Adventure 276
Adventure 276
Adventure 276
Theme
Goal
Story Hook
Plot
Climax
General Setting
Specific Setting I
Specific Setting
II
Master Villain
Minor Villain I
Minor Villain II
Ally/Neutral
Action/Adventure
This is the most common and straightforward sort of adventure there is. In the Action/Adventure scenario, you
present your characters with a task and then confront them with obstacles to overcome in order to accomplish the
task successfully.
Thwart Monstrous Plan
This is a classic fantasy-adventure plot: The characters learn of some horrible plan made by a monstrous enemy,
and must thwart it before the kingdom is lost or the world is destroyed. This is an epic goal, and usually requires
that the characters go to all sorts of places, rounding up allies and artifacts, before being strong enough to face their
enemy.
Pressing Buttons
As a general story-hook approach, think about the player-character -- his personal goals and his personal dislikes.
If the hero is pursuing a specific goal, you have one of the minor villains, as a side-effect of the villain's master
plan, thwart the hero's latest step towards that goal. Alternatively, if there's something the hero truly hates to see,
have it happen -- and have the villains be responsible.
Geographic Progression
This is the simplest sort of adventure plot. The heroes have an area to investigate or travel through; they have
encounters based on where they are. For instance, the traditional dungeon, where monsters are tied to specific
rooms or areas. Or, if the heroes are travelling along a narrow valley or through an enchanted forest, they might
suffer ambushes and other encounters fixed to various points along their travel plan. The plot, then, is getting to the
villain by surviving the intervening obstacle encounters.
Divine Retribution
Here, the heroes' goal has been to alert the gods that the Master Villain threatens them or their plans; in the last
scenes of the adventure, as our heroes face an overwhelming enemy force, the gods bring down their divine
retribution on the villain, causing a massive earthquake, tidal wave, lightning storm, or flood of monsters. This is
all well and good, but the heroes are too close and must escape the fringe effects of this awesome disaster. A
variant on this is the Natural Disaster. No gods are actually involved, but the Master Villain has been tampering
with the delicate forces of nature. He may, for instance, have been powering his master spell with the energies of a
volcano. When the heroes attack the scene of his spellcasting, the spell goes out of control and so does the volcano.
The villain is consumed in the eruption and the heroes must escape or be consumed themselves.
Cosmopolitan City
Most of the story takes place in a large, sophisticated city; center the villain's plot and activities around that city.
This setting is best suited to adventures involving more people than monsters; most of your villains should be
human or demi-human.
Demi-human Community
In wilderness areas, this will be a large community of demi-humans -- elves, dwarves, halflings, whatever -- or
intelligent nonhumans such as orcs. If your action is taking place in a city, this could be a hidden community (such
as a secret underground dwarf community) or a section of the city inhabited mostly by demi-humans.
Demi-human Community
In wilderness areas, this will be a large community of demi-humans -- elves, dwarves, halflings, whatever -- or
intelligent nonhumans such as orcs. If your action is taking place in a city, this could be a hidden community (such
as a secret underground dwarf community) or a section of the city inhabited mostly by demi-humans.
Organizer
This Master Villain is the head of the local criminal syndicate -- the Thieve's Guild or slaver ring, for instance.
He's cold-hearted and unsympathetic, and human life means nothing to him. He employs assassins and musclemen
against the heroes, and can only be reasoned with when it's going to profit him more to cooperate with the heroes
than kill them.
Mistress with a Heart of Gold
This character is much like the "Lover or Daughter of Villain" type of Mystery Woman from the Story Hooks
section. In this case, she usually accompanies the Master Villain, but sometimes goes on missions of her own,
where she runs into and develops affection for one of the player-characters.
Chief Assassin
The Chief Assassin is the favorite killer of the Master Villain. The Assassin works mostly in the field, first killing
witnesses who might prove harmful to his master, then zeroing in on the player-characters. He usually meets his
end before the adventure's climax, but he may taken one of the heroes down with him.
Merry Minstrel
This character follows the heroes in order that he might find inspiration for his song and storytelling. He can't be
shut up; he sings all the day long and into the night, is a showoff before crowds, and is far too noisy for a party
Based on tables from the Dungeon Master's Design Kit by TSR, Inc.