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Another_Poet
2010-04-16, 02:23 PM
Okay everybody. I've agreed to run a one-shot on Sunday for a friend who won't have time to run his normal game. The group plays a variety of D&D esque games. Don't worry about class, level, or rule system as I will choose those based on the adventure idea.

Here is the problem... I need a premise. I don't mean go kill the goblins, I want something unique and cool! Something with a clear goal and the option for a dramatic finale so that it's a satisfying one-session game. I can easily throw together the encounters for it and yoink a few maps from other games. But help me out...

Share a one-shot fantasy adventure premise with me!!

Starbuck_II
2010-04-16, 02:26 PM
A one eyed purple people eater has appeared. It is eating all the purple people. The townsfolk had been cursed to all be purple in a town (curse by a Hag Coven).
Image:
http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.911325.2.flat,550x550,075,f.one-eyed-one-horned-flying-purple-people-eater.jpg

Kylarra
2010-04-16, 02:29 PM
There is a 10x10 room and an orc guarding a pie...

arguskos
2010-04-16, 02:30 PM
One of these guys (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146964) appears, and starts challenging people to fights. Stop it.

Alternatively, the Golden Army (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86344) appears and starts jacking up a town. Do something about it.

Note: I just wanted to suggest my own material. :smallbiggrin: Feel free to ignore/deride me. :smalltongue:

WarKitty
2010-04-16, 02:36 PM
Hijack their dreams. Dump them into some alternate plane with an outsider who needs a favor (generally something fetched) from somewhere he can't get to. Maybe even clear it with the normal dm so they can get a few cool things to take back to their regular characters.

Cyrion
2010-04-16, 02:37 PM
Extra-dimensional spaces have begun to....leak....

The party has heard of a wizard who vanished from inside his own rope trick. He was simply gone when the rest of his companions woke up. Then the party notices that there are bulges pushing into their portable hole/bag of holding/rope trick, as if something was trying to push its way in.

sofawall
2010-04-16, 02:44 PM
Note: I just wanted to suggest my own material. :smallbiggrin: Feel free to ignore/deride me. :smalltongue:

I am deriding you! Wait, what's that, you say? I can't hear you, nyah nyah nyah! :smalltongue:


BEEP.

arguskos
2010-04-16, 02:46 PM
I am deriding you! Wait, what's that, you say? I can't hear you, nyah nyah nyah! :smalltongue:


BEEP.
Love you too, you damned robot bastard!! :smallfurious::smallwink:

Dr Bwaa
2010-04-16, 02:58 PM
Extra-dimensional spaces have begun to....leak....

The party has heard of a wizard who vanished from inside his own rope trick. He was simply gone when the rest of his companions woke up. Then the party notices that there are bulges pushing into their portable hole/bag of holding/rope trick, as if something was trying to push its way in.

I like this a lot.

Contribution: Kobold Paladins of Tyrrany arrive in town, threatening to enslave the population. Resistance is met with the Kobolds trampling through the village destroying anyone who dares leave their homes--by running them down on their Gelatinous Cube mounts (via Amulet of Ooze Riding).

JonestheSpy
2010-04-16, 03:34 PM
Here is the problem... I need a premise. I don't mean go kill the goblins, I want something unique and cool!

Well, it's not unique, but I think you could great a great one-shot from playing a goblin village having to defend itself from an impending adventurer attack.

Another_Poet
2010-04-17, 03:33 PM
Thanks guys!

Dust
2010-04-17, 05:57 PM
Did this oneshot a week ago, hopefully it's not too late for you to snag some ideas from it.


The party/hero is looking for work in a small town, governed by a magocracy - that is, it is ruled by a wizard or council of spellcasters. The heroes are called by one of the ruling mages themself for a job - it seems that they had an item snatched from one of their storehouses that they need retrieved. It's a rather powerful little item, capable of creating a direct planar rift between this world and the Plane of Water.
Normally such relics wouldn't be left lying around so casually, but this storehouse was rather well-protected both physically and with magical locks.

The thief, it turns out, was the local Ethereal Filcher. It is known as 'Filchy' to the local children, who often toss shiny coins and dinnerware at the creature when they catch sight of in in the town's back alleyways.

The wizard would go himself, but the upcoming annual festival requires him to make an appearance.

The first part of the adventure consists of information gathering to find out WHERE the filcher makes its home. There's apparantly an our smuggler's hideaway not far from town, including lots of secret entrances. In my campaign, the players ended up crawling down an old, abandoned well blocked off midway with spiderwebs.

They encounter the Filcher and his huge stash of mostly-worthless but-always-shiny loot, retrieve the item after a brief, teleport-filled skirmish, and return to town. During the battle, the item is damaged and sustains a nasty crack.

The party hurries back to town, but it's not going to end well - water begins pouring out from the crack on the object, flowing like a river by the time they re-arrive at town. They might even have to deal with an octopus-like tentacle feeling around and batting at the PCs faces as they run.
With all the townsfolk gathered in the square for the festival, the situation becomes much more dangerous when the item finally explodes and rips open a rift between the dimensions. Incredible amounts of water and aquatic beasties pour out of the rift, and the group must battle a variety of wierd monsters in the now-submerged city while the wizards struggle to close the gate.