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thechroniclesofdaraliss · 7 years

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100 Dungeons & Dragons Campaign/Session Ideas

While I have always been fond of RPGs, my first encounter with tabletops was Dungeons & Dragons. The iconic platform was created in 1974 and has served as one of the greatest contributions to the gaming world. While there are many great systems out there in tabletop format (Mutants & Masterminds, Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade), none of them would have been possible if D&D had not paved the trail first. Of course, the pioneer of the tabletop RPG world can be intimidating to try out. The technical aspects can be difficult to navigate, it’s the most enduring tabletop, and you may be wondering what you can make that hasn’t been done already. However, one of the best parts of this system is that if you have ever dreamed of going on an epic adventure, being the hero of a magical world, or wanted to battle the forces of evil with friends, this system gives you the freedom to do all of this and more. It’s for this reason that I have made a list of campaign or session ideas I’ve either field tested or always wanted to try out. Enjoy!

1) Slaves are rounding up captives on every continent. Some believe it’s to diversify the types of slaves sold, but it’s really a plot to find the legendary Gatekeepers. There is said to be one from each race and the Slavers won’t stop until all of them are captured 2) A Holy War has broken out between two rival Gods. While both sides go to war with promises of salvation, there’s something much more sinister lurking under the surface 3) In an attempt to save his wife, a young Necromancer gets a ritual wrong at the Tomb of Uther, and has instead summoned hoards of the undead. They are rampaging all across the continent, and only you can stop them. 4) The Queen has been assassinated and the king has hired you to find out who among her many enemies carried out the contract on her life. 5) A Thief Guild has taken a step out of wanton crime and into overthrowing governments. You must either assist these anarchists in their goals, or join the nobility and try to stop them 6) The party encounters a coliseum, and they are offered a chance at profit if they win. But there are sinister elements at play in this world where murder is a sport. 7) A terrible Plague has swept its way across the kingdom, but the source is most unnatural 8) You are tasked with storming an ancient crypt riddled with traps in order to collect parts of a map. However, the map leads to a multitude of new locations, each with a miraculous treasure and a harrowing obstacle 9) A local Barbarian Tribe has kidnapped a noble’s son. You have been hired to bring him or his body back. Only it seems that the Barbarians have accepted the young lad into their ranks by the time you arrive. 10) The party is tasked with finding a legendary creature in a safari. However, the Goddess of Nature deems this the last straw and wages a war on the civilized world. 11) A city ahs lost its inhabitants overnight, and it seems that otherworldly forces are at play 12) The party must retrieve an artifact from an ancient bandit tribe. But when they make contact, they learn that the bandits have a terrible secret. One that grants them immortality and makes them a danger to the entire world. 13) A massive portal has been ripped in the center of the kingdom, and the royalty has tasked you with discovering how and why this has happened 14) A demented Gorgon has been harvesting people and animals for her “Garden of the Dead.” You must find a way to rescue them all and not become a new addition to her collection 15) You encounter a graveyard, yet the rumors of a Necromancer being at large are debunked by the presence of moving statues that are gifted with great combat finesse 16) An ancient Lich has waged war against the Elfish Kingdom. Yet the reasons are more personal in nature 17) A series of enchanted objects have appeared, and it’s up to the party to collect them all and return them to the Tower of Secrets before they fall into the wrong hands 18) An ancient race of Giants invaded the kingdoms after they were believed to be long dead. After they were defeated, it’s revealed that they’re not the only ancient race that has resurfaced 19) A dark figure arrives at a hanging ordained by the nobility. He claims that this corrupt system is going to be replaced with a new one. One that is even more terrible and awe inspiring 20) A series of dark crystals are found in your world. What’s more is that touching one gives you access to a shadowy reflection of your world, and it’s filled with a wilderness of horrors 21) An ancient artifact is revealed to have belonged to one of the Bard Kings. It soon goes missing and it’s up to the party to find it and return it to the proper heir 22) A Ranger arrives at a tavern, and he is full of life and charismatic. Only when he takes his first sip of ale, he is found he is found dead some time later. The catch? The ale isn’t poisoned 23) A series of Ogres charge through the countryside and are casting spells with greater finesse than trained wizards. What’s most troubling is that Ogres shouldn’t be able to use magic. 24) A God has issued a contest to the mortal kingdoms. He has dropped a blessed object on Earth and encourages all of them to fight in order to obtain it 25) The most oppressive of the Kingdoms has outfitted their armies with incredible weapons. They have the ability to cut through the hardest armor and its available to each of them. There can only be one explanation, one of the legendary blacksmiths has been enslaved! 26) Despite centuries of transgressions and unprovoked wars, the Orcs are attempting to come to peace terms with the other nations. Is it an honest attempt at peace, or some kind of trick? 27) The forest has been producing a series of insidious and bloodthirsty creatures. Local mages claim there’s only one explanation, the arcane center of the forest has become corrupted 28) There is an “Arcane Olympics” taking place at the capital 29) A series of “crimson cuts” have formed in the sky, and they are spilling monsters onto your world that are unnatural and extremely intelligent 30) You must clear the name of one of your party members, who has been framed for a crime. This is likely the doing of your party member’s rival, a noble who has lusted after your friend’s bride/husband for years 31) The God of Death ahs discovered a way to turn the souls of the departed into fuel for a ritual that will change the course of history 32) Monsters have been ravaging the wilderness, but it turns out that they are children that were contorted into these awful shapes. They are simply trying to communicate or defend themselves from hostile people. It’s up to you to either rescue and reform them, or to put them out of their misery 33) The Dwarf Kingdom has shut its borders. Yet the Council of 40 Clans protests against this. Perhaps the conflict lies with the King himself. 34) The Elves are suffering severe persecution and are being hunted within their own nation’s borders. You must decide whether to aid the hunters, or to resist and keep the Elves safe 35) A group of mercenaries claim they have a mission vital the safeguarding of the kingdom they need you to deliver a message to them and persuade them to help. Is it a scheme by the mercenaries, the negligence of the nobles, or something else entirely? 36) A massive lake that was once the center of the Halfling way of life has now been frozen in the middle of summer. It’s up to you to return the lake to its original glory 37) The entire party is turned into animals and they must find a way to return to their original humanoid forms 38) You happen upon a village an find that it’s teeming with beauty, peace, and pleasure. But upon realizing that it’s too perfect, it’s actually a village of murderers and manipulators. 39) The animals are suddenly attacking a local village. But what could anger them so intensely? The village doesn’t even hunt. 40) After a strange cosmological event, thirteen new islands have surfaced in a sea that was entirely deep water. You have been tasked with investigating each new island and reporting what you find 41) You happen upon a seaside church where many sailors have been taken in for injuries. What’s more is that the monks refuse to let you bathe in the water. They claim that something terrible lurks beneath the waves 42) The party is knocked unconscious and awakens in a village at the peak of the trees, all resting on chutes of bamboo and in the company of Monkeyfolk 43) You enter a town where there are no children. The mayor gets the party in a room alone and reveals that twisted alchemists are stealing all of the children to unlock the secret of immorality 44) You encounter a tribe of Gnomes that have turned their mountain village into a mobile mountain. It’s a marvel of engineering that could either bring the Gnomes from the brink of destruction from the last war, or it could make them the initiators of a new war 45) A Vampiric group known as the Red Fang is acting in opposition to local Clerics. They claim that it’s wrong to have the public live short life in fear when there’s another life waiting where they can be free and do as they please. The chief one of these new rights being the right to kill in order to feed 46) A family of four nature spirits has been separated so that corrupt mages can exploit their arcane potential 47) A witch that lives in a hollow Elder Tree promises knowledge in exchange for services. Simple as it seems on the surface, she is masking truly vicious intentions 48) A war is about to break out between Bandit Clans because the “perfect heist” was foiled 49) A family of Kobolds occupies a nearby mine. The nobility insists that these Kobolds are vicious and untrustworthy. But the Kobolds have a different story. They are looking to start anew 50) A series of murders are being committed inside the city walls that mirror the methods of a killer that was publically executed a week ago 51) The Council of Wizards and the Circle of Druids are in opposition. A marriage from one member of both parties has driven both of them off the deep end 52) Mysterious runes form at the front of a town hall’s door and reveal a riddle 53) A n ancient witch is trying to bind three royal sisters in an attempt to absorb them in a spell to give her Life, Form, and Magic. She will then return from the grave with all the power to exact revenge on the people that wronged her in life 54) The combination of magic and industry has created a massive rift where the laws of nature have no meaning 55) After years of researching, you discover a tree that has the ability to turn you into any race. Some believe it can turn you into a God, while others will not consume it because it can turn you into a Demon 56) You encounter a group of merchants that deal in items of emotional value rather than monetary value 57) You have been tasked with recovering artifacts that contain six of the most ancient Gods that scriptures of any religion can record. Some are benevolent and cooperative while others are hostile and manipulative 58) You must find a way to break out of a prison that is run by your sworn enemies 59) You must rescue a young warrior who is trapped in a mysterious forest. What’s more is that you must defeat a Demonic Insect Queen before getting this warrior free 60) A noble family has been thriving off of the exploitation of minorities in their jurisdiction. It’s up to you to find a way to take this family down in the name of justice 61) A council of mages has designs on becoming the most powerful group on earth. They have numerous arcane plots afoot that will shake the world as you know it to the core. You must find each member and defeat them before their plans can be completed 62) In a botched attempt to claim vengeance on a Dread Pirate, you must enter his service in order to survive on the high seas 63) A horrific creature has been attacking the Mead Hall every full moon. It seems entirely immune to weapons, both conventional and enchanted 64) You encounter clues that the legend of a city in the clouds is true. You must reach the city before the Human Nation does, as they want to use the weapons it holds for world domination 65) An ex-thief has teamed up with the nobility. In exchange for taking down Thief Guilds, his children are guaranteed a future 66) As a Beast Hunter, you must collect the five Grand Trophies, Razorfish, Manitcore, Kopru, Thraal, and Necronaut 67) Lovecraftian priests from another realm have invaded the physical plain, possessed humans, and are now manipulating the most powerful people on earth. They hope to bend the entire world to their will before the year is out 68) Magic has entered a state of flux. Mages of the world have come to the conclusion that the only way to return it to normally is by reaching the Fountain of Divination. 69) People have gone missing in the Forest of Dark Dreams. You go there and discover that an infestation of intelligent spiders have been keeping people a live and feeding off of them piece by piece 70) Nine of the most gifted warriors to ever assemble are forced into exile after the last way. Yet with them gone, crimes and wars have gone up in all of the kingdoms. It’s up to you to find each of them and to return the world to normal 71) An inventor is crafting items that are far ahead of your time (pistols, rudimentary tanks, primitive flying machines, etc) 72) As you travel with a group of Bards, trouble is following them like ticks on a dog. Yet it’s not simple bar fights or pranks amongst themselves. Assassins are trying to reach them wherever they go, and everyone from thrones to gutters is after them. But why? 73) An ancient mine ahs had its workers going missing. Many believe it to be a mining accident, but you hear rumors that it could be “her.” 74) A network of smugglers and murderers has overtaken the sewers. As long as they maintain this place as their hideout, not even the Royal Guard can keep them in check. Either smoke them out, or join their ranks. 75) An ancient castle has been discovered, but the landscape has been turned into frigid cold and the entire structure has fallen onto its side. The entire castle remains intact, but you will have to crawl through this dungeon from a different perspective 76) A volcanic tribe of Dwarves has lost contact with the outside world. You investigate to find that insects have infested this tribe’s homeland. What’s more is that they seem totally immune to heat and lava 77) Your ship is caught in hurricane winds along the high seas. Your entire party falls overboard, and you awaken to find that you are in an undersea dome where a pocket of air holds a legendary kingdom that has faded out of history books and into obscurity and myth…until now 78) You encounter a temple that is at the center of a natural anomaly. The seasons are at full strength in different directions, with the temple as its center. Winter to the North, Summer to the South, Fall to the West, and Spring to the East 79) A string of island nations have been overcome with horrible water known as the Crimson Tide. All creatures that swim in it are overcome with rot and ships deteriorate when they sail in it. What’s more is that the ring of destructive water is closing in on the islands, as though it going to devour them all. You must find a way to relieve these kingdoms of this curse before a genocide occurs 80) After all of the High Kings and Queens have been poisoned at a feast, every nation is at each other’s throats. You must find who is responsible, or the world as you know it will be torn apart in an endless war 81) You are welcomed by some of the wealthiest nobility for miles around. Yet for all the rumors, their home is dark, the villagers are terrified to speak the family’s name, and they eat from empty plates and drink from empty glasses 82) Toward the end of his life, an Alchemist created an “Ultimate Dowser.” It was first regarded as junk but was used to help prevent cosmic catastrophes. Now the time for using it has come again, yet it only works in one person’s hands…yours. 83) You walk through a forest and find that the trees are bleeding and that moans form with no wind to produce them 84) A handsome man has been seen in multiple towns and cities. He courts only the most wealthy and beautiful young girls. Yet for all his promises of keeping them safe, they always end up dead. He is now hunting an Earl’s daughter, and he pleads that you protect her from this horrible man. His presence has already been confirmed near the estate 85) A Barbarian boy is left for dead when his tribe has suffered a beating. He claims that with the death of their current leader (which is now inevitable, given his age), they will surely unleash the monster they’ve been keeping hidden for so long: the Mountain Troll 86) The King has had dozens of legitimate children and even more illegitimate ones. With his dying wish, he pleads you bring his true eldest son, Alan. The boy doesn’t know that he’s the son of a king, but you must protect him from his knifing siblings or else the kingdom will be in ruins 87) A terrible drought is sapping the earth and forests of their vitality. Most don’t know what to do, but all of them suspect tha the new Archmage is involved 88) At the center of all nations lies a mountain range known as the Eye. It is one of the wildest portions of the world. Some caverns go deeper than any recorded mine, and the peak goes well beyond the clouds. It’s up to you to find out what wonders this natural marvel holds 89) A master spy has lost contact with her lover. She pleads that you find him before he is tortured into giving information up or before he’s dispatched. In exchange, she will give you the chance to live any life you want 90) A mother has lost her son to the horrible plots of a coven of Witches. In an attempt to get revenge on them, she too begins practicing sorcery and enlists your help in exacting her revenge 91) A routine exterminator job turns out to be a dungeon crawl. You enter a woman’s pantry, and you find a passage that leads to a historical marvel of a site. The rats soon grow to enormous sizes and you see the ruins of a great battlefield that extend for miles beneath the surface. It’s your job to find out what happened. 92) After losing himself to madness, Kai-Von the Swift (mightiest of the Barbarians) has issued a decree to all other tribes: surrender or see true darkness 93) Corrupt Paladins have been tricking their apprentices into delivering young sacrifices to them so they can conduct rituals to Pagan Gods. 94) A blackmailer has been harvesting the so did secrets of all nobles in the kingdom 95) A clever Countess has arranged for a ball where she can delight her guests and kill her enemies 96) You are tasked with delivering a small chest to the next kingdom, but you are forbidden from looking inside 97) An ancient grove reveals itself. You see there are several figures appear, each claiming to be a guardian spirit that was once human 98) A child is kidnapped by their uncle for ransom. But this isn’t a normal crime, the commoner child has aspirations of killing the heroes 99) The party is caught in the throes of a terrible storm, and they must find a way to escape from the pale-faced creature that chases them relentlessly through the rustling trees 100) The Grand Forest is more expansive than any sea and more dangerous than any battlefield. Yet the crown has decreed that you must investigate it. You can bring any allies or friends you wish, but when you go out there, you are both at your most free and your most vulnerable.

#dungeons and dragons #campaign ideas #rpg world #story inspiration #rpg #session ideas #tabletop rpgs

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