White Plume Mountain | Classic D&D Puzzle Dungeon

White Plume Mountain | Classic D&D Puzzle Dungeon

Return to old-school D&D but with D&D5.5! Brave White Plume Mountain, outwit deadly traps, battle strange foes, and reclaim three legendary weapons.

TYPE

Campaign

LEVELS

8

LANGUAGE

English

EXPERIENCE

Open to all

AGE

18+
1 NEEDED TO START
$25.00

/ Session

Details

1 player following this game

Weekly / Tuesday - 2:00 AM UTC

Session Duration / 2–3 hours

Campaign Length / 4–10 Sessions

2 / 6 Seats Filled

Report Adventure

Money Back Guarantee

StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee

If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy

This game will begin once 3 players have joined

Meet your party members

2/6

About the adventure

Some adventures test your character sheet. White Plume Mountain tests you. First published in 1979, White Plume Mountain has survived for nearly half a century because there is still nothing quite like it. This isn't a sprawling campaign or a carefully balanced sequence of encounters. It's a legendary funhouse dungeon packed with strange rooms, deadly traps, bizarre enemies, and puzzles that reward players who pay attention, experiment, argue over theories, and occasionally realize that the obvious solution is a terrible idea. Three legendary weapons, Blackrazor, Wave, and Whelm have all been stolen. Their thief has left an invitation: come to White Plume Mountain and take them back. Somewhere beneath the smoking volcano, the eccentric wizard Keraptis has prepared a series of challenges for anyone foolish enough to accept. This game is especially for experienced players and veterans of D&D who miss adventures where the solution isn't written on the character sheet. However, beginners are absolutely welcome too. New players often approach problems without the assumptions and habits that come with years of playing, and that fresh perspective can produce wonderfully unexpected solutions. Investigation matters. Mapping matters. Asking questions matters. Clever plans can matter more than optimized builds. I'll give you the information your characters can discover, but I won't solve the dungeon for you. This is your chance to experience one of the most celebrated puzzle dungeons in D&D history the way it was meant to be experienced: without spoilers and with a table full of players trying to outsmart it together. Bring an 8th-level character, or take one of the pregenerated ones, your accumulated decades (or days) of questionable adventuring wisdom, and a healthy suspicion of anything that looks too easy. This adventure was originally released for AD&D back in the late 1970s. I'm using the most recent republication, from the "Tales of the Yawning Portal", and faithfully updated with little-to-no changes besides stat and rule blocks. I've set it in Forgotten Realms to make the "Heroes of Faerun" sourcebook available to players looking for more character creation options. White Plume Mountain is waiting. Let's see if you're still as clever as you used to be.

Game style

Puzzle / Mystery Focused

Combat Heavy

Roleplay Lite

Game themes

Meet the Game Master

5.0

(5)

Published Writer

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Rule of Cool, Inclusive, Beginner Friendly

About me

I’ve been a tabletop roleplaying gamer since 1978 and have been running games since 1979. Decades later, I still find being a Game Master enormously fun. My ideal group is a cadre of creative people, each free to bring their own ideas, personality, and play style to the table—while making sure their choices don’t come at the expense of anyone else’s enjoyment. I believe the best games are collaborative: everyone gets a chance to shine, and together we create something none of us could have made alone. To me, rules are useful guidelines, particularly when they help maintain balance, fairness, and equity among players. But rules should support the shared experience, not get in the way of having fun. When necessary, I’m happy to favor the spirit of the game over the letter of the rules. Storytelling is also a major part of my life away from the table. I’m the author of six published fantasy books, along with many more nonfiction books, and I bring that experience with characters, worlds, and narrative to every game I run. I'm originally from the USA but live in Southeast Asia. Outside of gaming I like to write code and fiction, do stuff with my wife and daughter, practice martial arts, and enjoy the universe.

View Profile →
Character creation

Creating your character

I will have pre-made characters available. Players can also bring in their own characters based on these rules: - Everyone starts at 8th level - Allowed books are the D&D5.5 2024 PHB, Heroes of Faerun, and Arcana Unleashed - Use standard array for attributes: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 - Characters get basic equipment + 750gp they can spend on other supplies - Everyone gets their choice of 1 common rarity magic item

What to expect

Preparing for the session

❗ At least one character idea ready, unless you want to just show up and take a pre-made character 💻 A relatively modern computer running Windows, Mac, or Linux 🌐 Decent internet access 🎙️🔉Audio input/output (a headset/good microphone) 🎮 Discord account (free download or browser-based) 🐲 Fantasy Grounds (free download, no need to purchase anything) Please have Discord and Fantasy Grounds accounts created and installed before session 0.

What DRG brings to the table

🏰🐉 A collection of official D&D and Forgotten Realms references on Fantasy Grounds 🗺️ High-quality maps, tokens, and handouts for immersive visualization. 🛝 A friendly and safe playing environment ⭐ Moments in the spotlight for every player

Homebrew rules

Combat • Consuming a Potion of Healing is a Bonus Action. However, if you consume one as an Action, it will restore the maximum amount allowed by the dice. • Critical/Fumble charts to spice things up • Spiritual Weapon requires a Bonus Action to cast. The Bonus Action you use to cast Spiritual Weapon can also be used to make an attack with it. On subsequent turns, you can use a Bonus Action to move the Spiritual Weapon up to 20 feet, and/or make an attack. Spiritual Weapon is not a concentration spell. • Flanking provides a +2 bonus General • No PVP or other player abuse

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Headphones

Safety

How DRG creates a safe table

I want everyone to feel like the game is a safe place to relax and have fun. To that end, I use the TTRPG Safety Toolkit so players, if uncomfortable with a scene, can let the group know anonymously by selecting X, N. When one of those appears, we'll handle it at that time. We also set boundaries before the game (lines and veils) and talk at least briefly after every session. Also, players may contact me privately to share their concerns. In this way, I try to provide a safe and fun environment for all the players. Finally, I don't tolerate PvP, theft from players, or other abusive behavior. We're here to have fun as a team working towards the common goal of looting the dungeon. The danger should to the game world, not fellow adventurers.

Content warnings

Character Death

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions