2/1/24, 17:34 donjon; Random Adventure Generator

donjon

Random Adventure Generator

Espionage
Theme
Espionage adventures are active, grim scenarios involving spying and perhaps other cloak-and-dagger deeds
such as assassination or rescue.

Gain Power
Goal
The heroes are on this adventure to gain personal or political power for themselves. They may be looking for an
artifact or weapon, or are performing a mission for someone who will reward them with political power (a
higher social rank or lands, for instance). If the characters are doing someone else's bidding, you might want to
roll again on this section to see what goal the patron will have assigned to the characters.

Grim Necessity
Story Hook
If the hero doesn't involve himself with this adventure, he's going to find himself suffering or dead -- period.
That's the hook to bring him into the adventure... but you have to determine why he'll suffer or die if he doesn't
become involved.

A-B-C Quest
Plot
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.

Scattered Duels
Climax
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.

On the Sea
General Setting
Most of the action occurs on the sea -- the heroes are shipborne for some reason, docking in lots of ports.
Again, this is good for adventures where the heroes are investigating clues left all over the map, are part of some
trading enterprise, or are being pursued by villains.

Military Encampment
Specific Setting I
This is best used in an episode involving warfare; it could be the good-guy army's encampment, from which the
heroes launch their adventures, or the villains' encampment, in which case the heroes might have to sneak in
on a mission or escape from it if they're captured.

Shacktown of the Oppressed

Specific Setting II
Part of the action centers around the tenements or shacks of the worst part of town; perhaps an allied NPC
lives here or the characters are fugitives hiding out in the nasty part of town.

Conqueror
Master Villain
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.

Lovable Rogue
Minor Villain I
This character is like the Master Villain of the same name, except that he has no minions of his own and serves
at someone else's bidding. However, he's very independent, not always working in his employer's best interests;
he often makes fun of the Master Villain's pretensions and may suffer that villain's retaliation because of it.

Inquisitor
Minor Villain II
This villain is the one who interrogates the heroes and NPCs captured by the villains. He accompanies the other
Minor Villain out into the field and works on anyone captured; he enjoys inflicting pain and suffering.

Grumpy Old Professional

Ally/Neutral
Again, the heroes need an expert in a certain field -- this time a craft or art, such as blacksmithing, engineering,
horse-training, or whatever. The only or best professional they can find is an aged expert. He's grumpy, cranky,
and sharp-tongued; he constantly complains about the food, the weather, his companions, the decline in skill
of his co-workers since he was a young man, the road conditions, the rotten pay he's receiving, and so on.

Stampede
Monster Encounter
Should the heroes ever cross plains or prairies, their villainous enemies may wish to stampede a herd of large
animals at them. Alternatively, beasts in the forest may be stampeded by fires set by the villains; in this case, it

https://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/adventure/ 1/2
2/1/24, 17:34 donjon; Random Adventure Generator
will not be one sort of animal charging through, but a mixture of terrified forest animals, from the smallest fox-
cub to the largest bear.

Thief
Character Encounter
At some point in their adventure, the heroes have a run-in with thieves.

Coliseum
Deathtrap
If it's appropriate, you can have the heroes captured by the local authorities -- particularly when they're in an
exotic land, lost world, or whatever -- and have them armed with gladiatorial gear and dropped into a coliseum
for the entertainment of the locals. (Note that this works much better with fighting-type heroes than
spellcasters.)

Water
Chase
Don't forget the water chase: Whether it's a battle of seamanship between naval vessels, a chase of rafts
toward the inevitable waterfall ahead, a contest of canoeing ability, or a chase between the villain and his giant
shark vs. the heroes and their dolphin friends, the water chase can be a distinctive and dramatic one.

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.

Element
Secret Weakness
The Master Villain can be banished, dispelled, killed, or otherwise defeated by some of element or item. The
Master Villain tries to get rid of all the examples of this element in his vicinity; he doesn't let his minions carry it
or bring it into his presence. But he's not stupid; he doesn't announce to the world what his weakness is. He
tries to hide his concern within another command. If he's allergic to red roses, for instance, he orders all
"things of beauty" destroyed within miles of his abode.

Magic Doesn't Work Right

Special Condition
If the adventure is taking place on an alternate plane, then that plane's magic works oddly or not at all. (A
spellcaster will find that just making himself useful is a challenge when none of his spells works.)

Respect Quandry
Moral Quandry
This is much like the Ally Quandry, only at a greater distance. The heroes have been utilizing the aid of two (or
more) powerful NPC allies. Now, in the course of the adventure, the heroes come across a task which can be
accomplished in one of two ways -- say, through military intervention or by esoteric magic. The problem is, the
NPC allies are arguing for different choices, and the one whom the heores choose against will no longer aid
them.

False Path to the Artifact

Red Herring
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.

Villain Accompanies Party

Cruel Trick
In this distressing situation, the Master Villain, in disguise or his secret identity, accompanies the heroes for
much of their quest. He gets to know them, learns their strengths and weaknesses, learns their plans, and just
as soon as it's most efficient for him, he thwarts their current plans and leaves. Alternatively, the Master Villain
might be with the heroes all along, up to the very end; the heroes know that one of their companions is the
villain, and the whole thrust of the story is finding out who he is. This is the whole purpose of most Mystery-
type adventures.

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

code Copyright © 2009-2022 drow

Some content used under the Open Gaming License

You encounter a wandering Privacy Policy

https://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/adventure/ 2/2