Adventure

Hooks

Volume III
 Adventure Hooks
Volume III

d66 Tables for Fantasy Roleplaying Games

A
If you’re a roleplaying game referee, you know that sometimes it’s hard to get
players invested in games. RPGs are about story. Just as a novel author
needs to hook the reader into the plot in the first few pages, your game
needs a strong hook to interest players (and you, for that matter!) in
the story you want to create together. This book is intended to help that
process.
RPG referees (GM, DM, ST, whatever you call yourself) can use the hooks in this book as
creative prompts to flesh out complete adventures. Or if you like improv, roll d66 (more
on that below), choose that hook, and start winging it!
These hooks are fantasy, but the vast majority are usable in multiple genres. Have fun!

Using d66
To generate a d66 result, roll two different six-sided dice. One is tens, the other ones. It’s
like percentile dice, but with six-siders. For example, if the “tens” die comes up 3 and the
“ones” die comes up 4, your result is 34.

Patreon
This book exists thanks to our supporters on Patreon. In fact, if you were our supporter
you’d have gotten this book for free long before you could get it elsewhere! Patrons get
early access to our work. You also get exclusive goodies for your games, like magic items
and NPCs, as well as worldbuilding advice and other stuff.

Credits
Design: R P Davis
Editing: K A McGann
Executive Producers: Angela Reese & Robin Williams
Cover Image by darksouls1 via Pixabay
Interior Art: Bob Greyvenstein; Some artwork © Grim Press, used with permission. All
rights reserved; Some artwork © 2016 Christina Stiles Presents, used with permission. All
rights reserved; Nathanaël Roux & Barkalot Designs
©2022 Kabouter Games - All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without express prior permission in
writing from Kabouter Games or as permitted by law.
Any resemblance or similarity between characters or situations described in this book, and persons living or dead, or any situations in real life, is purely coincidental and completely unintentional.

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 11. The kingdom (duchy, barony,
republic, etc.) has been taken over by a
narcissistic autocrat. Tyranny reigns. The
adventurers are discreetly recruited by a
powerful rival to overthrow the Fearless
Leader. But at what cost?
12. One of the adventurers accidentally
leaves a very personal item in a public
place, like a tavern or bookshop. A few
days later, they find it in their lodgings,
accompanied by a note that reads: “You’re
exactly who we need.” A meeting and
location are specified.
13. That house the adventurers bought?
It’s already inhabited. The ghosts are
fairly harmless. They like giving advice,
and leaving little gifts around. They
guard the place when the party is off on
adventures. But now they want something
in return: Vengeance.
14. A new tea shop opens. The tea is
outstanding, delicious and aromatic.
Unfortunately, some people who drink
it see visions of a terrifying future. The
prophets have nothing in common other
than drinking the same tea, and their
vision is horribly uniform.
15. The adventurers are approached by a
regular patron with an easy and lucrative
mission. Before they can begin, they get
a message from another patron urging
them to decline; the first patron is setting
them up to take the fall — or worse — for a
dastardly crime. Who’s telling the truth?
16. Traveling through the wilderness,
the adventurers set up camp in a grove
of trees. The next morning, beyond the
ring of trees there’s ... nothing. Gray mist.
Trying to walk through it just makes
them walk back into the grove from a
different direction.
21. As thanks for completing a dangerous
quest, the adventurers are given the job of
guarding the local ruler. It ought to be an
easy job; the person is popular and in no
overt outside danger. But they’re secretly
an adrenaline junkie who engages in all
manner of suicidal activities — and the
party have to keep them safe, whole, and
able to govern.
22. Traveling in the forest, the
adventurers meet an adorable, tiny
iridescent dragon, complete with wee
flaming breath. It bonds with them,
performing tricks. Of course they adopt
it. A few weeks later, however, it matures.
From then on, whenever a party member
casts a spell or uses a magical ability, the
tiny dragon clones itself.
23. While a guest at a high-society ball
in a wealthy noble’s mansion, one of
the adventurers is accosted by a flower
arrangement. The whispering orchids
warn of a terrible secret.
24. Legend says the dread pirate
Black Angie hid a fabulous hoard of
treasure. There’s even a map! While
the adventurers walk along the beach
searching for it, Black Angie’s ghostly
galleon sails into the same cove — and
Black Angie doesn’t take well to thieves.
25. The adventurers are exploring
the tomb of a long-dead adventurer
who notoriously failed to complete an
important quest. Behind his sarcophagus
is a mural telling the tale. The adventurers
are sucked into the painting, and to get
out again, they have to complete the
quest he failed.
26. A small child important to the
adventurers proudly tells them she knows
how to get to the Land of Cake. The Land
of Cake is very real, and she can prove
it: she opens a gate to it and takes them
shere. The trouble is King Blancmange
doesn’t like grownups at all, and sends his
Cupcake Knights to capture and kill them.
31. The Old Gods have returned. The
trouble is the Old Gods are petty,
vindictive, and stupid. And they walk the
earth like mortals, nosing into everyone’s
business. For generations, folks have paid
lip service to the gods. Now people are
being hacked to pieces or burned at the
stake. Someone has to put a stop to it!
32. Peculiar things have been happening
at concerts given by an up-and-coming
young bard — at least one member of
the audience spontaneously combusts,
writhing in screaming agony until
reduced to ash. But that’s not the weird
part. The weird part is the victim wakes
the next morning in their own bed,
perfectly healthy, with no memory of
what happened. What the Nine Hells
is going on?
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 33. People who have died in the last
decade have begun to rise from their
graves. Most are no more than skeletons.
They're not evil, though; all they want is
to pick up where they left off, as though
they never died.
34. Something happened to Sophie
Snapdragon’s prize herd of cows. They've
grown to giant size overnight! The
problem is they're desperate for milking
and they’re stampeding, destroying not
just Sophie’s barn but other farms in the
area. Sophie barely escaped with her life.
35. A new dungeon has been discovered
nearby, the ancient stone walls covered in
carved runes from a dead language no one
can speak or read. At least, until a small
boy in a nearby town begins scratching
the same runes into his own home.
36. Last week a few dwarves came
down from their mountain halls seeking
refuge in the city. That’s not unusual.
But over the next few days many more
arrived, saying a fiery demon has taken
up residence in their mines. Some want to
help the dwarves. Others feel the refugees
can find somewhere else to go.
41. A large unit of soldiers has marched
into town, looking for a place to rest and
relax for a bit before they go back to the
front. The trouble is the war they say
they’re fighting ended a century ago. The
soldiers aren’t ghosts; they’re real flesh
and blood. What happened?
42. The adventurers come back to
town from a dungeon crawl, but as they
walk into the inn where they keep their
lodgings, the look on the innkeeper’s
face is one of stunned disbelief. She says,
“But...but...you all just went upstairs not
five minutes ago.” The scullery maid
swears one of the adventurers snapped an
order at her for hot bathwater.
43. Speaking of weird happenings at the
inn, the adventurers are awakened by the
innkeeper, who is pale and trembling. He
leads them to a large, corroded metal door
in the basement wall. He swears it wasn’t
there yesterday, even though it looks like
it’s been there for generations. There’s a
foul smell coming from behind it...
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44. While on another quest, the
adventurers encounter a room full of
notes, diagrams, and dossiers ... about
them. Nobody’s in the room, but it’s been
well used; all their activities are recorded,
even those as recent as last week. Their
most closely-held secrets are revealed in
the dossiers.
45. Walking across the city, the
adventurers hear shouts from a nearby
alley. Therein, a shirtless elf is calmly
poised in a well-practiced combat
stance, rapier on guard. He’s surrounded
by people known or friendly to the
adventurers — Watch officers or members
of the Thieves’ Guild, perhaps. Who is
threatening who?
46. A disease is spreading from
somewhere deep in the forest. Plants
are dying and animals are maddened
to savagery. Unless something is done
quickly, the blight will soon reach the
farms that feed the city where the
adventurers live. There’s a druid who lives
in the mountains in the other direction;
maybe she has the answer.
51. The inn where the adventurers have
their lodgings has a new guest — a ghost!
The landlord is furious, however, for the
haunt has frightened off Lord Prenderby
and his retinue, who were staying for
the festival next weekend. All that gold,
gone! All that word-of-mouth advertising,
up in smoke! Surely such experienced
adventurers can rid the place of the
phantasm. All they need to do is find
her bones...
52. Peg-Leg Pete spins a yarn about a
hoard of pirate treasure. He was on Black
Bart’s crew, after all. Pete reckons he can
navigate to the archipelago where it’s
buried. He has a dinghy full of troubles,
though: First, the island is protected by
sharks of uncanny intelligence (hence
the peg leg), and second his tale has
reached the ears of other interested
parties who want what’s in Pete’s head.
Whether or not he’s alive to reveal it is
immaterial to them.
53. A thief sold a small gilded statue to
the pawnbroker who usually buys the
adventurers’ dungeon loot. He tossed it
on a dusty shelf and forgot about it. That
offended the petty godling that lives in the
idol. To make matters worse, the party’s
cleric worships the god’s most hated
enemy. The next time the adventurers
arrive to sell off loot, all heck breaks loose.
54. One of the adventurers has
contracted a deadly disease that doesn’t
respond to normal or magical healing.
It’s killing them, and their time is
drawing nigh. The only lead to a cure is a
powerful but reclusive elvish healer who
lives deep in the northern wilderness.
Her misanthropy runs so deep that
she isn’t interested in helping people
for any amount of money. But she has
a little task the adventurers can do in
exchange for a cure.
55. An archery contest is being held in
the city. At stake is a staggering prize pot
(whatever amount of gold tempts your
players), as well as favors from powerful
stakeholders. Someone tried to poison
Preston Arrias, the local favorite to win.
Then someone else (or the same person)
tried to run a cart over him. Arrias’s
backers want to hire the adventurers as
bodyguards. Alternatively, one of the
adventurers might enter; her reputation
means she’s the target for nobbling.
56. A group of scholars from the city’s
university mounted an expedition to a
temple the adventurers discovered. The
expedition recovered an ancient book.
Before they could translate it, every
single member of the expedition was
killed, except for Professor Qualen, who
was kidnapped. The book remains at the
university under heavy guard. What’s so
important about that book?
61. The adventurers have arrived at a
village. The villagers are quick to welcome
them, feasting them with food, drink, and
a roaring bonfire. At nightfall, a dense
fog rolls in, surrounding the village. The
villagers begin to arm themselves as
unearthly shrieks echo out of the mist.
The mayor, Dael Anwen, apologizes for
the trick but explains how desperately
the villagers need help. The shriekers are
the restless dead, risen from the barrow-
fields away west.
62. The city’s Worshipful Guild of
Brewers is having a brewfest! They’ve
invited popular brewers from across the
land. The day before the fest is to begin,
the Guildmaster is worried; the dwarven
caravan from Sapphire Fermentery is
several days overdue. Someone has to
search the road toward the mountains and
see what happened.
63. Widow Adriana has died, and her
relatives were cleaning out her home
when they found a strange and grotesque
painting, covered with a black veil, of
a thin man with a long, pointy nose.
They removed the veil, but the painting
was stuck on the wall with something a
crowbar wouldn’t even shift. That same
night, a rich city merchant was murdered.
The merchant’s butler says he saw a thin
man with a long, pointy nose fleeing the
scene of the crime.
64. The adventurers are flagged down
by a soaking wet boy who begs them for
help. He leads them to a nearby pond
and dives under, leading everyone to
an underground cave. The boy says his
friend Shad disappeared while they were
exploring the cave. The cave wall has
three names carved into it. Shad Taylor,
Laurelia Scoy, and Mariana Mattock.
Investigation reveals Laurelia disappeared
five years ago, and Mariana five years
before that. The caves lead to a parallel
world or dimension where all three are
alive and well, but much, much older than
they should be.
65. While perusing a local shop, one of
the adventurers is drawn to an old, rusty
sword. It feels familiar in their hand, and
that character’s name is engraved on the
blade. The character has no memory of
the sword, and the elderly shopkeeper
swears the sword has been in this shop for
as long as he can remember. Investigation
reveals the character had an ancestor of
the same name who was a famous duellist.
66. The adventurers are crossing the
sea. Aboard is the party; a nobleman with
his wife and beautiful young debutante
daughter, a handsome rake, the captain
and crew, a well-known but retired
adventurer, and a famous detective.
One morning, the nobleman is found
murdered. A party member was the last to
see him alive. It’s up to you whodunnit.
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