your Duets, and both I and my player love them! But may I ask, do we have an ETA on Feywild Foray?
Beth says
Hi Jenny,
Thanks so much for your question, and I’m delighted to hear that you and your player are enjoying the adventures! I also apologize for the delay in getting back to you.
Poor Feywild Foray! It kept getting bumped back on our calendar during this super weird year, and some of our other projects have taken more time than I expected. I still don’t have a very satisfying answer for you—there’s been a health emergency in my family, so the next several weeks are more up in the air than they had been, but hopefully in the next week or two, I can get you a more satisfying answer.
Thank you for your patience!
– Beth
Tim says
For someone completely new to D&D, what else is needed to play your Duets? Such as D&D Essentials or Starter kit from Amazon…I’m guessing your kits do not include dice. What else is needed for someone completely new to this to play your Duets? Thanks!
Beth says
Hi Tim,
This is such a great question, and I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything!
So, you don’t need the Essentials Kit or the Starter set to play our adventures, but yes, you are correct, you will need dice. There are dice apps if you don’t want to buy them right away (though I’m a big fan of the tactile aspects of gaming, and I love dice!)
For someone who is new, I would suggest, instead of buying the essentials kit or starter set, that you check out the New Player’s/New DM’s Guide on D&D Beyond. https://www.dndbeyond.com/essentials
They created it to go alongside the Essentials Kit, and I love the way they break down the rules and essential parts of the game so you can work through them in bite-sized pieces that are also easy to reference.
If you want to invest in the Essentials Kit or Starter Set later, you totally can! But I think the free guides work to get you started while you’re trying things out.
The second thing I would recommend is that you watch/listen to a game. Before I played in my first session, I sat in on (without playing) a group session that Jonathan was DMing. That’s much harder now, of course, but there are lots of streams on YouTube or podcasts on your favorite app (We love Critical Role, which is a group game, and you can also check out And a Die Podcast, which is a duet). I’ll link to a couple of our videos below in case that’s helpful.
Beth and Jonathan in Land of Vampires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3MuVvMKYQ&t=1s
Beth and Jonathan session one for Tales of Eldura: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-DtM67eXHA&list=PLFphpcFbGof-oWXRlYrsQ8sXFV_wkf_Yj&index=3 (apologies for the longest link ever ?)
Beth and Jonathan play First Blush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT_-cfcFZyg&t=1s
What I like about watching a session is that it gives you a feel for the different parts of the game and how the interplay between the DM and player works, what kinds of rolls the DM might ask for, how combat works, etc. Once you’ve seen/heard it, it makes it easier to follow when you’re reading through the specific rules.
My other favorite thing to tell new players, because this was confusing for me at first, is that unless it’s otherwise specified, you always grab the d20 (20-sided die) first, and you add the others ones later during combat.
Please let me know any follow-up questions you have! I’m hoping to create a post inspired by your question because I think it’s a really helpful one!
Thanks!
– Beth
Beth says
Hello again,
Sorry, I forgot about character sheets. Our Crystalline Curse Trilogy, available on DMsGuild, has three starter character sheets that you can use. Our Land of Vampires campaign does not have character sheets included, but there are some character backstories in the intro adventure that you can use or personalize as you wish. The intro to D&D post I linked to on D&D Beyond goes into more detail on creating a character and reading your sheet.
Thanks!
– Beth