More Quest Ideas – GearAscendancy.com (2024)

Tags: Retrieval, Rescue, Thievery, Monster Slaying, Investigation, Assassination, Protection, Exploration, Deception, Betrayal, War, Moral Dilemma, Natural Disaster, Plague

A cryptic dwarf named Andveff seeks a company of adventurers to slay the Beast of Thadila and retrieve its head. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.

A merchant named Ancis seeks a company of adventurers to steal The Gimli Slates from a rival. However, his information is completely wrong.
A dwarf named Thunda seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the lady Ethis from the pirates of the Sea of Mare. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.
A shady noblewoman named Gale seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the lady Sale from the ogres of the Boldai March. Moreover, the party must complete the quest amidst a war.
An angry aristocrat named Goda seeks a company of adventurers to steal a powerful arcane device from a rival. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.
A guarded merchant named Wulfa seeks a company of adventurers to slay the Beast of Etar and retrieve its head.
A haunted noblewoman named Blaze seeks a company of adventurers to discover who is murdering her peers, and why.
A wary dwarf named Minarv seeks a company of adventurers to thwart the monstrous plan of The Goblin King. Moreover, the party must complete the quest amidst a natural disaster.
A noblewoman named Annent seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the dwarven city of Khazundin from Mele the Lunatic.
A wealthy elven lady named Nerwingal seeks a company of adventurers to hunt down and kill the Wraith of the Hauro Jungle. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.

A wealthy sage named Lampusandr seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the lady Bausse from the brigands of the Black Marsh. Moreover, the party must complete the quest without killing anyone.
A frantic priest named Asios seeks a company of adventurers to recover and destroy an evil artifact from the lost city of Avalquast in the Feathered Jungle.
An elf named Finerdhil seeks a company of adventurers to recover a powerful arcane device from the cultists of Rho-Ynan.
An ancient ex-adventurer named Annan seeks a company of adventurers to protect her from the assassins of the Hag of the Nalukkhar Spires. However, her information is completely wrong.
An elven lady named Kuta seeks a company of adventurers to discover the fate of a company of explorers lost in the Great Forest.
A haunted aristocrat named Jossa seeks a company of adventurers to steal a valued family heirloom from a rival. Moreover, the party cannot use divine magic in their quest.
A sage named Lometo seeks a company of adventurers to expose a corrupt aristocrat who serves Adutar the Wyrm King.
An arrogant dwarf named Undin seeks a company of adventurers to steal a caravan of exotic goods from a rival.
A sage named Perdesim seeks a company of adventurers to thwart the monstrous plan of Thidebro the Gargoyle Princess. However, his information is completely wrong.
A dwarf named Thrumah seeks a company of adventurers to recover The Grimoire of Oidetos from the pirates of the Sea of Kyde.

A cunning ex-adventurer named Aethelm seeks a company of adventurers to protect him from the assassins of Asas the Lich duch*ess. Moreover, the party must complete the quest amidst a war.
An ancient ex-adventurer named Eardith seeks a company of adventurers to thwart the monstrous plan of Zeiram the Lich. Moreover, the party cannot use divine magic in their quest.
A cryptic priest named Podama seeks a company of adventurers to slay the Serpent of Hildero and retrieve its head.
A shady dwarf named Bari seeks a company of adventurers to discover who is murdering his peers, and why.
A haunted elven lady named Ellas seeks a company of adventurers to slay the Hydra of Sigesa and retrieve its brain.
An elf named Dune seeks a company of adventurers to recover and destroy an evil artifact from the lost city of Hawold in the Ircan Jungle. Moreover, the party must complete the quest before a rival party does.
An aristocrat named Tesa seeks a company of adventurers to recover a powerful arcane device from the trolls of the Snakemoor Fen.
A wealthy elven lady named Eissenn seeks a company of adventurers to investigate a star which fell into the Sea of Thaethe. However, her information is completely wrong.
A merchant named Ceolheard seeks a company of adventurers to recover The Codex of Arcane Devices from the ogres of the Great Forest.
A shady merchant named Tholex seeks a company of adventurers to expose a corrupt aristocrat who serves Samardu the Wraith King.

A guarded ex-adventurer named Wyna seeks a company of adventurers to discover the fate of a company of explorers lost in the Canchu Jungle. However, the party soon finds itself facing a moral quandary.
An arrogant elf named Eston seeks a company of adventurers to thwart the monstrous plan of the Devil of the Fresa Fells.
An ancient ex-adventurer named Cenwy seeks a company of adventurers to escort a group of pilgrims safely to the dwarven town of Tumunzig. However, his information is completely wrong.
An arrogant ex-adventurer named Ryany Grete seeks a company of adventurers to clear his name against charges of heresy. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.
An elven lady named Ethadh seeks a company of adventurers to thwart the monstrous plan of Shiva the Destroyer. However, her information is completely wrong.
A sage named Eurymes seeks a company of adventurers to recover and destroy an evil artifact from the Secret Vaults of Devastation.
An elven lady named Ariel seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the lady Erris from the brigands of the Smoldering Sands.
A wary elven lady named Altan seeks a company of adventurers to slay the Behemoth of Frimunda and retrieve its teeth.
A noblewoman named Raisa seeks a company of adventurers to protect her from the assassins of Arus the Wyrm Empress.
An ex-adventurer named Teva seeks a company of adventurers to recover The Fallen Scrolls of Etgar from the ogres of the Deadfen Mire. Moreover, the party cannot use magic items in their quest.

A merchant named Gery seeks a company of adventurers to recover and destroy an evil artifact from Thatelch’s Delve. However, his information is completely wrong.
A cryptic elven lady named Imis seeks a company of adventurers to protect her from the assassins of Emirkol the Chaotic. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.
A haunted sage named Kosicleo seeks a company of adventurers to find and explore the ancient ruins of Gamor Keep.
A merchant named Richye Cleighey seeks a company of adventurers to clear his name against charges of heresy. However, the quest is a trap.
A noblewoman named Hele seeks a company of adventurers to thwart the monstrous plan of Gothmog of Udun. However, her information is completely wrong.
An elven lady named Lina seeks a company of adventurers to hunt down and kill Apilkis the Accursed.
A cryptic noblewoman named Billie seeks a company of adventurers to find and explore the ancient ruins of Caer Bondia.
An ex-adventurer named Weyna seeks a company of adventurers to investigate a magical portal which has been discovered in the Pucedda Fells. However, her information is completely wrong.
A sage named Pallasiph seeks a company of adventurers to recover and destroy an evil artifact from the lost city of Paburh in the Cricca Forest. However, his information is completely wrong.
An arrogant aristocrat named Bove seeks a company of adventurers to protect him from the assassins of Chaury the Gargoyle Baroness. Moreover, the party cannot use weapons in their quest.

An ex-adventurer named Kater Lewe seeks a company of adventurers to find and explore the ancient ruins of Jordaye Tower. Moreover, the party must complete the quest amidst a terrible plague.
A merchant named Frewyn Hylley seeks a company of adventurers to recover a caravan of exotic goods from the trolls of the China Jungle.
A priest named Cyprato seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the town of Bafeld from Kas the Betrayer. Moreover, the party encounters an old ally now working against them.
A guarded elf named Syagre seeks a company of adventurers to protect him from the assassins of the Dragon of the Desolation of Ammirsus.
A sage named Chosistro seeks a company of adventurers to rescue the lady Elois from the goblins of the Tenebrous Mire.
A wealthy aristocrat named Gersa seeks a company of adventurers to escort a caravan of exotic goods safely to the town of Beaton. However, the party soon finds itself facing a moral quandry.
A haunted merchant named Lasym seeks a company of adventurers to investigate a perpetual storm over the Sea of Mene.
A haunted aristocrat named Ades seeks a company of adventurers to hunt down and kill Mali the Unspeakable.
A cryptic priest named Silosius seeks a company of adventurers to explore the Shurakinb Mountains. However, the quest is a trap.
A noblewoman named Ainent seeks a company of adventurers to protect her from the assassins of Gothmog of Udun.

The heroes seek rather fortune, fame, or power (depending on the characters or individuals). They discover a job that pays steadily and promises a big reward at the end, hired adventurers aboard a captain’s ship (their boss) and is sent out to discover new lands with mysteries waiting against a rival explorer organization. #er seeks to uncover a massive ancient construct with world breaking power. The party is sent by the King to stop him. At the end the group must choose whether they should destroy the construction or hand it over to the King.

All the animals in the village have collected on a hill nearby and refused to come down.–Boccob

A group of orcs encounter a small lake of rapture, the primordial energy, shortly before encountering the PCs. In a unique reaction, the orcs have lost all aggressive tendencies and want philosophical and spiritual enlightenment beyond that of One-Eye. The PCs must help the orcs find a place where they can live in peace without being attacked by intolerant humans or orcs.

A tiny apparition approaches the party and asks that they mend the disguised monarch before the coronation is complete. In return they promise to grant 2 bottles of fine wine as payment.

A pontificating friend approaches the party and asks that they protect the disguised treasure before the illness spreads. In return they promise to grant 2 barrels of ale as payment.

A ragged entertainer approaches the party and asks that they enshrine the enchanted texts before an innocent life is lost. In return they promise to grant 2 magic scrolls as payment.

A placid noble approaches the party and asks that they hide the bloodthirsty occultist before noon, 3 days from now. In return they promise to grant a map to a grand treasure as payment.

An amusing sage approaches the party and asks that they hide the broken child before twilight, 2 sunsets from this one. In return they promise to grant a first-born child as payment.

Random Adventure Generator

Theme	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.
Goal	Explore a New Area
	The heroes are hired or convinced to enter an unmapped area and explore it. They may be making a map; they may be trying to find someone who disappeared into this area in the past; they may be following legends that tell of treasure in the unexplored interior.
Story Hook	Better Late than Never
	Some bad guys have arrived and done some bad guy things. The PCs were none the wiser. The bad guys have now made good their escape, and the PCs have caught wind of it in time to chase them down before they make it back to their lair, their home nation, behind enemy lines, etc.
Plot	Accumulation of Elements
	In this sort of plot, the heroes have to go from place to place — perhaps covering very little area like a city, perhaps roaming the known world — and accumulate elements to be used against the Master Villain. These elements may be clues, pieces of an artifact, evidence, or allies.
Climax	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.
General Setting	Under the Ground
	In this variety of adventure, the heroes descend into vast cavern networks beneath the earth’s crust. There, they can encounter bizarre races and primitive tribes, hitherto-unknown monsters and strange landscapes.
Specific Setting I	Catacombs
	These can be catacombs beneath a living city or a ruined one; they can be long-forgotten or still in use.
Specific Setting II	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.
Master Villain	Conqueror
	This character is moving his army in to take over; that’s what he lives for. He’s been the enemy of your characters’ nation’s ruler, and has launched a full-scale invasion of your characters’ favorite nation. The heroes have to beat their way through or elude his hordes of soldiers in order to get at him; better yet, they might lead their own nation’s troops against his and outthink him in military fashion.
Minor Villain I	Hard-Eyed Advisor
	This is the sort of villain whom the heroes see in the Master Villain’s throne room. He’s hard-eyed and scary; life means nothing to him and he enjoys killing. He’s also a good advisor to his master.
Minor Villain II	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.
Ally/Neutral	Congenial Madman
	This fellow is a pleasant, happy lunatic whom the heroes encounter; after the initial encounter, he follows them wherever they go, commenting on their plans, behaving strangely, getting underfoot, and — very occassionally — proving to be a real help.
Monster Encounter	Beast Amok
	Some time when the heroes are in a village or city, an animal, probably an otherwise tame or captured beast, is set loose by the villain’s minions or driven mad by the Master Villain. The beast goes berserk in the crowds; if the heroes aren’t inclined to capture or kill it, it goes after them.
Character Encounter	Inquisitive Official
	Some local authority has noticed the characters’ presence and it makes her curious. She snoops around asking questions all the time. She may be a city guardsman or special agent of the ruler, but (functionally) she’s a police lieutenant, asking the rong questions at the wrong time; the heroes have to work around her, sneaking where normally they’d be able to work in the open.
Deathtrap	Framed
	One or more of the heroes is accused and convicted of a capital crime — one for which the mandatory punishment is death. The heroes must escape or die, and they’re escaping from the well-built, well-protected prison of the local authorities.
Chase	Aerial
	The heroes could be riding pegasi or friendly griffons or allied great eagles; the villains could be carried aloft by gargoyles or demons. The prospect of taking a mile-long fall if one’s mount is hit is a very daunting and challenging one for the hero.
Omen/Prophesy	Innocent Fulfills Prophecy
	An innocent could fulfill a prophecy — one which endangers his/her life. This innocent might, for instance, be the one who is supposed to slay the king, but is not a mighty adventurer able to protect himself from the king; the heroes may find themselves sheltering and helping this poor dupe.
Secret Weakness	Holy Symbol
	The villain may have the traditional weakness to a specific holy symbol — but don’t choose just an ordinary one. It may be a holly symbol no longer used by the church, or may be some forgotten variation of the current symbol. (For instance, the cross may not work, but a variation — such as the Roman cross — might; alternatively, it might have to be a holy symbol which has undergone some unfamiliar ritual.)
Special Condition	Time Limit
	Finally, the most obvious condition to place on an adventure is to give it a time limit. If the Master Villain is going to conclude his evil spell in only three days, and his citadel is three hard days’ riding away, then the heroes are going to be on the go all throughout the adventure — with little time to rest, plan, gather allies, or anything except get to where they’re going.
Moral Quandry	Friend Quandry
	At a critical point in the story, one of the campaign’s NPCs makes an impossible demand of one of the heroes.
Red Herring	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 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.
Cruel Trick	Wanted by the Law
	One final complication, one which occurs pretty frequently, is when the heroes are wanted by the law. When they’re wanted by the law, they have to travel in secret and very limited in the resources they can acquire.

1 A farmer approaches the party and needs help. One of his chickens turns a strange neon green when placed in moonlight, and he needs help figuring out why.

2 Your party finds a list of 10 names including someone they are close to. The first 4 names are crossed out.

3 A courier catches up to the party. They have been left a run down mansion in the will of someone they have never met. The only condition? It be lived in for 5 days. It is of course… Haunted!

4 A well known constellation disappears from sight. The village is divided between people who remember it, and those who don’t. The debates begin to spark an escalating series of feuds and fights.

5 A large river begins inexplicably stops for 1 hour before sunset.

6 You enter a clearing where 2 duelists lash out at one another. The clearing is in a time loop, repeating the duel over and over again.

7 Rumor reaches your ears of a traveling merchant peddling sets of cursed sewing needles.

8 Old Jeb the farmer claims his sheepdog had puppies, but they all have split tails and he doesn’t know their sire.

9 The sawmill catches fire. The bucket brigade keeps it contained, but it refuses to extinguish after 2 days.

10 For exactly 1 round a day, everyone in town falls sway under the HOLD PERSON spell. Life continues, but everyone is on edge. “Protection” totems begin surfacing in every market shop.

11 Strange, mud-coated animate skeletons have risen in a nearby swamp. They won’t attack unless attacked first and try to speak with anyone nearby, but the coating of mud makes their speech indecipherable.

12 Snowberry bushes only bloom before a blizzard. Collect five snowberry blooms for an alchemist before the storm hits.

13 A suit of enchanted armor with dozens of arms has been razing nearby villages. Watch out, each arm holds a hand crossbow, and each one can attack every turn.

14 A goblin comes running towards you and yells “he’s coming!” and dies.

15 A small pack of wererats have taken up residence in the city sewers, and keep causing trouble for the locals.

16 A farmer says he’s heard strange singing in the night in his corn field, but whenever he goes out to look, he doesn’t find anyone. If that wasn’t strange enough, one morning he found his scarecrows had been moved into a circle.

17 The party is told of a local merchant who specializes in Magical items. The merchant’s name is Foezek and is described as an intelligent, compassionate Shedu. But, when the PCs seek out the shop, they find another being claiming to be Foezek and is more interested in them leaving the shop than dealing with them. In truth, this bandit killed Foezek and is dealing his magical items to an adversary of the DM’s choosing. Foezek’s body can be found in the shop (basem*nt, or behind the counter, etc.).

18 The party is walking through a town when they meet an blind old man who is crawling on the ground looking for his ring. A guard watched him drop it and took it for himself.

19 The party finds a dagger on the body of an enemy that is much heavier than a dagger should be.

20 The party wakes up mixed up in each other’s bodies after night of drinking at an inn.

21 A small chest from the spell Leomund’s Secret Chest falls from the sky. When the party finds a wizard to open the chest is filled with their own equipment, along with a note book keeping track of their actions.

22 The party continues to wake up in the same inn, but different rooms each morning.

23 One of the party members is suddenly extremely allergic to cats, the rest of the party members clothes are suddenly made of cat fur. The change in clothing isn’t immediately noticable.

24 The party is summoned by a king to be his friends for a day.

25 There is a bounty out on the dish breaking bandit.

26 One of the party members suddenly starts to sleepwalk, and breaks dishes in his sleep.

27 An angry gnome tinkers with the sleeping party’s equipment. Everything now has combination locks.

28 Weird noises have been heard at night coming from an older resident’s home in town. When investigated, you discover a worried old man attempting to disguise his worry at your interest in the noise and his business. If convinced that your aid is genuine, or if more discreet measures of observations are taken, you discover his wife is afflicted with lycanthropy despite having no bite marks.

29 The local towns people are complaining about a goblin tribe that has set up camp near by. They are acting strange and have begun constructing statues of a goblin with a pointy hat all over the area.

30 As the party is walking through a road they come across a beggar. He is crippled and asks for some money to help him buy food. As the party continues to walk down the road they find another beggar who looks exactly like the one they just met! When asked he says that he doesn’t have a twin brother or anything of the sort. He doesn’t know what the party is taking about and just wants some coin to buy food. As the party continues to walk they find the same man yet again. He to knows nothing. Upon further investigation they discoverer that the man was once an assistant to a local wizard. And the wizard is an expert in human cloning.

31 The daughter of a local politician/Noble person keeps getting kidnapped by local goblins. The party is hired to solve it once and for all.

32 A horse with no rider, but fully equipped is walking in the opposite direction of the party. There is a note pinned to it’s saddlebags, “send help!”

33 The party takes a shortcut through a friendly looking forest not shown on their map. It seems oddly silent, and soon notice all the wildlife is deep asleep – including insects and even flowers. As their eyes get heavier and heavier a wild man bursts out of the bushes, eyes propped open.

34 Traveling through the forest the party is stopped by the sound of a booming voice nearby “Your Wish has been granted!”. Shortly after they come apon a clearing filled red mist and a goblin holding a brass lamp laughing maniacally. The party now has to deal with what stuipd thing he has wished for.

35 You are confronted by a party of identical adventurers, who seem more surprised than you. They have been tracking you down for a long time, following rumours of a party of adventurers giving them a bad name. Worst of all they seem to have been adventuring longer than you…

36 Construction of a new museum has been halted when its found that all the workers continue to forget what they’re building, could the new exhibit be to blame?

37 You’ve gotten word about a logging village up north that has put up a massive reward for any adventurers willing to travel to the village, investigate the rash of disappearances and locate any of the missing persons: dead or alive.

38 A cranky old man in town complains that his pocket watchers stolen, and he has his suspicions on who the thief is. The townsfolk say that he’s a senile old man who probably lost it.

39 As your party steps through town, you suddenly start to feel the ground shake as a group of Monsterous Centipede’s erupt from the dirt, attacking the party. As they are defeated, it becomes apparent that they were summoned creatures.

40 One of the party’s magical or valued items has been stolen and is now held in a high security bank in a bustling city. The party must now break into the bank to retrieve their items.

41 A farmer asks for help. His crops are constantly getting trashed. He wants the group/player to keep watch over the night. It ends up being that the poor farmers’ trusty scarecrow has been brought to life by dark magic. It is optional to buy or make a new scarecrow.

42 A PC gets bit by a werewolf. There is a cure for it, however they must convince the mad wizard to give it to you.

43 A passing man swears to you that he is a genie who will most definitely grant you three wishes if you return his stolen lamp to him.

44 Every town or settlement the party goes to has an outline of a fish stenciled on a main building. The first one is really big and noticeable; the rest are subtle enough that the party won’t see them unless they announce that they’re examining the place. The town where the quest will happen has the WORD “fish” stenciled on a building.

45 You come across a trail of blood (unicorn) leading to a spooky forest.

46 The party is followed by an owl, hooting softly, eyes glowing the gentle yellow that might be magic or might be simple reflection. Over the next several days more owls join, until when the group sets down to sleep at night all they can see are hundreds of owl eyes staring down at them. Then, one of the owls scratches a message into the dirt, before flying off into the night- FOLLOW.

47 An unknown NPC mage has dimension doored into the middle of a fight, after all healing spells have been used by the team. He/She is on death’s door and carrying a note with his/hers killers name. He says a few words before dying.

48 Graffiti is scrawled on the walls of two buildings in town. It appears to be some sort of code. The messages are marked “1” and “3”. Message “2” is nowhere to be found.

49 A scrap of paper floats on the wind. It glides on the breeze. Eventually in a gust the paper catches on one of the adventures faces. Tearing it off their face, and looking at the parchment they see it is…

50 Gold! Adventure! Fame! Cries an elf on a soap box, “the faint of heart need not apply!” (For adventures who need more than obvious plot hooks.)

51 Looking off to the distance, they can see a flashing light (similar to a signal mirror). Someone is trying to signal far off. Whether it is aide, is indiscernible to the group as the light stops almost as soon as it starts. There is only one way to find out…

52 While passing by a pond, you hear a deep bellowing noise, only to see a fisherman trapped by a giant frog. He calls for help.

53 A paladin with the insignia of a lion’s head on her shield asks you to solve the local pest problem. Turns out the “pests” are full sized orcs.

54 A house outside of town is being circled by hundreds of birds. Upon approaching, the party sees that their beaks are lined with teeth, and the birds are twitching as though trying to escape possession. From the sounds inside, someone is clambering to hide within the building.

55 Kobolds have been attacking the town. All wearing similar regalia and a matching symbol. a raving man claims to have escaped from the kobolds’ lair. He describes a terrible dragon as the source of worship for the kobolds. The dragon is really a pseudodragon with delusions of grandeur, trained in illusion magic and has duped the kobolds into gathering a hoard for him.

56 In a large city, urchins are a regular problem. This trio of kidlets, however, has been luring travelers in to abandoned alleyways, where the deranged doppelganger among them eats the human and the other two children keep what was it his/her pockets.

57 A dryad clad in wooden armor leans against a tree his side torn wide open. He hands the party a pouch full of tiny leaves. Taking a pinch and blowing them into the air will lead the party to an ancient temple entrance almost over grown with vines. When close the pouch of leaves crumbles to dust along with the vines covering then entrance of the temple.

58 You find a small silver coin in the middle of a street and upon picking it up, in your mind you see a small hut deep in the forest. When you come back to reality, only you can see it but a small fae pixie glowing bright blue will show you the way.

59 The party encounters a man running out from the wood-line, coming towards then. He appears to be in shock over what he has seen, and tells the party that he was attacked while hunting. The man directs the party to the spot were he encounter the creature.

60 A local temple has reported strange events in the surrounding area: beasts attacking villagers, bandit lords more closer to the village, and mysterious lights and sounds that can only be observed from within the village.

61 A bounty hunter asks the party if they known any of the names on a list of his. The list contains about 20 names, roll a d20 for the characters knowing any of the names, 1-10 unknown and 11-20 known. The names on the list can be from characters backstory or names of NPCs the party has met throughout the campaign. The bounty hunter will known what each person on the list as done, and how much the reward is for the capture.

62 A seemingly exorbitant amount of gold is offered on the message board to get rid of a ‘house spider’. It turns out that it’s about a spider-like mimic in the shape of a house.

63 The moon stops traveling across the sky, and everyone’s time pieces stop working. Word around the continent is a group of warlocks are attempting to gain power from a new patron – the god of Time

64 More than three people in a given town have all their teeth fall out at the same time

65 A nearby civil war is raging, and one of the high ranking officers of one side or the other holes up in a cave. If approached, they will act incredibly defensive. A child is crying somewhere deeper in the cave, and this person refuses to answer any questions about said child.

66 An allegedly crooked officer of the law is found dead in an alley way and only one person in the whole town seems to care about it at all.

67 The party is on a faire where a magician is performing tricks with a severed head that can talk. Throughout the show the head blinks in weird patterns. The party talks to the head to find out he is kidnapped and begs for help in finding his body back.

68 The party comes across an Inn in the middle of nowhere and they decide to stay. They wake up on the ground where the inn used to be and there’s no sign of any building ever being there.

69 Walking through town, the party suddenly gets surrounded by the city guard. A respected captain was murdered. Witnesses say they saw someone looking similar to one of the party members. Upon looking through their things, said member appears to have lost an item easily traced back to him (one half of a pair of gloves/earrings/daggers, family insignia, one of a kind necklace etc.). Sure enough, said item was found at the scene of the crime. Someone is framing them. Not necessarily a doppelganger.

70 The party stumbles across a dead old man. Amongst his meagre belongings is a thick tome with extensive records about everything they’ve done right up till today, with even more detail than they themselves knew.

71 The party finds various dead animals with missing pieces, almost torn and shred. As they approach the heart of the forest the number of dead creatures increases. Upon investigation they find out it’s the guardian spirit of the forest who has been corrupted and it’s confused.

72 A flyer appears in the sacks of each party member. A mid level demon has opened a store and invites all those with ambitions to visit to make deals.

73 A rumor reaches the party’s ears of a group of brigands hiding out in the woods. They have a code that is the reverse of Robin Hood and his Merry Men: Steal from the poor, and give to the rich. None of the local nobles seem interested in the pillaged goods of their subjects, and are constantly giving back the loot they keep finding on their doorsteps.

74 The local apothecary is desperate due to the sudden absence of all the local medicinal plants in the area. All the groves and clearings appear to have been picked clean, and even the owner’s secret garden is now empty. She had told no one of her hidden garden, and so has no idea who or what could have taken all of the plants in the brief period of time between her most recent check and her previous one.

75 A human peasant and a member of the fey came across each other in the woods and, over the course of multiple moonlit encounters, fell deeply in love. The peasant’s family has a deep-rooted fear of the fey, and is actively trying to put a stop to the pair’s relationship. The family is even more fearful that the peasant will leave for the Feywild and never return, and goes to the party to convince them to help break the two lovers up. The human is in love with the Fey’s otherworldly allure and sharp wit; talking to them makes the peasant feel alive in a way that they’ve never felt before. The Fey was originally only interested in the concept of a secretive human lover, but eventually came to love the peasant’s dedication to their relationship despite the risk of alienating other loved ones.

76 While at the market waiting for another adventurer to arrive, you pass the time by idly counting the number of stone gargoyles mounted on the town hall. There are fourteen, all with a silly grin.

77 While at the blacksmith to repair your armour, you overhear the blacksmith explaining to his apprentice to not stray off to the hills to see his new sweetheart because he heard from the baker’s cousin’s stepmother that there are kobolds about.

78 While waiting patiently for your turn to see the Bishop, you get your ear bent by some local shopkeeper about how the town council is a bunch of idiots, and how they simply wasted all that money on getting 13 gargoyle statues erected on the town hall. Thirteen! That’s an unlucky number!

79 A street urchin attempts to filch your purse, he runs off down an alley. The urchin escapes, but in the alley you found a homeless halfling bum. Clearly dead. Looks like he fell from a great height.

80 The price of that foreign wine you like so much has tripled in price. The barkeep mutters something about pirates. The barkeep explains it’s just a euphemism for the wagoneers guild and their extortionate ways.

81 A dead homeless halfling found in an alley had a small bottle of very cheap whisky. The label has a brand mark you’ve not seen before – 4 vertical slashes and 2 short slashes across the bottom.

82 The pommel of a sword you found on your last adventure rattled loose. Inside you a scrap of parchment with lots of scratchmarks, almost looks like writing.

83 A wanted poster has been nailed up – Wanted: Black Pete, for Brigandry.

84 The scribe you made inquiries with last week has got back to you. She says the Tomb of Three Chieftains can be found outside Millthorp.

85 While at market, you saw three wagons being carefully guarded by scruffy and shifty looking mercenaries. There are barrels of cheap rotgut in the wagon.

86 A pilgrim accosts you in the street. He asks if you’ll be travelling east anytime soon.

87 The bakery has no cake. He explains it’s because there’s a shortage of milk.

88 A patrol of the Kings Guard rode fast down main street. They almost ran you over.

89 There’s a parade of pilgrims on main street, heading for the commons. They appear somber and morose.

90 Southbridge, just outside town, has been closed to traffic due to disrepair. Merchants complain about the 2 hour detour they now incur by first heading east.

91 The town guard are seen practicing new drills on the common. Apparently a local bandit has enlisted a wizard, and so training in avoiding fireballs is called for.

92 The local priesthood is paying gold for water collected from the Opal Caves to treat a spreading fever

93 An apothecary will pay for certain herbs growing in the Frog Marches.

94 The local Stonecutters Guild are not petitioning for work contracts; labourers are grumbling.

See Also

The Scarlet Pantheon

A Friend in Need and Friend Indeed — An old friend, family member, or NPC they’ve dealt with in the past has a problem and wants the party’s help. Maybe someone is after them or has taken one of their loved ones. There should be a time limit. To make it a hard choice they either deal with the problem or there will be consequences for the NPCs.

The Curse — One the characters picks up a curse during the game. Deal with the negatives or drop what you are doing to find a way to remove it.

Where’d They Go — If you can’t make it to game night you might get kidnapped. I’ll often make a session around a player that can’t make it for a session. Especially if the adventuring party was in the middle of an adventure. The rest of the party will spend the session retrieving their missing companion. Or alternatively maybe they gotten sick or cursed and the rest of the party rushes off to find the cure.

Mistaken Identity — The player characters are accused of something they didn’t do or they are thought to be someone else. They must clear their names or constantly be looking over their shoulders as outlaws.

The Holiday Special –– I love running holiday-themed adventures for my players around the holidays. It’s just a fun diversion from the ongoing quest. This will vary depending the holiday. My personal favorite go to is to steal from kids’ holiday specials. Obviously the actual hook will vary depending on the holiday.

Christmas — Someone has broken in and stolen all the toys from a northern village’s toy shop. It’s owned and run by gnomes.

Halloween — Area is plagued by a headless horseman, ghost carriage, or scarecrows coming to life. Just pick your favorite horror movie.

St. Patty’s Day — Cursed coin from a leprechaun’s pot of gold. Literally the plot from the Leprechaun movies.

My campaign world includes an unscrupulous merchant, think Diskworlds Dibblers or Del Trotter from Only Fools and Horses. Some of his products are low power magic items that come with unintended side effects, giving some of these items to npcs can cause all sorts of commotion and chaos.

In a recent session a wizard used an item obtained from this merchant to animate several gargoyles to assist with mundane tasks, only to find out he had no control over them at all. As he tried to quietly leave the area the party finished off the rampaging gargoyles, half killed him, then gave chase. Finding him at home cowering under his desk and utterly incomprehensible other than muttering the name of the merchant, suddenly the party were far less hostile, in one players words “he’s a victim”. After calming him down a bit the party get the full story.

This merchant is going to be a regular source of mayhem for at least as long as the party leave him to his own devices, someone who has to live in the lake because the ring of water breathing lets them ONLY breathe underwater, a ring of comprehend languages that allows a character to speak one or more rare languages but strips their ability to use the common ones…

Or building on the rats in the cellar cliche… and I am starting to give myself ideas. Say small items have been rearranged into some sort of short message “help” being the obvious choice, then it turns out the rats are possessed by, or have been transformed from humanoids/fey/celestials/fiends. The party could even find themselves transformed and need to figure out how to escape.

The lord of the city is rumored to have been killed and replaced with a doppleganger. A local guard thought he saw the lord change skin, but he can’t be sure. He approaches the party for help with the matter.
A townswoman has been hearing strange rattling and moans coming from the abandoned house next door. She asks the party to investigate.
The local blacksmith tasks you with bringing back (1d10) silver or from a nearby mine that roaming gnolls recently took residence in.
Walking around the city, your party notice many of the citizens are missing one or two fingers.
The market is buzzing amd filled with people arguing. It appears that all hens in the coty stopped laying eggs, and has driven the price of eggs sky high.
A local farmer asks the party to either scare off or kill a pack of wolves that have been terrorizing his cattle periodically.
Two opposing tailors each have half of the finest pair of pants ever created. You have been hired to repair the pants and reunite the halves.
A local dancer complains of screaming at odd hours of the morning.
The library has been infested with small mimics disguised as books. Exterminate them.
Rumor has it that the local librarian is secretly a dangerous lich/vampire. Investigate.
A bard has been found dead in an alleyway. Investigate.
A young boy has a small pouch of copper stolen from him by teenage thugs.
Through less-than-reputable channels, the party hears about a plan to hunt a small roving group of purple worms. The local crime syndicate wants the precious and hard to obtain organs and blood from the worms. The local city guard wants the location of the nest discovered and reported and nothing more.
A noble requests that the party deliver a small package. Around ten minutes after the package is delivered, someone approaches the party and asks where their package is, providing valid identification.
A city watchman requests the party’s help in setting up a sting. If the party agrees, the operation begins, but when the target arrives, at least one member of the party recognizes the target and believes them to be innocent.
The owner of an herbalist shop hires the party to descend into the city’s sewers and gather ingredients, including an organ belonging to a creature that should not rightly be living in the sewer.
A wizard/scholar shows the party some maps detailing the locations of lightning strikes in the city in the past few years/months/days. There is a strangely perfect circle of lightning strikes around a small, inconspicuous area. An orphan is attempting to learn magic, and the spell he’s attempting is much too powerful for him.
A local organisation ask for your help to find and eliminate cult influence from a variety of districts.
The mayor asks you to help them with a zombie problem.
A rash of political assassinations has sweapt the city council. The only other connecting thread is the same calio cat being seen at the scene.
A massive sinkhole has collapsed the market square into the sewers. The local urchines claim seeing a shadowy tower and a glowing rainbow mist rise from the hole in the middle of the night.
A grandly dressed man or woman of significant weight shouts at the adventurers to stop a young thief that ran off with a basket of hers.
A local bard has been abducting local pets and harvesting their tendons for lute strings. A young orphan approaches the party and asks them to rescue his cat, as it is the closest thing he has to a family.
The party is approached by a hunched man with an awful, hacking cough. His face is obscured somewhat by a hood, but he asks the group for some medicine or healing, preferably in his own home.
A townsman claims to have seen starved, pale humans dragging others away, and the players see that exact man get dragged away moments later if they dismiss it.
An increasing amount of people are being found dead in their bed with bite marks in the neck. Rumours of vampires are going around, however the bite marks of the victims correspond to their own arrangement of teeth.
It has remained mysteriously cloudy above the city for the last couple of weeks and dead birds keep dropping out of the sky at night.
One day the players find that their favourite tavern is just straight up gone. It has been replaced with a normal living house or two. Nobody in town, not even the people who visited the tavern regularly, can remember the tavern.
A small child asks you to help their father who has been injured in an alley, but when you arrive, nothing is there. The child sits crying and hugging nothing but air.
All of the Clergymen in the town have fallen deathly ill. The town elder asked the party to investigate this phenomenon.
A young child approaches the party and asks that they find his missing siblings. Their last known location was the decrepit chapel where the city outskirts meets the forest.
A sweet old lady stops the party in the street and asks if they can go and buy things on her shopping list for her. She hands the party a bag of gold and the list. Upon closer inspection, the items seem to be ingredients for a deadly mass ritual.
A mad alchemist set up shop next to your favorite tavern. The whole establishment reeks of foul eggs and other unpleasant things. The tavern owner asks you to help convincing the alchemist to stop his work or leave.
A plague of rats has struck the poorest streets of the city. They seem unusually focused and vicious. Seek out and quash the infestation.
A tavern has burned to the ground with thirteen people inside, and inside was found the bodies of ten dopplegangers.
A local smuggling gang has recently begun battling against a tribe of Grung in the sewers- they have appealed to the city guard for help, and frogs have been seen in concerning numbers after recent rainfalls.
Rumors abound that the local magistrate is a devil in disguise- but in fact, they are a polymorphed dragon.
An ancient fey ruin has been discovered beneath the city, and green-eyed deer and wolves have begun running through the streets at night, howling and hunting down those who don’t get inside fast enough.
A child has fallen ill and the local herbalist needs some very specific ingredients but can’t leave the child unattended, the herbalist requests your party to get them.
A string of missing children have been happening in a sector with constant reports of a “dragon” in the sewers. The local guild council asks the party to investigate.
A large tiger is running loose in the market. If the party kills it, the noblewoman it belongs to emerges from the crowd and demands immediate compensation.
A bit of food sold to the party (cake, pie, soup, etc.) suddenly has a humanoid pinky finger found within it.
A string of young noblemen have turned up missing, and the only connection is that they all visited the same brothel.
A magnificent circus has arrived in town, but during the last night of the festivities the castle will be robbed.
An old ship thought to be lost at sea for many years suddenly returns to port, seemingly no worse for wear. The crew and passengers are completely unscathed, and no one has any idea how long they’ve actually been gone.
The poorest and youngest citizens start to drown on dry land and in open places, skin soaked and slimey. There is an aboleth somewhere infecting the oldest, deepest, well of the city with its slime.
Somebody is ‘kidnapping’ all the bronze statues in the city. Its either a military faction building a massive hidden cannon, a were-rust monster, or a mad mage perfecting an animate object spell.
The Guild of Actors and Musicians has challenged both the Illusionest Guild and Bard College to a contest of pomp and pagency for the next festival. They need the party to sabotage the competition.
The city guard has lost two female members undercover in the brothel district. Not missing but giving up law and order in favor of vice and hedonism There may be a succubi flipping all of the agents being sent.
The local brewer’s latest batch of high end whiskey has been sabotaged/cursed by fae. The five barrels already sold need reclaimed quickly and quietly less the brewery’s reputation suffers.
Half the city has become overgrown with dense vegetation overnight. The city watch is busy defending the rest of the city from wild animal incursions from the newly-formed woods, so the Captain of the Guard asks the party to investigate the root of the matter.
An infection seems to spreading in the slums. City officials deny any proof of it and guards no longer keep watch close to the slums at night. You are beckoned into an alleyway by a hooded figure who implores you to find out the fate their loved one who went into the slums to heal the sick.
A local sports team have gotten inexplicably unstoppable in a very short time. Rumours of something amiss range from dark bargains, to an amazing halfling herbalist (and everything in between). Collect clues, follow up leads, and get to the bottom of it!
The water in one district has suddenly become highly flammable. The local government want to find out why, and want it stopped. Players find that a group of anti-establishment rabble employee a pyromancer to make this easy to hide accelerant, but something went wrong.
The entire upper class are loosing their hair and want you to get to the bottom of it.
It’s election time for the new city Mayor. To everyone’s surprise, the Kobolds that live in the city sewers have put forward a candidate for the job…
A local cult of demon worshippers have recently been seen helping the community, feeding the homeless, and housing the poor. The city guard is SURE they’re up to no good, but can’t PROVE it.
The village drunkard is stuck in a Groundhog day loop, and uses his knowledge to mess with the party for 24 hours, as it’s the most fun way to spend repeating eternity.
A distressed-looking housewife implores the party to kill the giant rats living in her basem*nt. Once down there, however, the party finds hallucinogenic mushroom spores that cause them to see their greatest fears. It’s otherwise a perfectly ordinary basem*nt.
A peddler with a cart selling odd wares, such as jugs that transform water into oil and pots that heat up without fire, has been seen wandering the streets at night. However, the items he sells often malfunction or explode.
A talking rat has been hustling the three shell game in dark alleys, cheating locals of their gold. It’s rumoured it wears a hat.
Every full moon, the cats of town gather inside a deserted house. What are they planning?
A local merchant asks the party to deliver a note across the city. When they return for payment the merchant doesn’t remember the party. An investigation will show that his left ring finger is now missing.
The party sees a local elderly woman attacked by a large half-orc man. He steals a small pouch filled with the leaves of an exotic plant. If the party returns the plant to the woman, she rewards them with a dozen cookies made from the plant they returned to her. After consuming the cookies the adventurers find out that the plant is this worlds equivalent to marijuana.
An Ooze that was planted in the sewers to clean them and deal with the rat problem has grown ginormous and started to split into more Oozes.
The party hears about a man getting murdered last night. The perpetrator is a spirit and there were plenty of witnesses, but only about half saw the spirit. Every night another victim is taken until the group can unravel the secret.
A man is confronted by a mob for not being able to control his sorcery.
The local Thief Guild is fighting a Feud with the local Gypsy family for the drugdealing control of a district. The governors know this and get money for looking the other side, a lot of money, but their feud might recall unwanted attention over the city and his pocket, he ask your help in the matter.
A brewer of the second best ale in town believes the most popular brewer has made a pact with a demon to enhance her wares. If the party investigates, they find that all the brewers in town have unknowingly made deals with the same demon, which has plans to adulterate all their wares and take control of the townsfolks’ minds.
Workmen are sledgehammering tombstones from the local cemetery for material to repair the cobblestone streets. The dead are not happy about this.
A statue in the town square has disappeared overnight and footprints (apparently from the statue) are found leading to the Magicians’ quarter. It could be a prank or something more sinister.
A drunkard begins to screaming at the party, claiming they robbed him. When searched by watchmen, the man’s purse turns up in their pockets.
Bodies have begun appearing at the exits of the sewers with bite marks on them. Rumors of cannibal cults, lycanthropes, and other such things have begun flying around. You are hired to investigate the matter.
A seemingly mad doomsayer is yelling in the streets that the sewers are a gateway to the Abyss. Every day this is ignored, d8 demons of a challenge rating of 1 or lower will crawl out of the sewers at night. Every week this is ignored, the challenge rating increases by 1.
In the big garden of a powerful family, the party notices several woodland critters acting strange. Upon further inspection, they appear almost human in their mannerisms. If the party inquires about the family, they learn that they are rather known for being proficient in charming and polymorphing…
A single member of the party notices a young boy in an alleyway with a third eye in his forehead. The boy telepathically tells the member to come find him in the graveyard.
The party is stopped by a traveling salesman, that frantically insists on handing a spherical object wrapped in cloth to the party.
Eleanor, an heiress to a wealthy baron’s estate, is found murdered in the old meatpacking district. Gretchen, her identical twin, plasters the city in posters offering a bountiful purse for the head of her sister’s killer. Meanwhile, a woman claiming to be Eleanor swears that it was her sister Gretchen that was killed, and is offering a matching reward to anyone who can uncover the truth.
A beloved statue has disappeared from the center of town. An alderman asks the party to find it, but the more they investigate, the more people insist that the statue never existed.
Animate slimes and oozes are seeping out of the sewers.
A long line of ill townfolks are waiting impatiently outside the apothecary’s house, they been there all day and either the apothecary or her assistant are answering the door. The thing is that the apothecary kept some creatures caged to farm their poison and somehow, they were freed.
The party encounters a burning building and must rescue several commoners trapped inside. Later, they discover that this is one in a string of arsons.
The party must earn the respect of a local group of toughs by competing in a bracket-style fighting tournament. However, some competitors have been meeting with unfortunate accidents…
Several locals have committed uncharacteristic, violent acts. Each claims to have been commanded to do so by a benevolent deity in their dreams.
A talking cat follows the party, promising to take them to a magical place where wine flows like water and gold litters the ground.
The building of a new road has earned the city the ire of the local druids.
The local miners have gone on strike, demanding higher wages and better equipment. The Boss wants your to remind them who’s in charge.
A portal to hell/the abyss opens in the town square, but nobody else seems to notice or care. Demons are now shopping in the market.
When the local innkeeper is rebuilding his hearth, a removed section of a wall reveals a human skeleton embedded in the masonry, covered in strangle carvings.
The group sees a Drow named Vicepenny with a red balloon trying to lure a child into the sewers from a sewer drain.
A monkey steals and runs off with one of their hats. Will return for a piece of fruit.
An employee in a lumberjack costume offers the party free samples of jerky from a nearby tavern counting as one daily ration.
A group of mean geese begin chasing any dwarves or gnomes in the group. Geese are protected under the city rulers.
A peaceful Hill Giant sells his intricate lace patterns. People wonder how he does it. Upon interrogation he reveals he does most of the work himself but his two Pixie roommates are always waiting for him to go to sleep. The lace over your face lets you get a good night’s rest no matter where you are.
A hippy elf sells a single dragon scale necklace with your name on it for 1d6x10GP.
The party gets a coupon for one free lesson ‘For You & A Friend’ at the local Fighting Pit. They have to pay for their own uniforms.
Ever since the ascension of the new baron/burgher, criminals have been taken into the keep and never seen again. The captain of the guard knows that the keep should have run out of room in the dungeons long ago, but he hasn’t been allowed inside to see them.
A public execution is taking place in the town square, the town is split on whether the accused is actually guilty.
A house/shop in the middle of town has vanished entirely, as if it were just erased from creation. A strange scent and magical residue permeates the premises.
A very belligerent (and often drunk) old man is causing problems in town. The hangup: it is the burgher’s dearly beloved uncle who remains an extremely proficient fighter in his advanced age. The guard can’t apprehend him without serious injury to the man.

News spreads that a dragon was slain while away from his cave, a search for its unguarded hoard is underway

A thief has stolen a powerful item from a lich and then joins the party for protection

A wizard/collector wants a live troll to study

Rat catchers are going missing under the city and a plague is spreading in their absence

A local caster has summoned a creature that they cannot contain and it is destroying the area

A charismatic charlatan claims (and has proof) to be the cousin/brother/son of one of the PCs

A wandering merchant trades a pc for their magic item for a fake he claims is more powerful

Shipments from a nearby mine have stopped when the PCs investigate they find the miners crazed and covered with red welts apparently from exposure to a new element they uncovered

A white dragon is driving monsters from the north into the southern lands

A planar rift has formed and outsiders are seeping through

A powerful noble/wizard is hosting a masquerade ball where the guests are polymorphed into monster as their costume, but an actual monster attends to kill the noble/wizard

A sorcerer has died of old age, strange things are creeping out of his tower as his spells, and dweomers break down

A map has been found that leads to parts of an artifact that once reassembled, will summon a fiendish kraken

The dead are rising as zombies one hour after their death

Slavers are capturing peasants and merchants on the highway and selling them to mindflayers

A shop/traveling merchant sells pets/familiars that are actually polymorphed people

The PC’s are sent to find a hermit that lives on the “moving island”, a zircon/dragon turtle

A traveling circus/faire comes to town and completely vanishes in the morning with several children

An Ur priest cult is killing all the divine casters in the area

Water drawn from a certain well is animating into water elementals/mephits

An evil druid has taken up residence in the sewers and is waging a guerilla war on civilization

Anyone who reads a cursed book, brought into town by an adventuring party, dies after reading it

A killer is leaving rare flowers in the mouths of his victims

A member of a planar cartographical society offers the PCs membership into the elite group if they can complete a scavenger hunt that leads them across several planes in one day

A mysterious helmed/hooded/masked figure has forged an impressive army by bringing tribes of kobolds, goblins, orcs, and hobgoblins under one banner. The leader is actually a cleric disheartened by the lack of faith and respect of his flock and means to increase belief and prayer for his deity by leading an army of wolves against his flockHave you see D&D vs Rick & Morty?

The owner of a failing inn claims to have the entrance to a mysterious dungeon in his cellar hoping that the ruse will draw business from adventurers

A pack of displacer beasts/displacer beast lord is preying on farm animals and farmers alike

Two rival gangs are actually devils and demons fighting a Blood War battle on the city streets

The daughter/apprentice of a caster that polymorphed himself into a golden cup and placed himself in the hoard of a green dragon in an attempt to learn more about dragons, but it has been weeks and he has not come home contacts the PCs

Reports that a gold dragon is ravaging the countryside turn out to be true. The dragon, sick with a rare disease, has gone mad and must be stopped

Grave robbers working for a necromancer are running out of graves and start looking for easy prey

A “red” dragon demanding tributes from a village is actually an especially greedy copper dragon

A killer is released from prison and the father of one of his victims stages a similar murder in the hopes of framing him

A traveling “holy man” is selling relics that disappear in the morning

The new judge is in fact a devil hoping to harvest souls for not guilty verdicts

A logging camped is being haunted by the ghost of a treant/forest haunt and his dryad followers

A band of fey has been stealing wine from a rural tavern

A good and helpful aranea has been captured and tried for murder while the true culprit is a drider that resides close by

A college that teaches science over magic opens and arcane casters start going missing

Drug-related deaths lead the PCs to an evil alchemist

The PCs are hired to retrieve a meteor, but find it is being worshipped by a tribe of goblins/orcs/lizardmen etc.

Several women in the area are pregnant under strange circ*mstances, an incubus is to blame

An artifact is needed to avert a major catastrophe; its last known owner was Levistus the arch devil trapped within a glacier

The PCs must find a rare herb only known to grow within Gith monasteries

The PCs visit a strange village where all the people are simulacrums, an ancient wizards mark is seen everywhere

The PCs are sent to a distant land to find an NPC that it turns out has been dead for 20 years

The PCs must help a conflicted Erinyes to the Cradle of Creation (phb2) to be reborn into a non-evil body

A map leading to the legendary Shield of Praetor has been found, it states that the shield is in the cave of a dracolich. The map was sent by the dracolich’s minions in the hopes of freeing their master who is sealed magically into his cave

A local orphanage is actually run by a demonic cultist that sacrifices the weak children and raises the strong ones to be followers

A powerful artifact that will allow teleportation through the layers of the abyss/hells has been uncovered and a race to claim it has begun. The PCs must beat the groups of devils and demons that see the artifact as a powerful tool to end the Blood War

Grab a copy of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

An overmatched Marut seeks assistance with a powerful lich/vampire/mummy

Rumors of “The most powerful sword” lead the PCs to an evil, intelligent, dancing sword that can animate other weapons to fight for it

The PCs are sent to a battlefield to retrieve a family heirloom from a missing soldier where a necromancer and his corpse collector golem are raising the fallen as undead

A cult of Tiamat have discovered a spell that ages living creatures and they are trying to use it on dragon eggs to raise powerful allies

The PCs are sent to deal with a raiding ogre that turns out to be a gnome illusionist

The PCs are looking for an arrow used to slay a dragon a hundred years earlier, but when they pull the arrow from the dragon’s skeleton, it animates and attacks

The PCs need the help/information of a treant that will only add them if they agree to be shrunk down to clear out an infestation of insects that invaded his roots

The PCs are invited to a Three Dragon Ante tourney, either as guards, VIPs, or to play

A lawful good lich (Monsters of Faerun) seeks the PCs to protect him from a zealous paladin on a quest to rid the world of undead

Thieves have plundered a tomb and until his golden burial mask is returned, a ghost/ghast/specter will continue to kill innocent people

A group of fire giants has taken up residence in an inactive volcano, their activity threatens to awaken the volcano and cause widespread devastation

A grandmotherly, if slightly senile, NPC asks the players to rid her attic of rats. The rats are in fact a group of thieves trying to open a magical doorway left by the wizard that previously owned the home

A monster seen roaming close to town is actually a cursed person and not evil

The PCs find a genie in a bottle, but the genie agrees to help/grant wishes/serve only after the players travel to the City of Brass and save someone the genie cares about

The PCs find a wounded angel that is being hunted by powerful outsiders

A newly discovered dungeon is actually a complex trap to harvest souls/magic/life energy

The PCs must break an innocent man from a complex magical prison

Murders attributed to a small girl are being done by her doll, a slaymate (libris motris)

An ancient beholder has gone mad and his destroying the Underdark, driving monsters to the surface

A gnome settlement has been overrun by Drow displacing hundreds of citizens

A mad wizard has been selling potions that have poisonous/odd effects

Mind flayers are draining people of their quintessence in hopes of using the substance to return to the far realm from which aberrations came

A spelljammer has crashed in a remote forest/jungle and the inhabitants seek materials to repair their helm

A foreign diplomat seeks the party’s monk to protect him on a mission to a country/city where magic and weapons are not allowed

The tarrasque is wreaking havoc on the countryside and the party (lvl 10ish) must slow it down until the champions (20th) can arrive, but the tarrasque is actually a simulacrum (cr 10) sent by an outsider/caster/etc. and not the real thing

Cultist seek a tablet that depicts a ritual that will summon a Fist of Spite (BoVD)

The party must save an NPC from the stomach demiplane of Dalmosh (MM5)

The guild master of the cooper’s guild wants to discredit the owner of a local winery with whom he has had an argument by poisoning his barrels

A local sage/astronomer is convinced that a massive meteor is going to strike the kingdom/city/town

The normally-inert gargoyles atop the temple/castle/mansion have animated and started attacking people who approach the building

A group of bulettes is keeping anyone from entering or leaving the city/town/inn

A doppelganger/changeling serial killer claims the identity of their most recent victim for one week before killing again

A gnome settlement has been overrun by fiendish duergar led by a demon

PCs seek out a powerful dwarven, smith who traded his soul to Asmodeus for unearthly crafting abilities. Before the smith will help the PCs, they must reclaim his soul from the arch devil

The players find/are sent to a city that reflects the entire multiverse scaled down with a neutral inn in the center run by a power caster

The PCs search for a legendary library that when found, has no books only the corpses of long-dead sages and librarian clerics that use speak with dead to obtain the knowledge

The PCs need a party member/NPC raised from the dead but the only cleric powerful enough to do so has recently been turned by a vampire he was hunting

The PCs find/buy/are given a strange bag of holding that has a small pocket dimension inside it where a frightened caster hides. He/she created the bag to hide in and saw that it ended up in the PCs hands to keep it safe

The PCs seek an answer/information from a forgotten bard. When they find him, he is a ghost and he will only help them if they give him peace by finishing his final poem/song/movement

A chaotic good horselord (CAd) has led all the horses in the region/city/town away into the hills to freedom

The huntsman of a local lord/mayor has kidnapped the NPC’s daughter, and only a highly trained tracker can follow the trail and find the girl

An aged and grizzled warrior is going town to town offering his magic sword/shield/armor to any fighter that can best him in honorable combat

After returning from a diplomatic journey, the noble/diplomat/prince/queen is acting strangely. The PCs are asked to look into it only to find that the NPC is a doppelganger/changeling/simulacrum/charmed/possessed

A pair of ethereal filchers are stealing all the curative magic in the area/city/town

The answer/riddle/name/code that the PCs require is etched onto the helm of a massive golem that paces a deadly dungeon

Monthly full moon attacks are blamed on a good lycan, and are actually being carried out by a pack of Moon Rats (MM2)

Summoned Thoqqua threaten to compromise the structural integrity of the city/town/inn/dungeon/ as they melt tunnels through the ground below

Centaur knights (phb2) are running any humanoid from their forest

The PCs are sought by the patrons of a desert land where a despotic temple of cleric charges impossibly high rates for fresh water to people not of their faith

A temple has hired a large number of bards for a festival where music is to be played from sun up until sundown, the only problem is that no one recalls the obscure holiday because it is a ruse to mask the sound of tomb robbers breaking into sealed vaults below the church

A xenophobic elvish lord has begun to arrest non-elves after his daughter eloped with a human

A necromancer is using magical means to stuff the ballot box in favor of a particular mayoral candidate in town. The PCs are asked to find the culprit behind the fraudulent votes.

2. A small orphan girl is terrified and shares a wild story about another child at the orphanage who is biting everyone.

3. A severed head rolls down the center street. Attached is a warning sign that reads, “Dis Town Belong Negan.”

4. Farmers just outside of town are panicked because a coven of hags have been burying dead owlbears under piles of cow manure. But why?

5. A child asks the PCs to help him find his pet dog. But this simple task leads them somewherewhere they don’t belong.

6. A bounty hunter tracks his target.

7. A noble’s home has delicious apples drooping just over the gate. The house is protected by a magical ward, but what is triggered when a single apple is taken?

8. A monstrous mount lumbers into town. It is ridden by a gnome.

9. Two guards holda wanted poster. They carefully study the party as they pass by.

10. A smiling merchant roasts rats, frogs, and squirrels on sticks. He offers a bite to the PCs.

11. A chatty bard walks alongside the party. Time for an exposition dump!

12.A group of kobolds found a home in the sewers beneath an alchemist’s shop. The chemicals have done strange things to them…

13. An attractive maiden flirts with you. Her very large husband notices.

14. A naked bardasks for directions to the nearest inn where he left his clothes and money.

15. While haggling in the market the PCs notice people vanish for a few heartbeats then reappear.Nobody finds it strange

16. It is the Annual Wyvern Race. The PCs are recruited as substitute racers for a down-on-their luck faction after a mysterious “accident” disabled the previous team.

17. An evil wizard is hanging from the gallows, the body still smoking.

18. Three mischievous children work on tipping over an occupied outhouse.

19.An overweight town guard, panting heavily, chases someone who nears the PCs.

20. The PCs feel like they are being followed as they stroll through the docks. Who is hunting them?

21. Something goes wrong during a magical performance by a gnome mage.A simple trick summons a beast from another dimension and it attacks the audience and PCs.Is the gnome responsible of is there a more sinister actor pulling the strings?

22. Aback alley hides a sinkhole that chutesthe party on a slalom slide down into the old pirate’s cove hidden beneath the city.

23. A goblin statue is submerged just off the docks. But why?

24. A bar patron gives the party advice on a quest. All his intel is impeccable, but when they mention his name at the tavern, they’re told he died years ago.

25. A shopping list for potions lies on the street.

26. The local baron has enacted a toll bridge to enter town. Several peasants were unaware, and cannot afford the toll. They begthe PCs for change.

27. The PCs are hired to transport live cargo to the house of a noblewoman. One gets fed after midnight.

28. A PC gets a frantic message from a family member and there is a race around town to find them.

29. An arrow strikes the shop sign just above you, a message wrapped around the shaft.

30. A noble is offended by a PC’s behavior (How dare you!?!) and challenges the PC to a duel at dawn.

31. A loaded wagon travels past the party along Main Street, but it hasno apparent means of propulsion.

32.Ruffians attempt to shake the PCs down in an alley. The PCs realize a friend of theirs is among the robbers.

33. There is a mysterious flicker, and one member of your party suddenly stops, paralyzed.

34.An owlbearmakes its nest in the horse stables. It’s only trying to protect its eggs.

35. A fireball erupts from a home, blowing up a water barrel, generating a cloud of mist. It appears the PCs are in the middle of a domestic dispute between partners, one a wizard and one a sorcerer.

36.Dozens of oozesare floating in the bay, blocking ship traffic. How did they get there?

37. The PCs must babysit the teenage daughter of the mayor and she’s always looking for trouble.

38. A set of shackles lies outside the city jail.

39. The PCs go looking for a job, but a worn out shop owner presses the deed into their hand and says, “I’m over it. It’s yours!”

40. Two gangs of goblins are seen marching towards the city from opposite directions, onewearing red sashes, the other blue.

41. The local wizard tower is glowing orange.

42. A powerful fighter hires the characters to lock him up for the night. He has contracted lycanthropy and is afraid he will do something he will regret. He is also afraid the pack that infected himmight come to find him.

43. A storyteller tells a random story about a creature from an exotic “Monster Guide Book.” Thecreature suddenly appears from around the corner!

44. Upon returning to your room at the inn, you discover a body on the floor with a dagger just adjacent. You hear guards storming up the stairs.

45. An enormous dragon lands in the street in front of the group. It asks for directions to a certain farmstead just outside of town. It gives the party a generous tip, then flies offsaying he intends to raze it to the ground.

46. As the party wanders, a surly fellow approaches: “We don’t like yer kind here!”

47.A tavern owner captured a troll. Patrons are paying 5GP to ‘rastle it.

48. A dozen townsfolk are running after a fleeing woman, attempting to stone her to death for being a prostitute.

49. Two other adventuring groups are arguing just outside the tavern.

50. You see a man-sized shadow just around the block waving its arms at you. “Over here, quickly, I’ve caught one!”

51. A prominent businessman, well-known as honest and good-natured, disappears. The PCsstumble across his body, tattooed with symbols of an evil deity. Was he acult’s victim or a member?

52. The city’s renowned chocolateer has gone missing! The rewards for his safereturn are substantial. If only there was a trail to follow…

53. A plague of rats has befallen the best bakery in town. A fat and greedy wererat can’t resistnightly visits in rat form to gorge himself on the delicious treats.

54. Gnomes are holding a sidewalk sale! They have any number of strange and fascinating contraptions.

55.A little kid falls in front of a charging stagecoach.

56. A cleric accuses the mayor of being a silver dragon.

57. A rare co*ckatrice egg has gotten mixed into a market shipment and sold to an innkeeper.Anyone who eats it is liable to turn into stone! Trouble is, there are 13 taverns in the city and it isalmost time for breakfast…

58. An enemy named Bauer has placed magical bombs throughout the city. The PCs need to find them and eliminate them within 24 hours.

59. Ladies clothing and under clothing are strewn just outside the doors of the PCs room at the inn.How did these get here?

60. A young woman approaches the PCs, insisting one of the party is her husband who went missing two years ago. The other townsfolk agree, despite the PC not knowing her.

61. Some hapless citizen is harassed by a ruffian named Biff. Will the characters step in to save him?

62. The characters recognize the mayor’s son climbing out of a disreputable two-story building.

63. Reports come in about a ghost haunting a dark alley in a city, and anyone investigating the ghost ends up dead. The story is an elaborate hoax created to keep people away while crooks are attempting to break into a vault of a nearby building.

64. A famous adventurer was hurriedly approaching the PCs, yet he dropped dead mid-stride. Why was he coming toward your table?

65. A circus is set up just outside of town. A barker cajoles you to “come inside and see what wonders it holds.”

66. A group of young, rude nobles are racing horses through the streets and nearly ride down the characters. How the party handles this situation will determine how well they are received by the various factions in that city.

67.A PC sees a beautiful woman sunbathing on a nearby rooftop. He’s spotted and waved over.

68. Rumor has it there is an underground fight club in the warehouse district. They’ve been tasked with finding it and shutting it down. But will they want to join instead?

69. The tavern owner’s daughter is missing and he’s offered you all the whiskey you can drink if you can bring her home safely. Turns out, she’s the ringleader of a gang.

70. Townsfolk have been reporting sightings of strange creatures around town. But when questioned about it the next day, it’s like they didn’t see anything.

71. It’s impossible to start a fire within the city walls. The most powerful mages, flame eidolons, and candlemakers have tried until they’re blue in the face; it just won’t catch. A clan of frost trolls has taken up residence nearby, but it can’t be THAT simple, can it?

72. You arrive in town to find that hobgoblins have taken over. They’ve crudely replaced the mayor and subjugated the townspeople, but they also control the soldiers under threat of destroying families.

73. A new healer has come to town, the most grievous wounds are healed good as new. Unfortunately, he’s a charlatan clouding the victims mind so they only think they’re back to full health. The wounds still exist and it’s only a matter of time until they flare up again…

74.The great oak in the town square has blossomed leaves of tremendous color. Magenta, azure, and puce adorn its branches. Which would be great, except birds refuse to roost among the leaves, and it’s giving off a foul odor.

75. A young boy has gone missing from his home. Everyone assumes him dead, except his mother swears she can still hear him. Turns out, there’s a tunnel system under the city where a creature is holding him hostage.

76. Once a year a colorfully clothed benefactor sneaks into town under cover of night and leaves trinkets for the children of the town. The town must provide an annual offering to keep the benefactor from collecting a decidedly darker form of payment.

77. A traveling minstrel challenges the wisest looking member of the party to a storytelling contest.

78. Midsummer’s Eve has arrived, and flowered crowns are all the rage. The Fae always come to help celebrate, but the celebration comes and goes without any sign of them. Three days later, a battered brownie covered in frost stumbles through the gates and mutters something about Eternal Winter before collapsing. Snow begins to fall.

79. A new song is gaining popularity in the taverns and music halls of the city, far from being a listening experience only, listeners also experience hallucinations. Every time they hear the song the visions get more vivid until they become so real the listener is whisked to a different plane entirely.

80. A legendary paladin renowned for victory in battle and training many acolytes has gone missing, seemingly having turned their back on the order. Can they be found again in a time of need?

81. A great northern city is experiencing rising temperatures. Creatures outside of town are shedding every bit of their white fur due to the unprecedented temperatures, their pitch-black skin beneath becoming exposed, causing them to appear unnatural, as if they’re living shadows. Meanwhile, they grow lean and bony, ever more wraith-like. Now, the shadow creatures are moving toward town, setting their ebony gaze on the thing they blame for this calamity—us.

82. A tavern patron tells the PCs to repent of their sins. He knows details.

83. A man calling himself “The Shoveler” has moved into town, assuming the position of chief caretaker of the local cemetery. But judging by what he’s digging up, does he shovel too well?

84. A local hero named Gjallerabru is famed for standing alone against an invading horde. But it appears that he somehow cheated death, because death’s emissary has come a lookin’.

85. When a wagon carrying a gigantic cage rolls up into town, the people are struck with curiosity. But when the tarpaulin is removed, there is only a strikingly cute turtle. “Thing’s vicious. Don’t let those enticing eyes fool ya. And don’t look at it too long.”

86. The candles in town WON’T GO OUT. Every bit of flame becomes perpetual and any fires need to be completely quenched or else they will reignite. This is leading to problems, not just for infrastructure, but for the Mage’s College, where experiments are more delicate.

87. The town tax collector has been kidnapped. Curiously enough, all of his gold was left behind; whoever took him wanted the man, not the money…

88. When the armor and weapons at the blacksmith’s forge suddenly become animated, the surrounding area evacuates. A particularly large suit of armor shouts, “I shall defend my birthplace!”

89. Shiny objects have been disappearing all over town. There seem to be an awful lot of crows hanging around lately, but it couldn’t possibly be them. Could it?

90. When the three capstones begin to glow brightly, the Order of the Scarab becomes nervous. The stones haven’t lit up in centuries, and they had assumed the danger had passed…

91. One of the town wells allegedly has curative properties. It has caused the gradual expansion of the walls to the point where some citizens have taken to living down there.

92. The town gallows hasn’t been used in decades, but one morning a swollen noose is found swinging from the beam. When the rope-maker is found to be missing, the plot only thickens…

93. The group arrives late at night at a tiny village. They secure accommodation and food from the friendly locals and fall asleep. In the morning the village is empty and ruined, as if abandoned years ago.

94. Under the bridge downtown, a body has been found. Exotic spices and peppers surround the crime scene.

95. When a strange island floats into view, the town is torn about investigating it. The sailors are eager to explore the new land, but the shaman warns against rushing in too hastily.

96. There’s a new face in town. Or at least…a new figure. You haven’t been able to see their face. In fact, nobody has. Their lavender cloak is pulled tight to conceal their features while they whisper, “The Firestorm is nigh.”

97. A little girl is watching you from the alley. The next time you glance over, you see a wolf run away.

98. The local innkeeper has baked the MOST DELICIOUS strawberry rhubarb pie. Nobody can stop eating once they start.

99. A note slides under the door of your room. On it are the words, “Good luck tomorrow. You’re going to need it.”

100. An ecstatic shop owner presses a cigar into your hands and proclaims, “It’s a girl!”

More Quest Ideas – GearAscendancy.com (2024)

References