Adventure #309

Theme

Goal

Story Hook

Plot

Climax

General Setting

Specific Setting I

Specific Setting
II

Master Villain

Minor Villain I

Minor Villain II

Ally/Neutral

Monster
Encounter

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.
Rescue NPC(s)
The characters must rescue one or more kidnapped NPCs, probably from the stronghold of the kidnapper.
Obviously, they must get to said stronghold, break in, rescue the kidnappee, break out, and escape back to safety;
this usually requires careful and clever planning and a large dose of luck.
Missing Memories
One or more of the PCs wakes up with no memory of the recent past, and now they find themselves in some kind
of trouble they don't understand. The PCs must find the reason for the memory lapse, and solve any problems they
uncover in the meantime.
A-B-C Quest
This is an epic sort of plot. In it, the heros are given (or undertake) a task to perform: The taking of a city, the
rescue of an innocent, the destruction of a monster, the creation of a magical item, the defeat of a Master Villain,
etc. But the path to victory is not a simple one. To get to their goal, Event A, they find that they must first
accomplish some other task -- Event B. But when they undertake the task of accomplishing Event B, they find that
they must first accomplish Event C. This goes on for several encounters, until the heroes accomplish all the
obstacle events which prevent them from returning to Event A, their original goal.
Bloody Battle
This is the best Climax for an adventure involving the clash of mighty armies -- or for any adventure where,
toward the end, the Master Villain and a large body of minions confront the heroes and their own troops. This
finale is characterized by a monstrous clash between the two forces, with the heroes chewing through the enemy
ranks to get at the Master Villain and his elite guards. It's strenuous, exciting, and classically simple.
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.
Shacktown of the Oppressed
Part of the action centers around the tenements or shacks of the worst part of town; perhaps an allied NPC lives
here or the characters are fugitives hiding out in the nasty part of town.
Caves of Magical Folk
These can be either beautiful, glittering homes of gorgeous magical peoples, or the dank and terrifying lairs of
horrible monsters.
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.
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.
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.
Gibbering Madman
Some poor wretch blundered into part of the master villain's plan and saw too much. What he saw drove him crazy.
He gibber and jabbers, occassionally uttering clues about what he's seen, but just isn't coherent. He knows enough
that the heroes will need to take him along to comment on what they're encountering, though, so he can't just be
met and forgotten.
Assassin Monster
This mosnter, at some time in the adventure, is sent by the Master Villain to attack one or more heroes when
they're at their most vulnerable -- asleep, enjoying themselves, etc. Usually, the Assassin Monster attacks, but the
hero, though injured, is able to hold it off long enough for his friends to respond to his shouts. The Assassin

Monster is usually killed by his friends, who can then speculate on who sent it and why.
Belligerent Soldier
The billigerent one has just had his ears pinned back by his commanding officer and is anxious to take it out on
Character
some
hapless civilian. If this is a city gate, he claims that the hero's papers are wrong or that he recognizes the hero
Encounter
from descriptions of a wanted criminal; if this is the streets, he insults the hero's lack of military bearing, pretty
looks, clothes, smell, companion, or whatever it takes to provoke a reaction.
Animal Pit
This is a classic trap of the adventure genre: The heroes (perhaps just one hero) are dropped into a pit filled with
Deathtrap
dangerous animals -- snakes, lions, bears, whatever. They must either fight the beasts or delay them until they can
escape -- climb back out, open a secret door, break down a wall, have a rope lowered by friends above, etc.
Footrace
The chase involves the characters on foot, probably through such terrain as city streets or the corridors of a palace.
Chase
One hero may realize that the's being pursued by a party of enemies and choose to run for it; the heroes may have
caught up to the Master Villain, prompting him to run for his life.
Hero Fulfills Prophecy
Omen/Prophesy This is the most useful sort of prophecy. In the early part of the adventure, one of the heroes discovers that he
fulfills some ancient prophecy.
Lack of Familiarity
The
Master Villain, if he comes from the past or another dimension, or belongs to an alien race, might be
Secret Weakness
sufficiently unfamiliar with this world that he essentially defeats himself. How? By making incorrect guesses about
human behaviour. One classic error involves underestimating the human capacity for self-sacrifice.
Omnipresent Observer
If
a wizard, demigod or god has forced the heroes to undertake this quest, he may be with them continually -- in
Special
spirit.
He can't help them, but does magically watch everything they do. And when they do something he doesn't
Condition
like, he tells them about it -- loudly and nastily. (This is distressing when they're trying to break into a fortress or
sneak through enemy lines.)
Honor Quandry
You want to use this on the character with the most strongly developed sense of personal honor -- someone who
has
lived all his life by a strict code. Toward the end of the adventure, this character realizes that the best way to
Moral Quandry
defeat the Master Villain is a violation of that code. For instance, the character might be a paladin, who discovers
that the only possible way for the heroes to defeat the Master Villain is to sneak up on him and stab him in the
back.
False Path to the Artifact
Once again, if the heroes have had too easy a time finding the artifact capable of destroying the villain, give them
Red Herring trouble this way: When they get to the place where the artifact is supposed to be contained, they find the coffer or
chamber or whatever empty, obviously looted by robbers, who have scrawled such remarks as "Kelrog was here!"
upon the walls.
NPC Turns Traitor
Cruel Trick
He may alert he enemy when the heroes are planning a raid; he may steal the artifact and take it to the villain; he
may stab a hero or important NPC in the back (literally) before departing.

Based on tables from the Dungeon Master's Design Kit by TSR, Inc.