Would this be a good campaign/oneshot?

[TheHalfAasimar]

So I've been thinking lately about how to DM a short campaign (like two or three sessions), or if it would work better as a one-shot, but it's basically a Xanathar's Guide to Everything-themed adventure.

The story is that Xanathar has kidnapped you, and wants you to do some stuff for him, and in exchange? He won't eat or kill you. You're allowed to use any class from Xanathar's Guide, and you must include a half-elf, half-orc, or Tiefling in your backstory, if you aren't one, because you know, Xanathar wants to know everything, and on a certain page, it mentions parentage for one of those three races, just so you can mention a bit about them.

Basically, he asks you about your subclass, you/the character in your backstory (by the way, everyone starts at level 3), and then asks you to get some magic items for him. The magic items are a Staff of Smiles, a Cloak of Billowing and a Hat of Wizardry. Also, if you're a caster, your spell list must have at least 3 spells (if you even know that many) from Xanathar's Guide.

All in all, I want to make a Xanathar's-themed campaign, and also throw in some of the plot hooks and stuff. Does that sound interesting to any of you? And if it does, any tips? I'm going to try and throw in a combat encounter with some goblins or something from the Tome of Beasts III, and one of the creatures has a Hat of Wizardry so that they can cast basic spells and cantrips to fight the players. But just simple stuff, like the spell Frostbite or Ice Knife. It'd probably have 3 levels of, I don't know, Wizard, so I can explain how it has so many spells. The spells that it would have prepared would probably be the following:
Cantrips: Frostbite, Infestation, Thunderclap
1st level: Earth Tremor, Ice Knife, Absorb Elements
2nd level: Shadow blade, Skywrite

[JLandan]

Personally, I wouldn't be interested. It's heavily reliant on metagame knowledge, which I try to avoid while DMing and playing. It also seems gimmicky. Xanathar's Guide isn't really a setting so much as a splat book.

However, the concept of Big X kidnapping and questing the PCs is good. Xanathar is nuts, so make the quest nuts and fun. He should wear a bandit mask over his one big eye to disguise himself so the PCs don't recognize him, though that obviously cannot work. The quest items should seem useless to Xanathar, but he says he needs them desperately and cannot trust his regular crew. Paranoia can be fun.

[Mindflayer_Inc]

Personally, I wouldn't be interested. It's heavily reliant on metagame knowledge, which I try to avoid while DMing and playing. It also seems gimmicky. Xanathar's Guide isn't really a setting so much as a splat book.

However, the concept of Big X kidnapping and questing the PCs is good. Xanathar is nuts, so make the quest nuts and fun. He should wear a bandit mask over his one big eye to disguise himself so the PCs don't recognize him, though that obviously cannot work. The quest items should seem useless to Xanathar, but he says he needs them desperately and cannot trust his regular crew. Paranoia can be fun.

Ran a game where the first battle (level 1 PCs) where against a group of like CR 15 enemies.

Totally destroyed all of them.

The party wakes up and a deity is basically all "yo, y'all have to do something for me or the Living Gate will be made whole...I know you mortals don't understand why that is bad but there's like a whole prophecy involving you 4". Thing is, the deity kinda screwed up because the prophecy didn't take into account said deity to abduct them... Yeah some other deities are pissed.

I really need to find that campaign's notes.

Abducting PCs can be fun.

[lall]

I wouldn’t like being limited to Xanathar’s. I don’t really get the three race/parent thing. I wouldn’t want to have at least three spells from Xanathar’s. It doesn’t sound interesting. I’d probably be looking for a way to commit suicide and hope Mom brings me back.I would take a small degree of pleasure in either ignoring his existence or making fun of him, not sure which.

[TheHalfAasimar]

Personally, I wouldn't be interested. It's heavily reliant on metagame knowledge, which I try to avoid while DMing and playing. It also seems gimmicky. Xanathar's Guide isn't really a setting so much as a splat book.

However, the concept of Big X kidnapping and questing the PCs is good. Xanathar is nuts, so make the quest nuts and fun. He should wear a bandit mask over his one big eye to disguise himself so the PCs don't recognize him, though that obviously cannot work. The quest items should seem useless to Xanathar, but he says he needs them desperately and cannot trust his regular crew. Paranoia can be fun.

Okay, I see your point in the metagame knowledge. Thanks for the advice!


I wouldn’t like being limited to Xanathar’s. I don’t really get the three race/parent thing. I wouldn’t want to have at least three spells from Xanathar’s. It doesn’t sound interesting. I’d probably be looking for a way to commit suicide and hope Mom brings me back.I would take a small degree of pleasure in either ignoring his existence or making fun of him, not sure which.

Okay, I see your point there. Thanks!


Ran a game where the first battle (level 1 PCs) where against a group of like CR 15 enemies.

Totally destroyed all of them.

The party wakes up and a deity is basically all "yo, y'all have to do something for me or the Living Gate will be made whole...I know you mortals don't understand why that is bad but there's like a whole prophecy involving you 4". Thing is, the deity kinda screwed up because the prophecy didn't take into account said deity to abduct them... Yeah some other deities are pissed.

I really need to find that campaign's notes.

Abducting PCs can be fun.

Ah, I see. Yeah, that does sound fun!

Thanks for the advice! I will make note of it.