ADVENTURE # 100

Theme

Goal

Story Hook

Plot

Climax

General Setting

Specific Setting
I
Specific Setting
II

Master Villain

Minor Villain I

Minor Villain II

Ally/Neutral

Monster
Encounter

Character
Encounter
Deathtrap

Espionage
Espionage adventures are active, grim scenarios involving spying and perhaps other cloak-and-dagger deeds such as
assassination or rescue.
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.
Missing Memories
One or more of the PCs wakes up with no memory of the recent past, and now they find themselves in some kind of
trouble they don't understand. The PCs must find the reason for the memory lapse, and solve any problems they
uncover in the meantime.
A-B-C Quest
This is an epic sort of plot. In it, the heros are given (or undertake) a task to perform: The taking of a city, the rescue
of an innocent, the destruction of a monster, the creation of a magical item, the defeat of a Master Villain, etc. But
the path to victory is not a simple one. To get to their goal, Event A, they find that they must first accomplish some
other task -- Event B. But when they undertake the task of accomplishing Event B, they find that they must first
accomplish Event C. This goes on for several encounters, until the heroes accomplish all the obstacle events which
prevent them from returning to Event A, their original goal.
Bloody Battle
This is the best Climax for an adventure involving the clash of mighty armies -- or for any adventure where, toward
the end, the Master Villain and a large body of minions confront the heroes and their own troops. This finale is
characterized by a monstrous clash between the two forces, with the heroes chewing through the enemy ranks to get
at the Master Villain and his elite guards. It's strenuous, exciting, and classically simple.
Hero's Home Town
The action takes the heroes back to the home territory of one of them. Note that this usually means that this hero's
family or old friends are deeply involved in the adventure.
Classic Dungeon
This would be the standard monster-filled labyrinth; perhaps it's a nesting ground for the master villain's monster
troops.
Catacombs
These can be catacombs beneath a living city or a ruined one; they can be long-forgotten or still in use.
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.
Corrupted 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.
Moronic 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.
Obsequious Merchant
This fellow is the owner of the caravan the heroes are protecting, or the merchant the heroes encounter when they
desperately need to buy something. He is oily, ever-flattering, overly agreeable, and is a sharp bargainer; the heroes
will not find him willing to give them a sale price.
King Beast
At some point in their adventure, the heroes run across a King Beast -- some enormous, intelligent monster (which
speaks the Common tongue) which is the leader of its species. Perhaps it needs help; if the heroes help it they'll earn
themselves a favor which the King Beast will repay at some later time in the adventure. Perhaps the heroes are in
deadly danger and need help; the King Beast can be persuaded to help, but only in return for a deed or favor in the
future.
Bureaucrat
Some time in their adventure, the heroes must deal with the local government and run into that most horrible of
nuisance monsters, the bureaucrat and his red-tape dispenser. The heroes don't have the right forms. When they have
the right forms, they forgot to fill them out in triplicate. And so on.
Rock and a Hard Place

This trap starts out as an Animal Pit, Pit and the Pendulum, or Tomb Deathtrap, but an obvious escape suggests
itself very early on. Trouble is, it leads into even worse danger. The hole out of the animal pit may lead to the lair of
an even worse animal; it may lead through a succession of dangers (collapsing old catacombs, into an underground
river, into a den of zombies) before the heroes reach the light.
Aerial
The heroes could be riding pegasi or friendly griffons or allied great eagles; the villains could be carried aloft by
Chase
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.
Birthmark
Omen/Prophesy One of the heroes has a birthmark that pertains to the adventure in some way. He may have a birthmark identical to
some NPC -- for instance, some person endangered by the Master Villain. This mystery can give the hero his reason
to become involved. Alternatively, his birthmark may mark him as a hero fulfilling some ancient prophecy.
Holy Symbol
The villain may have the traditional weakness to a specific holy symbol -- but don't choose just an ordinary one. It
Secret Weakness 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.)
No Lawbreaking
For some reason, at one point in the story, the heroes cannot allow themselves to break the law -- even when it
Special
would help them greatly to do so. For instance, the heroes may be asking for the help of a king whose word is law
Condition
and whose power is immense. When they arrive for their audience, an emissary of the Master Villain is making a
similar plea for help. If the heroes attack and kill that emissary, they will lose any chance at the king's help -- in fact,
he may order their execution.
Saving Quandry
Moral 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.
Lying Rumor
Red Herring This is the worst and most useful type of red herring -- the interesting rumor which just happens to be false. In
adventures of this sort, the best Lying Rumor concerns the Master Villain; it gives the heroes some "important"
information about him which later turns out to be useless.
Wanted by the Law
Cruel Trick 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.