No Artpunk Vol. 1: Free Classic D&D Adventures That Actually Work

No Artpunk is a set of competition adventures you can pick up for free. Eight modules ranging from above average to genuinely excellent. Let me show you why City of Bats is worth your time.

The Competition Rules

The rules were restrictive: only monsters, spells, and items from the core books. You could add ONE custom creature, ONE custom item, ONE custom spell. That’s it.

The manifesto reads: “Let the true D&D, the D&D of our fathers and our fathers’ fathers, reign supreme and everlasting.”

Not really my vibe, honestly. But here’s the thing: restrictions force creativity. The best adventures rose to the top precisely because designers couldn’t rely on novelty. They had to make standard monsters interesting.

City of Bats

This is probably my favourite in the collection. The setup is efficient:

In ages past, the Bat God Camazotz reigned supreme through his cult. The hero twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque led a revolt - failed, were mummified, sealed in the necropolis forever. But their twin sons snuck in, opened the gates, and slaughtered the cult.

Now it’s a forgotten ruin. Perfect for adventurers.

Getting There

The path to the caves is dangerous. Each pack animal or mount that attempts the climb has a 1-in-20 chance of losing its footing and plunging to certain death. Roll separately for each.

Right from the start, players understand: this is not safe. The journey matters.

If they search carefully, they’ll find rough steps hewn from limestone. That’s how it should work - reward careful play.

The Cave of Locusts

Here’s a tiny location that shows what this adventure does well:

A group of 12 subterranean locusts lair here. They’re agitated by bright light and will swarm anyone carrying a light source.

That’s everything. Brief, clear, immediately runnable. The locusts aren’t treasure guardians - they’re an environmental hazard that makes players think about their light sources.

The Mossy Cave

The floors and walls are covered by dimly bioluminescent green moss. Water collects in shallow pools making the floor very slippery.

Move more than half speed? 2-in-6 chance of falling for 1d2 damage.

A mated pair of subterranean lizards lair here. The female has eggs. She’s territorial. If the party is surprised, one lizard drops from the ceiling behind them.

Here’s the clever bit: Players might confuse these lizards for basilisks in the dim light. If you describe them right, your party will approach with extreme caution - for ordinary lizards. That tension is free drama.

Lizardmen With Tactics

Five lizardmen stand guard, roasting skewered cave locusts on a small fire and gambling for jade beads.

That one detail - gambling for jade beads - makes the world feel real.

They’re deeply suspicious but not immediately hostile. How players react matters.

If combat starts, lizardmen won’t rush in. They’ll harass with missiles, lure the party deeper, cut off retreat. After two rounds, two lizardmen on giant scorpion mounts emerge from each side.

That’s a battle plan. Not “they attack.” An actual tactical approach you can run.

The Mimic God

In the Sanctum of the Lizard Lord stands a 9-foot greenstone idol bearing bronze scepters. When players enter, it speaks:

“Who dares defile the sanctum of the Lizard Lord? Begone, puny man-things, before I devour you!”

It’s a mimic. It was there before the lizardmen arrived. It speaks their language and convinced them it was a god so they’d keep feeding it.

A mimic with personality and an agenda. That’s how you make a standard monster memorable.

The Grotto of Silver Mist

Cool silvery mist wreathes a pool fed by waterfall, filled with kelp and tropical fish. Lounging in the pool is a woman with skin pale as marble and hair golden as the sun. She wears silk and a shawl but nothing else.

A nereid. Evil. A disciple of the Bat God, once worshipped as a minor goddess for her beauty.

She’s clever. She’ll lie, manipulate, play whatever angle wins sympathy. What she wants is the Crown of Bats - it would let her leave the pool she’s bound to.

Threaten violence? She calls a giant octopus from the depths.

This encounter could go so many ways. Negotiation, combat, trickery. Players will remember meeting her.

The Upside-Down Chamber

Inside the pyramid: walls painted to look upside-down. Furniture mounted on the ceiling. A black granite throne hanging above.

It’s not actually inverted - just designed to mess with heads. Players will spend ages figuring out how to reach that throne.

On it sits Hunahpu, one of the original twins. Now a mummy, wrapped in bandages crawling with flesh-eating beetles. He has a measure of intelligence but is quite mad. His voice sounds like something dribbling from a coffin.

His beetles can be used as a weapon - 2 damage per round to everything they engulf, immune to weapons. Fight them with torches for 1d4 damage each round.

The Bottom Line

Could the layout be better? Sure. Print it out, use a highlighter, and you’ll never need to touch it again.

Eight adventures. Some are above average, some are excellent. City of Bats is worth running. The mimic god alone is worth stealing.

Price: free.

Get it. No Artpunk Vol. 1