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Share your best idea for a D&D campaign or adventure!

Posted by Alex Sinclair in Video Games

A bitter seafaring voyage through frozen waters? A dark retelling of the classic fairy tales? A dungeon-realm in the innards of some gargantuan fell beast? With Dungeons & Dragons, the only limit is your imagination. So put on your most flamboyant of thinking bonnets and give yourself a +1 to creativity. Then share your coolest, wildest idea for a D&D campaign or adventure.

It doesn't need to take place in the established realms like the Sword Coast or Icewind Dale. Nor does it need to be in the other official planes like the Feywild or Avernus.

We're looking for thought-out, detailed ideas for this bounty, with a minimum of 80 words each. We suggest including details such as:

The setting and lore
The main questline
Unique features
The BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy/Girl)

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Created at 4:08pm, 21st May, 2024. Page last updated at 9:33am, 28th May, 2024.
Deadline at 11:00pm, 27th May, 2024.

Makster 5/27/2024, 9:04:56 AM

I ran this campaign the other night as my friends wanted to do something different for pre-drinks:

The setting and loreSet in a proto-Lovecraft world where there are believers in the old gods such as Cthulu. There is a city hidden beneath the earth R'lyeh that is said to keep the sleeping old ones in slumber but within the city are treasures and fortunes donated by the believers. Many civilisations that have worshipped the old gods have risen and fallen within that time and their riches and artefacts reside in this lost city. Only those that have studied the ancient language know how to access the city but even those that don't believe in the religion know that if the city of R'lyeh is disturbed, the old gods awaken

The main questlineYou're tasked with escorting a leading university professor on an excavation of the R'lyeh. A lot is riding on this expedition as the professor has been fleecing the university for many years for funding having made up a lot of stuff and mistranslating passages. This is the last grant they are offering before he will need to pay it all back and his department is closed. Because of the dangerous nature of this trip (and also the lack of belief the board have for him) he has hired you at the cheapest price but convinced you that you can have all the treasures you find at the city. Unique features As with all Lovecraft there is a sense of dread and insanity. Players will have to roll for constitution and will once they approach and enter R'lyeh as the thick fog and fumes can cause mental instability - hearing things, seeing things, tasteing or having uncontrollable feelings. Those with weak will can even become a convert of R'lyeh and Cthulu fighting back against the party. If you cause too much trouble within the city it could lead to an Old God waking up. There will be three stages of wakefulness each one being more difficult to deal with due to the amount of enemies the party has to fight and level of insanity. Party members have a remedy of fighting back against their insanity by having totems of grounding which helps embellish their backstory such as a sigil reminding a Paladin of their religion, the ring of a loved one, or a snack reminding them of home.

**The BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy/Girl)**Of course an Old God (if awoken) will be the final boss (and it is highly unlikely they will be able to defeat them). Otherwise gradually the professor will become infected with insanity (as they do not have a totem they can rely on since they are only after money). The professor will eventually try to in R'lyeh calling forth the powers of the Old Ones in which they will abide.

The Professor will try to block the exit path and begin awakening all the residents so it is a mad dash for the exit with all the loot you have acquired.

AirGaram 5/27/2024, 1:34:02 AM

Anthem of the Voidforge

Setting & Lore

The Void Lands was once a world of chaos that was divided into realms that consisted of the seven elements Life, Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Darkness, and Light. These realms were brought to coexist in harmony and balance by a group of powerful beings called The Enigmas. Hidden deep within the world was an artifact that held the world together, the Voidforge.

Legend says that the Voidforge was created by the first of The Enigmas when the Void Lands was still in chaos using a sacred song that harmonized chaotic forces called the Discordant Echoes. A prophecy once foretells the "Shattering Convergence," an event where chaos will reign if the Discordant Echoes are corrupted. Recently, there are signs where the realms has begun its collapse and unnatural phenomena appearing that suggests the Voidforge being under attack.

Main Questline

The players would traverse the seven broken realms and prove their worth to the seven spirits so that they can receive the fragments and verses from them.

1. The campaign starts in a small town inside the Light Realm. The players are brought in the Town Hall by a Divination Wizard who witnessed an unnatural change.Strange earthquakes and anomalies emerged in the surrounding area which makes the wizard believe these were signs of destabilization of the Voidforge and the corruption of the Discordant Echoes. The wizard then sends the players to investigate the disturbances.

2. The players then journeys through the seven broken realms to gather clues and gain favor from the primordial spirits that holds the fragments and verses.

Light Realm : Navigate through blinding light to solve puzzles and withstand trials set by Auris, the Primordial Spirit of Light.

Darkness Realm : Confront illusions and fears in a suffocating dark mist to meet Scuris, the Primordial Spirit of Darkness.

Water Realm : Battle underwater creatures and solve riddles in order to prove their worth to Nereid, the Water Spirit.

Fire Realm : Traverse volcanic wastelands to reach Ignis, the Fire Spirit, in a fortress of magma.

Wind Realm : Navigate tornado-filled aerial pathways to meet Gayle, the Wind Spirit.

Earth Realm : Overcome treacherous terrains and stone golems to seek the aid of Sera, the Earth Spirit.

Life Realm : Navigate an enchanted forest thick with decay to convince Sensos, the Spirit of Life.

3. While collecting the seven fragments and verses, the players then uncovers the truth of current situation of the Voidforge. A powerful and ancient cult called the Abyssal Choir that is led by Shadowmourne, that seeks to corrupt the Discordant Echoes and unleash the will of the void.

4. With the verses and fragments in hand, the players would gain access to the Voidforge, located in the heart of a neutral zone called the Nexus, where the seven realms converge. They must navigate through a labyrinth of shifting elemental energies and overcome trials. The final battle, in which the player would battle the Shadowmourne and the cultists in order to prevent the collapse of the Voidforge.

Unique Features : Elemental Mastery, Elemental Fusion, Elemental Shift, Musical Puzzles, and Bardic Influence. Elemental Master and Fusion, Players can get elemental powers from the realms that they visit and can fuse them together to create a stronger more powerful effect. Elemental Shift means that the environment of the realms are broken and would make traversing them harder. Musical Puzzles are self explanatory i guess. Bardic influence, although it doesnt have to be the players, they can get npcs to uncover and perform the songs that are tied to Discordant Echoes.

BBEG : Shadowmourne A once respected members of the Enigmas that betrayed the order, he believed that true harmony can only be found through total destruction. By triggering the Shattering Convergence he believed that he could summon the Will and bring the void lands into a new era of chaos and harmony.

Shadowmourne draws powers from the Will, gaining access to powers that can sever the players connections to the elements as well as change the environments.

The final confrontation would be inside the Voidforge, a sub-realm that is filled with raw and unstable energy. The player must use their elemental mastery and the Discordant Echoes in order to prevent the emergence of the will and stabilize the Voidforge as well as restore the Discordant Echoes.

This is my take on a D&D campaign, a bit rough around the edges and might be too much. What I imagined is mainly just many bards singing songs from start to finish.

as a side note, maybe there could be a privilege that could be won where a player can change the BGM of the battle or the current situation, an example would be during an intense boss battle a player can change the currently intense BGM to something I don’t know like a romantic one. Or maybe something to just annoy the DM.

FirestormGamingTeam 5/26/2024, 2:40:40 PM

For my idea I would fashion is after a book series called "The Rift War".

The Setting and Lore.

It will be a story about, how five worlds are at war with each other, after one world mastered the mystical arts to invade another and was defeated, the world which was invaded, gained that knowledge and launched attacks on three other worlds for resources and slaves, in step our heroes, who have heard of a mystical, ancient goddess of good, who has been locked away on the first world, that once freed, can bring order out of chaos.

The Main Questline

The questline will be our heroes having to go from world to world to find clues and peoples i.e NPCS to find a path through hellfire and brimstone, to bring the goddess out of her captivity, whilst they know she is on one world, the path of which to free her, is long and winding. But, to make things interesting, every time the heroes switch to a new world, the map changes and new threats emerge. Some people are there to help, others work for a mystical priesthood which is hell-bent on keeping our goddess locked away.

Unique Features.

For our D&D campaign, the most unique feature will be their ever-changing maps which our heroes must progress, after passing through "rifts" into different worlds and crisscrossing around will lead to new encounters and new monsters/NPCs which they will either have to fight or talk their way past.

The BBEG.

In my mind, it would be a High priest of immeasurable power, the only way our heroes can defeat this evil boss is by collecting the very relics across the worlds, combining them into a weapon of their choosing, the parts can form a bow, a staff, a sword, a dagger, they will have the choice of which parts they want to create/make for the final fight, but our High Priest is a master of shadows, a master of misdirection and totally evil, there is not one shred of compassion in his nature, for the twist, our high priest, is of the undead!

Only by following the quest line can our heroes, restore peace to the five worlds.

Lanah Tyra 5/26/2024, 1:35:42 PM

This is an old campaign which we came up with a friend and managed to run an intro session to it but as usual never managed to get the group together again, so still dreaming of running it one day.

Betrayal in the dark - full drow campaign

Set in the Underdark, the party is a group of drows sent on a mission from Menzoberranzan to Ched Nazad, as there were no communications from the city in moons, and the party's goal is to find out what causes the silence.

Players can decide on what class they want to play, but as an extra twist to the game, they will pull a random house name and show it to the DM. So the DM will know who belongs to witch house, but the players are unaware if the person sitting next to them is their arch enemy or ally.

The group will face certain dangers during their travel, nothing out of the ordinary, the real danger lies in the DM sometimes giving instructions to a player privately. It can be a task they have to complete or an information about a party member, putting the focus more on mind-games and the rivalry between the ruling houses than fighting the usual monsters.

So what will you do? Will you find someone you think you can trust? Would it be best to poison that guy who was watching you ever since you left home? What about the female? Surely she is a priestess and wants to sacrifice us all to Lolth... unless she is from house Xorlarrin, in which case she could be a mage. Will you trust the food served to you by the volunteer cook of the party or will you go alone to hunt down a prey and hope you don't get shot in the back?

Depending on the players' reactions to the information given to them by the DM, not everyone might survive this adventure.

Upon arriving to Ched Nazad, turns out that everything is fine in the city and they have no idea why anyone in Menzoberranzan would have thought otherwise, when their priestesses have been speaking to each other almost every day? The DM will reveal themselves as the last member of the adventuring party, son or daughter of House Baenre, who didn't get any unwanted attention during the journey thanks to the magic casted on them by the Archmage, Gromph Baenre. The whole mission was orchestrated by the Archmage, as there were rumours that some ruling houses are planning an uprising against the weakened house Baenre, and Gromph wanted to know who he can trust, should his house fail, and get an idea of which houses are in reality allied with somene else than they are publicly admitting.

LongIslandIcedTech 5/25/2024, 4:47:53 PM

Okay. Please, Just About. Tab-completion should not automatically move me to the "Post submission" button, especially if the next most logical move is to hit the spacebar, a move that will act like a mouse click on the aforementioned button.

Anyhow, here’s a one-shot I’ve had rattling around the ol' noggin for a while now.

The Setting and Lore: The Contemplators of Badafru (BAH-dah-froo) are a reclusive, enigmatic order. Those who join their ranks pledge themselves to a lifetime of introspection, drifting quietly through the near-silent halls of their mountain retreat or sitting motionless, their only movement the occasional turning of a dusty tome's page, in pursuit of uncovering the true meaning of self in the universe. Their vast, labyrinthine monastery welcomes all—whether one seeks a lifetime of meditation or merely a night's refuge from the region's often life-threatening storms. The sole requirement for joining is a complete renunciation of the past, sealed with an oath of silence about it. Temporary visitors, however, are asked only to share an entertaining tale from their travels to enliven a meal. Beyond this, all are welcome, and no area is off-limits, even to those merely passing through. After all, how can one unlock the secrets of the inner self if confined by locked doors?

The Main Questline: The party finds themselves traveling with a caravan through the sylvanian countryside, typically a peaceful journey. However, this particular route skirts the base of a formidable mountain range, notorious for its hostile creatures and violent storms, making group travel a necessity. As they trek, a fierce storm erupts, prompting the caravan guides to seek shelter with the benevolent Contemplators of Badafru. Along the way, they encounter another caravan, also traveling that road and caught in the storm. The Contemplators welcome the visitors warmly, informing them of an imminent meal and encouraging them to explore the monastery's myriad rooms and hallways until the food is ready.

This marks the beginning of open action. Players can wander freely through the many (many) rooms and corridors of the monastery, either alone or with other party members, encountering Contemplators or other travelers. At some point, however, an unconscious, stripped body (whether a visitor or Contemplator) is discovered, either by a party member or, if the opportunity doesn't arise naturally, by an NPC who announces it in terror. Who is this victim? Why were they attacked? Is the assailant part of the either group or an outsider who slipped in? Will more fall victim before the perpetrator achieves their goal?

What ensues is a gripping whodunit, reminiscent of the board game Clue and the inverted roles of a Hitman video game level. Someone in the monastery is stealthily navigating the area, plotting to silently assassinate a target. The party must piece together clues to uncover the target, identify the assassin, determine where the hit will occur, and devise a plan to thwart the threat. Or not. Who's to say that the target is innocent? Clues emerge through analyzing NPCs' accounts—both prior to and during the quest—where keen deductive players will notice inconsistencies. Are these breadcrumbs leading to the assassin or red herrings exposing innocent secrets? It's up to the DM to craft a satisfying, fair mystery, adjusting the story's pace to maintain the fun.

Ultimately, the party will uncover the plot and can choose to intercept the assassin before the hit or confront them during or after the attempt. Either way, the stealthy assailant won't be an easy target.

Unique features:

Highly Modular - The assassin and the target can be from either group of NPCs. The timing and method of the hit are up to the DM's creativity. Have a group of sharp players? Complicate the mystery to match their wits. Need to help your players along? Let the assassin slip up.
Potential for a Fire-and-Forget Adventure - Set up a pre-planned series of events and let your players navigate naturally. However, keep in mind that a tightly scheduled series could result in the players being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Dedicated DM presence - The DM, with foreknowledge of the setting and characters, can dynamically move the assassin in response to player actions, maintaining the element of surprise by disguise or secret passages. Honesty is crucial—no teleporting assassins unless it's canon.
Less combat, more thinking - Let your players feel smart for piecing together clues or enjoy the hilarity as a party of -1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom barbarians brute-forces through the mystery.

BBEG: The final antagonist is entirely up to the DM, tailoring to the players' capabilities. The real enjoyment lies in unraveling the puzzle. Is the assassin a rogue slipping through shadows? A mage using illusions to mislead? Are they motivated by revenge or a contract from a shadowy benefactor? Would the party prefer direct combat or setting a trap for a dramatic, ironic end?

Sturmer 5/23/2024, 3:41:31 PM

The Spores of the Underdark

Setting and Lore: Deep within the Underdark lies an ancient cult of ruthless yet stunningly beautiful priestesses. These priestesses are mind-controlled by mysterious spores, which, oddly enough, seem to affect only females. The cult is known for attacking intruders and capturing males for their dark rituals.

Main Questline: The players' goal is to disguise themselves as female drows and infiltrate the cult’s dungeon to find the source of the spores. The journey is filled with amusing and unexpected situations, requiring more stealth and diplomacy than combat.

Unique Features: The campaign emphasizes stealth, disguise, and interaction over traditional combat. Players will need to navigate the social hierarchies of the cult and gather clues to locate and destroy the main spore source.

The BBEG: The High Priestess of the cult turns out to be a disguised male who is unaffected by the spores. He utilizes their mysterious powers to control the cult, seeking his own desires and manipulating the priestesses for his benefit.

illustration by AI

Lanah Tyra 5/25/2024, 3:24:51 PM

Sturmer

Oh I would love this! Fun twist would be if one of the players is a drow female originally but no one knows.

Sturmer 5/25/2024, 3:58:23 PM

Lanah Tyra

that run idea was actually pitched by my wife and she proposed exactly the same about shadow agent in a party, woah

Laser-Bicep 5/23/2024, 6:13:48 AM

Im gunna port over some ideas from my star wars d and d campaign for this one, questlines we never got to use.

The basic idea is that 4 player characters awaken on a wooden vessel at sea. the campaign begins with the DM narrating how the players each leave the various parts of the ship and walk to bridge. one awakens in a cell, the other three in rooms. the prisoner has his own private backstory only him and the dm know. the other threes backstory is they are contracted to this job. there is obviously more backstory to each character that can come into play.

Upon meeting at the bridge they are met by a figure that got these PC to meet.

the unique point of going forward is that with all the Player characters having their own backstorys it changes the way they play with each other, instead of a full trusting party.

the basic storyline is that this party have to infiltrate a secret organisation called the white star and report on its leadership and the mysterious drow who is apparently the head of this organisation.

more unique features include finding out the true identity and motivation of the person who hired you.

Allegiances to the original contractor or white star

So you have two potential big bads the drow and the ship contractor all who have a vast level of minions at their disposal.

Also the backstory of the characters may cause fractures in the group.

Fras_Shoyo 5/22/2024, 7:42:00 AM

This is probably the campaign idea I thought of from D&D

Campaign Title: Clockwork Fortress

Setting and Lore: At the heart of the Great Mechanus Desert lies the enigmatic Clockwork Citadel-an ancient colossal structure made of brass and gears. The desert itself is a vast expanse of sand, dotted with the remains of rusted and forgotten machinery. Yet, it stands as the last bastion of an ancient civilization that once harnessed the power of time itself.

Long ago, the Clockwork Engineers built the Fortress to manipulate time, using its enormous machines to change history. However, their experiments went awry, shredding reality and scattering pieces of a powerful artifact-the Chronosphere-across the multiverse. Now, the desert sands hide hidden portals that lead to other worlds, each guarded by clockwork constructs and temporal anomalies.

Key Objectives:

Broken Sand Clock: The players find an ancient map that points the way to the Clockwork Fortress. Their journey begins as they traverse the desert, battling sandstorms, rogue robots, and rival treasure hunters. Along the way, they encounter nomadic tribes who worship the Fortress as a divine relic.
Temporal Nexus: Upon reaching the Citadel, the players find out that fragments of the Chronosphere are scattered across different planes. They must activate the Nexus Gates inside the Citadel to access these planes. Each gate leads to a unique world - frozen tundra, steampunk metropolis, primeval forest, and more.
Adventure Exploring the World: Players explore this diverse world, solving puzzles, negotiating with locals, and battling creatures that can turn back time. They pick up shards of the Chronosphere, each of which grants unique powers related to time manipulation (for example, seeing the past, slowing down enemies, or speeding up allies).
Final Confrontation: Players face off against Tempus in the heart of the Citadel. They must harmonize their powers, manipulate time, and prevent him from completing the Chronosphere. The climactic battle takes place across multiple timelines, with echoes of their past and future helping or hindering them.

Unique Features:

- Time Puzzles: The Citadel is filled with puzzles involving rewinding, freezing, or accelerating time. Solving them will unlock hidden spaces and shortcuts.

- Temporal Echoes: Players will encounter spectral versions of themselves from alternate timelines. These echoes provide cryptic clues or warn of impending danger.

- Living Automatons: Several clockwork constructs are alive and seeking redemption. Players can choose to help or hinder them, which affects the fate of the Citadel

Conclusion:

As players reconstitute the Chronosphere, they gain the power to correct the fabric of time. Their choices determine whether they will restore balance, prevent Tempus' rule, or inadvertently unravel existence itself. The sands of the Great Mechanus Desert hold secrets that echo across eternity, and the Clockwork Fortress awaits those brave enough to turn the wheel of destiny.

BBEG: Lady Seraphina, the Clockwork Sorceress

Background and Motivation: Lady Seraphina, a once brilliant scholar, became obsessed with uncovering the secrets of time. In her search, she discovered the ancient Clock Fortress and met Tempus, the evil guardian of the Chronosphere. Tempus corrupted her mind and promised her power over time in exchange for loyalty. Now driven by a thirst for power and vengeance, Lady Seraphina aims to reassemble the Chronosphere. She believes that by controlling time, she can erase her past mistakes and reshape the world as she desires. Lady Seraphina's body is now augmented with mechanical limbs and a pulsating heart infused with stolen time magic, granting her immortality and extraordinary abilities.

Appearance: Lady Seraphina wears a flowing gown of brass and silver, adorned with intricate clockwork patterns. Her eyes glow with an otherworldly light, and her skin bears etched runes that pulse like gears. Her left arm is a mechanical construct, ending in a wickedly sharp blade. Her right eye is a multifaceted gem that sees through time itself.

The Nest: Lady Seraphina's lair is located deep within the Clockwork Citadel. The room is filled with whirring gears, mysterious emblems, and suspended hourglasses. Its walls echo with the ticking of countless clocks, each marking a different moment in history. At the heart of its sanctuary, fragments of the Chronosphere float in a shimmering pool of time.

Minion:

Cogling: Tiny clockwork spiders and beetles that are always traversing the Fortress, repairing its mechanisms, and guarding Lady Seraphina's secrets.

Temporal Guard: Elite troops wearing gleaming armor, wielding swords that can penetrate time. They patrol the Nexus Gates and deter intruders.

Echoing Shades: Ghostly apparitions of those who dared to defy Lady Seraphina. They haunt the corridors, which will faintly warn the players.

The final battle: The party faced Lady Seraphina atop the Citadel's central spire. Fragments of the Chronosphere orbited around her, coalescing into a pulsating sphere. She manipulates time during the battle, aging the players, restoring their wounds, and summoning echoes of their past selves. Players must take control of the Chronosphere while avoiding paradoxes that could unravel reality.

Defeat and Redemption: When defeated, Lady Seraphina's mechanical form disintegrates, revealing her true self-a remorseful woman caught in her own web of ambition. She begs for forgiveness, realizing the consequences of her actions. The players must decide whether to destroy the Chronosphere or use it to repair the timeline. Lady Seraphina's fate hangs in the balance.

That's all the ideas I came up with for the campaign from the D&D game, it might not be much but it's a pretty good campaign event if implemented.

Robert Purchese 5/25/2024, 5:34:49 PM

Fras_Shoyo

Nice! Love the time theme and the gameplay opportunities that brings. Really detailed post too!

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