The foundational "Gygaxian" dungeon crawl begins in the idyllic village of Hommlet, where dark forces stir beneath a veneer of rural peace. A cult devoted to the Princes of Elemental Evil rebuilds its shattered temple, and only brave adventurers can prevent the return of a cosmic evil that once nearly consumed the Flanaess.
Story Arcs
The Village of Hommlet
The adventurers arrive in the quiet village of Hommlet, nestled in the Kron Hills of the Flanaess. Beneath its pastoral surface, agents of the defeated Temple of Elemental Evil have infiltrated the community. The party must uncover the spies, earn the trust of Hommlet's leaders, and investigate the moathouse — a ruined fortress where the cult is regrouping. This arc establishes allies, enemies, and the looming threat of elemental evil.
The Moathouse
The crumbling moathouse outside Hommlet serves as the cult's forward base. Its upper ruins house bandits and giant creatures, while the dungeon below conceals the true threat: an ambitious cleric rebuilding the cult's power. The adventurers must clear the moathouse, disrupt the cult's supply lines, and recover evidence pointing to the Temple itself.
The Temple of Elemental Evil
The massive temple complex rises from the surrounding badlands — four dungeon levels, each dedicated to one of the four elemental nodes (Earth, Air, Fire, Water). Rival elemental factions war among themselves even as they serve the greater evil. The adventurers must descend through all four levels, defeat the elemental champions, close the nodes, and prevent the release of the imprisoned demon lord Zuggtmoy, the true power behind the Temple.
The Elemental Nodes
At the deepest level of the Temple, four portals open into pocket dimensions of pure elemental chaos. Each node is a hostile environment — an endless cavern of crushing stone, a howling void of wind, a sea of magma, or an abyssal ocean. The adventurers must recover the elemental gems from each node and use them to seal Zuggtmoy's prison forever, or face the released Demon Queen of Fungi herself.
Session Outlines
These outlines are for planning reference only. Actual sessions are not created by the template.
Welcome to Hommlet
The party arrives in Hommlet. Introduce the Inn of the Welcome Wench, Elmo, Jaroo Ashstaff, Terjon, and the village council. Emphasize the pastoral calm but drop hints of unease — farmers report strange figures on the road at night, livestock goes missing. Let players explore the village, shop at the trader's, and pick up rumors about the old moathouse.
Spies in Hommlet
One of Hommlet's residents is secretly a Temple agent. Suspicious activity at night, coded messages, and a burglary at the trading post point to infiltration. The party investigates, potentially uncovering Lareth's spy network. Rannos Davl and Gremag at the trading post may be implicated. Build paranoia — anyone could be a cultist.
The Moathouse Above
The party travels to the ruined moathouse. The upper level is home to bandits, a giant snake in the courtyard, and a giant tick swarm in the towers. The drawbridge is partially collapsed, forcing creative entry. This is a straightforward combat dungeon with environmental hazards — collapsing floors, flooded rooms, and unstable walls.
The Moathouse Below
The moathouse dungeon reveals the true threat. Undead guard the passages, and the cult has established a base of operations. The climax is the confrontation with Lareth the Beautiful, the charismatic cleric leading the cult's resurgence. He fights with fanatical devotion and his enchanted staff. His chambers contain correspondence proving the Temple is rebuilding.
Return and Preparation
The party returns to Hommlet with evidence of the cult's resurgence. Burne and Rufus take the threat seriously and provide resources. The village council debates what to do. Allow the party to level up, purchase equipment, and recruit henchmen. Introduce rumors about the Temple's location and its four elemental factions.
Approach to the Temple
The journey to the Temple crosses blighted badlands where nothing grows. The ruined village of Nulb, a lawless den of bandits and cultists, serves as a waypoint. The Temple itself is a massive, imposing structure with a wide entrance flanked by demonic carvings. The ground floor is occupied by brigands and lesser cultists who serve as the Temple's first line of defense.
The Earth Temple
The first dungeon level is dedicated to the Earth Temple. Brown-robed priests command ogres, bugbears, and earth elementals. The Earth Temple itself is a cathedral-like chamber with a massive stone altar. The Earth Temple champion is a powerful fighter in enchanted plate armor. Defeating the Earth faction opens passages deeper into the complex.
The Air Temple
The second faction operates in chambers filled with howling drafts and yawning chasms. The Air Temple priests are cunning and favor ambushes, using harpies, gargoyles, and air elementals. Their champion is a swift, teleporting assassin. The Air and Earth factions are bitter rivals — the party may exploit this enmity.
The Fire Temple
The third level burns with an infernal heat. Magma flows through channels in the floor, and the fire cultists are the most militaristic faction. Salamanders, hell hounds, and fire elementals serve the Fire Temple's champion, a fire giant who wields a flaming greatsword. The Fire Temple has the most treasure but also the most dangerous guardians.
The Water Temple
The deepest faction occupies partially flooded chambers connected by underwater passages. The Water Temple is the most politically cunning faction, maintaining spies in all the others. Water weirds, lacedons, and a kelpie guard the approaches. The Water Temple champion is a powerful cleric who may attempt to negotiate or betray the party.
The Greater Temple
Below the four elemental temples lies the Greater Temple, where the high priest Hedrack oversees the entire operation. This is the administrative heart of the cult, with barracks, torture chambers, and a throne room. Hedrack is a formidable cleric protected by elite guards and magical wards. Defeating him reveals the secret of the elemental nodes and Zuggtmoy's prison.
The Earth Node
The first elemental node is a pocket dimension of crushing stone — narrow tunnels that shift and close, caverns where gravity changes direction, and xorn that phase through walls to attack. The elemental gem is guarded by an elder earth elemental. The environment itself is the primary threat, with cave-ins and crushing walls.
The Air and Fire Nodes
Two nodes in one session. The Air Node is an infinite void where platforms of solidified wind float in howling emptiness — fall and you fall forever. The Fire Node is a volcanic hellscape of magma rivers and obsidian islands. Each contains an elemental gem guarded by an elder elemental. Time runs short as the cult attempts to free Zuggtmoy.
The Water Node
The final node is a dark, abyssal ocean with air-filled caverns scattered within. Aquatic aberrations and a kraken-like guardian protect the last elemental gem. Underwater combat and limited air supply create tension. Collecting all four gems empowers the sealing ritual.
Zuggtmoy's Prison
The climactic finale. The party must use the four elemental gems to either permanently seal or confront Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi, in her prison beneath the Temple. If the seal breaks, she manifests as a towering fungal horror surrounded by spore clouds and fungal zombies. The party must defeat her or complete the sealing ritual while she rages. The Temple collapses as its power source is destroyed. Epilogue: Hommlet celebrates, but whispers of other elemental cults persist.
NPCs
Elmo
Human · Militia Ranger
A seemingly simple-minded but loyal man-at-arms from Hommlet who serves as the local drunk at the Welcome Wench. In truth, he is a skilled ranger and agent of the Viscount of Verbobonc, placed in Hommlet to watch for Temple activity. He eagerly joins the party as a henchman and is far more capable than he first appears.
Jaroo Ashstaff
Human · Druid of the Old Faith
The resident druid of Hommlet, tending a grove on the village outskirts. He is quietly influential and deeply concerned about the corruption spreading from the Temple. He provides healing and counsel, and his animal companions can serve as scouts. He clashes philosophically with Terjon over how to handle the threat.
Terjon
Human · Canon of St. Cuthbert
The gruff, no-nonsense cleric who runs Hommlet's church. He is militant in his opposition to the Temple and advocates for direct military action. He can provide powerful healing magic and divine scrolls to worthy adventurers. His relationship with Jaroo is one of grudging mutual respect.
Burne and Rufus
Human · Wizard and Fighter (Castle Builders)
An inseparable pair — Burne is a scholarly wizard and Rufus is his fighter companion. They are building a castle tower on the edge of Hommlet and serve as the village's de facto military leadership. They are key allies who can provide arcane support, intelligence, and men-at-arms for the assault on the Temple.
Lareth the Beautiful
Human · Cleric of the Elder Elemental Eye
A strikingly handsome and charismatic cleric who leads the cult's resurgence from the moathouse dungeon. He is cunning, vain, and utterly devoted to the Elder Elemental Eye. He wields an enchanted staff and wears magical plate armor. If captured alive, he reveals little, believing the Temple's return is inevitable.
Hedrack
Human · High Priest of the Temple
The supreme leader of the Temple of Elemental Evil, a powerful and ruthless cleric who answers only to Zuggtmoy herself. He maintains order among the fractious elemental factions through fear and political manipulation. He wears black robes trimmed with all four elemental colors and wields devastating divine magic.
Rannos Davl
Human · Trader (Temple Spy)
Co-owner of the Hommlet trading post, secretly a Temple agent who gathers intelligence on the village's defenses and screens potential recruits for the cult. He maintains a convincing facade of a cheerful merchant. His partner Gremag is equally complicit in the deception.
Zuggtmoy
Demon · Demon Queen of Fungi
The imprisoned Demon Queen beneath the Temple, the true power behind the cult of Elemental Evil. She is a towering horror of fungal growth and rot, capable of commanding spores, fungal zombies, and plant creatures. Her prison weakens as the cult grows stronger, and she whispers to her followers through dreams of decay.
Locations
Village of Hommlet
A small, prosperous farming village in the Kron Hills region of the Flanaess. Timber-framed cottages with thatched roofs line a single main road. The village has an inn, a church, a druid's grove, a trading post, and a half-finished castle tower. An air of normalcy masks the tension beneath.
The Moathouse
A crumbling fortress surrounded by a fetid moat, located a few miles from Hommlet. Once a Temple outpost, it was sacked years ago and left in ruins. The upper level is exposed to the elements, but the dungeon below has been secretly reoccupied by cult forces under Lareth the Beautiful.
The Temple of Elemental Evil
A massive, brooding structure rising from blighted badlands. Its entrance is flanked by towering demonic statues, and the air around it reeks of corruption. Four dungeon levels descend beneath it, each dedicated to one of the four elemental principles. The walls pulse with malevolent energy.
Village of Nulb
A squalid hamlet near the Temple, populated by outlaws, cultists, and those too desperate or evil to live elsewhere. The village's single tavern, the Waterside Hostel, is a den of thieves. Pirates operate from the nearby river docks.
The Kron Hills
Rolling, forested hills surrounding Hommlet and stretching toward the Temple. The road between the two settlements passes through increasingly blighted terrain. Bandits, gnolls, and wandering undead make travel dangerous.
Quests
Investigate the Moathouse
Strange lights have been seen near the ruined moathouse outside Hommlet. Jaroo and Terjon both suspect the old Temple outpost is being reoccupied. Explore the moathouse and report what you find — but be prepared for a fight.
Root Out the Spies
Someone in Hommlet is feeding information to the Temple. Supplies meant for the militia go missing, and strangers appear at odd hours. Identify and expose the Temple agents hiding among Hommlet's residents before they can sabotage the village's defenses.
Assault the Temple
The Temple of Elemental Evil is rebuilding its strength. The elemental factions grow bolder, and raids on surrounding settlements increase. Lead an expedition to the Temple, shatter its power, and seal the elemental nodes before the Demon Queen is freed.
Close the Elemental Nodes
Four portals to planes of pure elemental chaos lie beneath the Temple. Each node must be entered and its elemental gem recovered. The gems are needed for the sealing ritual that will imprison Zuggtmoy forever. Each node is a hostile dimension that will test the party to their limits.
Clean Up Nulb
The lawless village of Nulb serves as a haven for Temple agents, river pirates, and bandits. While not the primary threat, its criminal element supplies the Temple and ambushes travelers. Dealing with Nulb's worst elements would cut the Temple's supply lines.
Encounters
Moathouse Courtyard
The ruined courtyard of the moathouse is home to a giant snake that has made its lair in the collapsed stables. Bandits watch from the arrow slits above, ready to rain crossbow bolts on intruders.
Lareth's Last Stand
Lareth the Beautiful makes his stand in his underground quarters, protected by undead guards and his own formidable combat abilities. He fights with his enchanted staff and divine magic, calling reinforcements from nearby chambers.
Earth Temple Assault
The Earth Temple's defenders are tough and numerous. Ogres hurl boulders while bugbears charge from flanking positions. The earth priests call forth elementals from the stone floor itself.
Fire Temple Inferno
The Fire Temple is a blazing battlefield where salamanders weave through rivers of magma and fire cultists hurl fireballs with abandon. The fire giant champion wades through flame, immune to the searing heat.
Zuggtmoy Unleashed
If the sealing ritual fails, Zuggtmoy bursts free from her prison as a towering mass of fungal horror. Spore clouds fill the chamber, and fungal zombies rise from the floor. She must be defeated before she reaches the surface and spreads her corruption across the world.
Factions
The Village of Hommlet
Neutral Good
The people of Hommlet remember the devastation the Temple wrought years ago and are determined to prevent its return. Led by Burne and Rufus, with spiritual guidance from Jaroo and Terjon, the village is a united front against the forces of elemental evil. They offer shelter, healing, and supplies to heroes willing to fight.
The Elemental Cults
Chaotic Evil
Four rival factions within the Temple, each devoted to one element: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. They compete for power and Zuggtmoy's favor, often sabotaging each other even as they serve the greater evil. Each faction has its own champion, priests, and elemental servitors. Their infighting is a vulnerability clever adventurers can exploit.
The Elder Elemental Eye
Neutral Evil
The mysterious cosmic entity behind the Temple of Elemental Evil. Its true nature is debated even among the cult's leaders — some believe it is Tharizdun, the imprisoned god of entropy. Its influence drives the cult's fanaticism and grants its priests dark power.
The Viscount's Agents
Lawful Good
The Viscount of Verbobonc has placed covert agents in the Hommlet region to monitor Temple activity. Elmo is one such agent. They provide intelligence and occasional material support but cannot commit openly without the Viscount's authorization, which requires proof of the Temple's resurgence.
Recommended Characters
Pre-built characters designed for this campaign setting. Create them separately from the character templates page.
Ser Cedric of Hommlet
Human · Paladin · Level 3
A devout paladin who serves as the self-appointed protector of the village of Hommlet, standing guard against the resurgent evil of the Temple of Elemental Evil. His unwavering faith and martial skill make him a bulwark against the darkness.
Aelindra Starweave
Elf · Wizard · Level 3
A high elf wizard from the Celene court who has traveled to the Viscounty of Verbobonc to study the arcane energies radiating from the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Her academic curiosity is matched only by her determination to understand and neutralize the elemental forces at work.
Use This Template
Create a new campaign pre-populated with all the arcs, NPCs, locations, quests, encounters, and factions from this template.