Most dungeon masters can use a little help from time to time coming up with adventure ideas. Here are thirty ideas to boost your creative juices, grouped into 10 categories.

Explore the unknown

  1. A strange temple has appeared in a forest outside of town and the local lord wants the adventurers to check it out and report back what they find.
  2. The adventurers are in a small outpost village on the edge of the wilderness. They decide to explore what’s beyond the boundary of civilization to discover what’s there. Keep on the Borderlands, the best selling D&D module ever published, is an example of this kind of adventure.
  3. Within a dungeon, the party discovers a stairway leading to a lower level.

Get the treasure

  1. A rumor tells of a treasure hoard within a nearby dungeon or crypt.
  2. Lore reveals the existence of a powerful magic item or gem. Clues indicate it is hidden in the cellar of a prominent political leader or within a monster’s lair.
  3. The party gets word of a group of evil bandits nearby that recently stole a chest of coins and valuable family heirlooms from a traveling merchant. The party seeks to infiltrate the bandits’ camp and steal it back.

Destroy an evil

  1. A temple dedicated to an evil god has been discovered nearby. The party must enter the temple and destroy its altar.
  2. Farmers report a marauding dragon or other monster killing livestock nearby. The party is hired by the local lord to find and neutralize it.
  3. A band of werewolves has been attacking outlying farms. The lair of the werewolves needs to be located, and they must be killed.

Obtain or transport something of value

  1. A lord has hired the party to escort a VIP from one place to another. The journey will pass through dangerous territory.
  2. A wealthy merchant wants the party to retrieve a valuable item and bring it to them. The only problem is the item must be stolen from the person who currently possesses it.
  3. A mage has hired the party to acquire a special component used in a powerful spell or potion. It is rare and difficult to find or access.

Captive

  1. The party has been captured by foul monsters and are currently held in a dungeon cell. They must find a way to escape their bonds, find their gear, and find their freedom.
  2. One or more of the members of an adventuring troop were captured and are being transported to be sold as slaves. The rest of the group must rescue them. (This is a great adventure when one or more players can’t attend the session – their characters are the ones needing to be rescued.)
  3. Someone dear to a powerful VIPs heart has been taken by an evil mastermind or monster. They are being carried to a remote location for sacrifice to an evil god. The party must rescue the person before they are slain.

Pieces of a Whole

  1. To complete a master quest, the party must locate individual items that, when assembled or gathered in one place, will be used to achieve their goal.
  2. Four members of an evil group must each be located and killed before the group assembles and unleashes an evil plan.
  3. A god or other powerful benefactor has promised a boon to the party but each character must complete an individual quest — with the help of the other adventurers — before it is granted.

Solve a Mystery

(This is perhaps the most common and versatile adventure type.)

  1. Something or someone is killing or abducting livestock or people in a particular area. The party must find the source of these killings and stop it.
  2. A mysterious disease has infected a small group with an unusual condition that eventually leads to death or madness. The party must uncover the source of the disease and complete a quest to make the antidote.
  3. Unexpected clues reveal a plot to kill the king. The party must go under cover to find the individual behind the assassination attempt before it’s too late.

Betrayal

  1. The party learns someone in their group is on a secret mission to do something very bad. None of them know who it is but they must find clues to figure it out.
  2. A member of the party has betrayed the others. The remaining members of the group pursues them to exact revenge. This is a great adventure to run when a player has left the group.
  3. A single individual from a group of evil monsters has “turned” and revealed to the party the location and plans of their former comrades. The party cooperates with that individual to foil the monsters’ evil plan.

Portal to Adventure

  1. The party discovers a magical portal that transports them to another plane or place. They must survive while they locate another portal to return.
  2. A strange portal has opened up in a wilderness near the party’s hometown. Evil and strange monsters have been seen in the area and it is suspected they are coming through the portal. The party must find the portal and find a way to destroy it.
  3. A powerful evil has been wreaking havoc in the area. It is too strong to face directly, but a sage has revealed a way to banish the creature back to its home plane through the use of a powerful artifact. The party must find and retrieve the artifact.

Visiting a Sacred Site

  1. The party must travel to a hard-to-reach location and visit the shaman or priest of a strange of god to get something blessed in order to fight some great evil.
  2. Deep within a long lost library is a tome that contains the incantation required to accomplish a valuable feat.
  3. One of the party members has died and only by visiting a holy site dedicated to that individual’s god can they be resurrected.

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