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View Full Version : Help me improvise a dnd game--urgent



Cookiemobsta
2011-04-19, 04:28 PM
Hi all,

So in a few hours I'm going to be DMing a dnd game. I have no time to prepare between now and then (since my time is fully committed already.) So I'm going to improvise the entire thing. This is not as much of a problem as it might be, since I generally have an off-the-cuff DMing style, but I need some kind of situation to improvise around.

With that in mind, I am calling out to the GitP community--help me improvise my game! If you can throw different ideas out, I can draw from your pool ideas on the fly to make a fun game. Here's essentially what I need from you as improv fuel:

-Simple, open-ended plot hooks. Elaborate political intrigue is bad, as is the dungeon of 7000 floors in which each floor needs to be planned out. Plot hooks that encourage the PCs to have a creative response is good. This doesn't need to be long--if it resolves in one hour, that's awesome

-Interesting characters that can be easily communicated. Someone with a convoluted backstory is no good. A dapper orc rogue with his halfling "muscle" is great.

-Dungeon encounters. Traps, puzzles, rooms, etc; just things that I can throw at the party when they enter a dungeon. If the party might find it in a dungeon, let me know. Bear in mind that I prefer resolutions that can be had outside of dice rolling; I'd rather have a puzzle that's solved by the party thinking it through rather than a high skill check.

-Fun magic items. Stat boosts are boring; items that give magical abilities are fun. For instance, a magic bridle that allows you to communicate with horses.

-Anything else you think might be interesting for me to throw into the session!

Thanks guys :)

Odin the Ignoble
2011-04-19, 04:41 PM
Oh, look here. With a little works some of these could be fleshed out for a game.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191844

LansXero
2011-04-19, 04:44 PM
Simple, open-ended plot hooks.

A nearby village has dropped off the grid a few days ago. They arent the most talkative type most of the time, but there is usually a couple of people coming to <Town> to barter for tools and whatnot, and the past few nights there were no lights over at where <Village> is. Anything (from zombies to raiders to evil cults to a dragon returning to an abandoned lair) could be behind it, and it gets to be a bit spooky. Dont even need to get into the whole of it at first, just explore around and get jumped by scavengers. Drop clues as you see fit.


-Interesting characters that can be easily communicated. Someone with a convoluted backstory is no good. A dapper orc rogue with his halfling "muscle" is great.

Adam the Farmboy, he is returning from war and wants to go home, and when he learns "home" hasnt reported back in days rushes off to find out why. He is basically nothing but a big, kind brute. Fighter or Warrior would do.

Liena the elf. Typical snobby elf, <Village> is full of lumberjacks and theyve ran into trouble with the elves, so Liena has been stalking them for a while. Found when they head to <Village>, gets blamed.

A random beggar in the road, destitute and poor; if the PCs feed him he will teach them a happy tune and jig. The tune is the favorite of an old hag who nests above <Village> (used to be the signature song of a cute bard she once ate) and gets her attention / a reward.


Dungeon encounters. Traps, puzzles, rooms, etc; just things that I can throw at the party when they enter a dungeon. If the party might find it in a dungeon, let me know. Bear in mind that I prefer resolutions that can be had outside of dice rolling; I'd rather have a puzzle that's solved by the party thinking it through rather than a high skill check.

Ettin boss. Can be defeated the straight-forward way (not advisable) but his heads tend to bicker a lot and argue; also has a hard time telling left from right. Hint at it from the start of the crawl and the PCs can use that to their advantage.

A small pond in the middle of a circular room full of flowers. Seems like nothing, if people investigate they see a small child in the bottom, crying. Its an illusion, there is a big three eyed monster in there. Who is a pretty nice guy, all things considered, but hungry, so he uses the drowned girl angle to get food and shinies; if they dont kill him he gives them shinies :D

A reverse noise trap: The wizard who set up the dungeon knows his ettin and other brutes are loud and hump around a lot. So the doors with magic seals on them activate when they are silently and carefully oipened.


Fun magic items. Stat boosts are boring; items that give magical abilities are fun. For instance, a magic bridle that allows you to communicate with horses.

Dont overdo it, it may backfire (PCs sometimes have trouble remembering all the abilities they can squeeze off their items).

From an old tale:
- A deck of cards that always wins, X times a day.
- A sack where animals or people will go if commanded (type I bag of holding, will save DC 15? 12?)
- A glass with water that if you see through it you can see Death near sick people; if its at their head the person is about to die; if its at their feet Death can be scared off with a splash of water from the glass.
- A devil's (imp?) severed foot, enchanted with one service in favor of the wielder.


Thanks guys :)

Sorry Im not particularlt inspired today.

Bang!
2011-04-19, 04:45 PM
Cliche plot: Someone in town is a monster! Panicking villagers, suspicions, blah blah blah.

The twist: Were-Trout! Or beavers. Or muskrats. Or something else silly.

The double-twist: You go way over the top in making them terrifying. Play up all the stereotypical horror scenes - the single claw scratching along the wall of the building where the villagers are clustered, various body parts disembodied in the entryways to dark buildings which should really not be disembodied, gross-out body horror. Bonus points if you make the monsters way too tough for the party to fight. Shatter the modern-D&D paradigm.

Dark Herald
2011-04-19, 05:03 PM
Literal Sandbox: Desert game.
Mountains in one direction, a river in the other, plenty of low cliffs and small oasis plurals to hide bandits and monsters. Tell them there's hidden treasure.

Have random encounters spring up until the second to last one, which points to the last one. The last one is guarding/stealing the treasure, and the Heroes fight them for it.

Get some kind of theme going with the encounters, and it will seem like you planned the whole thing.

jebob
2011-04-19, 05:40 PM
If you know you players play Dwarf Fortress, send them up against a Carp.

Anxe
2011-04-19, 06:44 PM
Orcs have attacked a village and run away with some captives that they think will be particularly delicious. The PCs must rescue them. Draw some squiggles on a piece of paper for the orc cave. Throw some orcs in there. Maybe a kennel of worgs. A prison for the captured villagers. Remember to include the Orc women and orc babies. The orc leader is a 2nd level sorcerer. If the players are getting pressed you can have an NPC elf show up to save them. The DMPC needs to rescue a specific captured villager who could be vital to saving the world from some evil threat.

Might be more indepth than you wanted, but Orcs kidnapped something works pretty well with minimal input on your part. You can throw in some 10ft pit traps too if you like.

Cookiemobsta
2011-04-20, 09:27 AM
Thanks guys! I ran the session last night and it worked great, thanks to all of your help :) I appreciate all of your suggestions.

Anxe
2011-04-20, 09:47 AM
You're welcome, but whose suggestions did you use? :cool:

Squiggles
2011-04-20, 09:47 PM
Cliche plot: Someone in town is a monster! Panicking villagers, suspicions, blah blah blah.

The twist: Were-Trout! Or beavers. Or muskrats. Or something else silly.

The double-twist: You go way over the top in making them terrifying. Play up all the stereotypical horror scenes - the single claw scratching along the wall of the building where the villagers are clustered, various body parts disembodied in the entryways to dark buildings which should really not be disembodied, gross-out body horror. Bonus points if you make the monsters way too tough for the party to fight. Shatter the modern-D&D paradigm.

It's funny, I just managed to use to squeeze a Were-Manatee into my campaign as the PC's managed to foil my pirate raiders.