D&D General High Level Adventures Where the World Isn't at Stake

[Reynard]

Maybe.

But consider something like the Balrog in LotR. Sure the Dwarves dug it up and it slaughtered them, but outside of Moria few had ever even heard of it - including other Dwarves, as Gimli learned to his sorrow. It wasn't an existential threat to anyone, really, other than those it had already killed.

Going into an old mine and killing off some big ol' badass creature (and all its little henches!) that isn't (yet) a major threat to the surface world seems like just the sort of adventure the OP was looking for.

Yeah, stuff like that definitely fits. A lost world vale where titanic monsters hunt one another is another example: huge threats with high CRs with almost no impact on the larger world -- UNTIL the PCs start bringing back tarrasque horns.

 

[S'mon]

Maybe.

But consider something like the Balrog in LotR. Sure the Dwarves dug it up and it slaughtered them, but outside of Moria few had ever even heard of it - including other Dwarves, as Gimli learned to his sorrow. It wasn't an existential threat to anyone, really, other than those it had already killed.

Going into an old mine and killing off some big ol' badass creature (and all its little henches!) that isn't (yet) a major threat to the surface world seems like just the sort of adventure the OP was looking for.

Yeah, this is just like the PCs IMC waking up Matriarx the ancient dragon - she then became a threat that needed dealing with.

 

[Quartz]

There are some high-level 3E adventures in Dungeon which come to mind. There's one where the PCs clear out a keep over-run by demons headed by a Balor with a very nasty sword, a second where some Fire Giants have turned to devil-worship (with old-school references to boot!), and a third where PCs are in a market and a young girl seeks their protection and they are approached by a devil and a deva / planetar both in human forms - the girl is carrying an evil artefect and both sides want it.

 

[Not a Hobbit]

There are some high-level 3E adventures in Dungeon which come to mind. There's one where the PCs clear out a keep over-run by demons headed by a Balor with a very nasty sword, a second where some Fire Giants have turned to devil-worship (with old-school references to boot!), and a third where PCs are in a market and a young girl seeks their protection and they are approached by a devil and a deva / planetar both in human forms - the girl is carrying an evil artefect and both sides want it.

You wouldn't happen to have titles or issue numbers for those would you? Thanks.

 

[Quartz]

I've just checked the index in #150 - there are many high-level adventures there.
Demonblade was in #97
Heart of Hellfire Mountain was in #140
The Rock & The Hard Place was in #91

IIRC that last one went wrong and resulted in a PC saying to the watching crowd, "Those who wish to live should leave." just before the devil was revealed. Do note that fighter-types will likely not be in armour, nor have their big weapons to hand, depending upon how you stage it.

Two other good ones for 14th level but easily scaled up are the Lost Temple of Demogorgon in #120 and Quadripartite in #99.