donjon; Random Adventure Generator

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Random Adventure Generator

ThemeMystery
Here, the characters are presented with a mystery -- often a murder -- and have to find out who did what to whom.
GoalRescue NPC(s)
The characters must rescue one or more kidnapped NPCs, probably from the stronghold of the kidnapper. Obviously, they must get to said stronghold, break in, rescue the kidnappee, break out, and escape back to safety; this usually requires careful and clever planning and a large dose of luck.
Story HookLegend and Rumor
In this classic story hook, the hero stumbles across some new or long-forgotten knowledge that promises great treasure or gain.
PlotA-B-C Quest
This is an epic sort of plot. In it, the heros are given (or undertake) a task to perform: The taking of a city, the rescue of an innocent, the destruction of a monster, the creation of a magical item, the defeat of a Master Villain, etc. But the path to victory is not a simple one. To get to their goal, Event A, they find that they must first accomplish some other task -- Event B. But when they undertake the task of accomplishing Event B, they find that they must first accomplish Event C. This goes on for several encounters, until the heroes accomplish all the obstacle events which prevent them from returning to Event A, their original goal.
ClimaxScattered Duels
In this climax, the heroes have gotten to the end of their quest -- they may have broken into, sneaked into, or escaped from imprisonment within the villain's citadel, or have marched into the little town where the villain is holed up -- and they become separated. You can separate them by having traps and tricks break the party apart, by having them see two or three things they must resolve (such as danger to innocents or the appearance of minion villains) pop up simultaneously; they'll have to run in all directions at the same time or suffer failure. Once the party is broken down into bite-sized chunks, you confront each individual or small group with the enemy or enemies he most deserves to face -- his personal enemy, the monster which defeated him before, etc. -- for a grand series of climactic duels.
General SettingCosmopolitan City
Most of the story takes place in a large, sophisticated city; center the villain's plot and activities around that city. This setting is best suited to adventures involving more people than monsters; most of your villains should be human or demi-human.
Specific Setting ITemple/Church
This can be either the church of some lofty and good diety, or the dark and grisly temple of some horrid deity (doubtless filled with evil soldiers and monsters), or even the temple that the madman villain has dedicated to himself for when he becomes a god.
Specific Setting IIMadman's Fortress
This is the citadel of a major enemy: Strong, unassailable, filled with soldiers and monsters, lined with secret passages and deathtraps; not a wholesome place for adventurers to spend their time.
Master VillainOrganizer
This Master Villain is the head of the local criminal syndicate -- the Thieve's Guild or slaver ring, for instance. He's cold-hearted and unsympathetic, and human life means nothing to him. He employs assassins and musclemen against the heroes, and can only be reasoned with when it's going to profit him more to cooperate with the heroes than kill them.
Minor Villain IMoronic Muscleman
This fellow is a huge, powerful monster of a fighter. His job is to smash anything the villain tells him to smash. He does that very well, but don't ask him to do any thinking; he has no time for such brainy stuff.
Minor Villain IICorrupted Hero
This villain was once a hero, possibly one known to the players. He was seduced by the dark side of the dungeon master. Because of his own weakness, or of a curse, he has become a villain, a pawn of the Master Villain.
Ally/NeutralInquisitive Chronicler
This character is a historian who wishes to accompany the heroes to record their exploits. He constantly pries into the heroes' backgrounds, asking questions that are none of his business, as the adventure continues.
Monster EncounterRavager
This is another classic monster encounter; the monster which is bedeviling a community or local area and will continue to do so unless the heroes destroy or defeat it. Yes, this is similar to the Master Villain of the same name, but the Ravager usually has no master plan -- it just wants to kill, destroy, or eat.
Character EncounterMean Drunk
The Mean Drunk works much like the Belligerent Soldier except that he's not as tough, is of course drunk, and is usually accompanied by other Mean Drunks.
DeathtrapTomb Deathtraps
Another classic type of trap is the sort of triggered trap left behind in abandoned tombs, ruins, and catacombs. Here, a hero who touches the wrong step, floor tile, wall brick, torch bracket, mounted gemstone, or other device will trigger some sort of ancient trap designed to kill tomb-robbers and intruders.
ChaseHorseback
This is a relatively short chase -- it only needs to go on for a mile or so before even the best horses are winded. If it goes on longer than that, the horses may collapse and perhaps die.
Omen/ProphesyHero Fulfills Prophecy
This is the most useful sort of prophecy. In the early part of the adventure, one of the heroes discovers that he fulfills some ancient prophecy.
Secret WeaknessLack of Familiarity
The Master Villain, if he comes from the past or another dimension, or belongs to an alien race, might be sufficiently unfamiliar with this world that he essentially defeats himself. How? By making incorrect guesses about human behaviour. One classic error involves underestimating the human capacity for self-sacrifice.
Special ConditionNo Hurting the Villain
For some reason, the heroes cannot afford to fight the villain directly. For instance, what if a demon possesses the body of the child of one of the characters, or a very important child spoken of in prophecy, one without whom the world will perish?
Moral QuandrySaving Quandry
Finally, another classic quandry puts the heroes in the position of choosing between a grand opportunity to hurt the Master Villain -- or saving the lives of a number of individuals.
Red HerringFalse 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 TrickMission is a Ruse
In the course of their adventuring, the heroes discover they have been tricked into performing a mission which helps the Master Villain.

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