Back when I was in high school a supplement came out for AD&D (D&D 2nd edition)’s Ravenloft setting titled Castles Forlorn. It was a sandbox adventure set in the land of Forlorn, and featured a castle, Castle Tristenoira, that was stuck between three time periods. It was a challenging adventure to play, and even more challenging to run as a DM.
Why Try to Be Different
However, it was perhaps the most unique adventure TSR had put out to that point… and since then, I’ve tried to push myself when writing adventures to try and avoid too many tropes and to try to surprise my players with something truly unique.
Dungeon Jam 2026
Dungeon Jam 2026 launched at the end of last month (May 2026), and “Dungeon Tubers” churned out adventures to give away to their viewers for the event. My twin brother Vase and I wanted to take on the challenge of creating an adventure for Dungeon Jam, and we felt that the restrictions of a 5-room dungeon provided the right setting to create something truly different.
A Dungeon That Isn’t a Dungeon
So, I decided that I would make a “5-room dungeon” that wasn’t a dungeon at all. At first I was going to make a dark bog that shifted constantly, with a horrid bog hag as the final boss. But then I looked back at one of the dragons for our Dragons! Dragons! Dragons! crowdfunding campaign, the Spore Serpent, and thought, why not create a setting in which this fungus-themed dragon takes over a town, and possibly an entire continent?
This was a perfect opportunity to please our backers with an early preview of one of the dragons, as well as one of the dynamic lairs from the companion book, Dragons!… And the Places You Shouldn’t Visit, while at the same time giving something back to our YouTube and newsletter subscribers!
The town is the dungeon, and as the spores and fungus take over, the map changes, allowing for players to find new things in places they have visited just hours before. Thus, there are three different maps of the same town, as each dawn brings more terror to your players’ doorstep.
The Five Rooms of a Town That Eats Itself
Here are the key elements of the “5-room dungeon” that is not a dungeon:
The entryway for this “dungeon” is literally the adventuring party, the heroes, entering the town of Caporra and witnessing a massive flock of black birds fly overhead. The birds start dying mid-flight, and fall at the PCs’ feet and throughout the town. The stage is set for a fungal takeover, but nobody knows it yet.
Later that day, the townsfolk begin to act strangely. Some have unexplainable rashes, some get violent… The poor gather inside the church, and by chance, the PCs may be able to figure out what is causing the problems and possibly cure it.
The next day, it appears everything is solved… but very quickly the infection returns, and the antidote is depleted! Fungus, mycelium, rot… quickly take over buildings, people, and even wild animals, which begin to raid the town.
Soon, chaos erupts. A massive spore cloud creeps into the town, choking everything. People are now turning into fungus-zombies, animals are also going crazy, and riots flood the streets. The heroes have to struggle through violent streets, crowded with hostile people who are throwing rocks, knives, and more. It seems hopeless — and then…
It is now that a gargantuan shadow clouds the horizon, as the Spore Serpent enters the town. The final battle tasks your players with new hazards and mechanics that will challenge their tactical prowess, and force them to make decisions they would otherwise not make.
Will They Survive the Three Dawns?
I had a lot of fun writing the adventure, and Vase racked his brain coming up with the abilities and attacks of the creatures. This is an adventure that I guarantee your players will not soon forget!
Can your players survive the three dawns?
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Download Sporefall ›Until next time,
— Gio