I'm on the verge of starting a (side) campaign with my usual players (they're looking for a bit of fun on the side - apart from our main quest, which can sometimes get a little (too?) gritty). So, they've rolled up some side characters (lvl 8) and I'm going to send them on a heist mission, basically.
They're going to run into a drunk dude who claims he's gotten kicked out of of a pocket dimension tavern by the name of The Hole in the World - kind of a neutral ground for mid- to high level characters and antagonists. And the only way he can get back in is, if the party steals something for him, a Sphere of Annihilation kept at Orogoth on the Sword Coast part of Faerûn. I'm probably gonna throw some underlings at the party; vampires and vampire spawn (and some dragon-related stuff), but other than that, I'm looking for all kinds of fun ideas to give them a challenging side quest while keeping it lighthearted and fun - basically recess from our serious main campaign.
For our group, we have a campaign open I have called "The Tavern of Heroes" Within, the players have 2-3 characters of various levels. When we want to do something "fun" I put on the DM hat, generate a random dungeon and run it. I use 2 tools for creating this, to make for a quick setup and go. Depending on how avidly the group pursues this task, it can be a one-shot, or a 3-4 session run. Quick to set up, easy to run (don't need a city/town/shops/NPC's etc) Makes for quick, easy fun AND allows an option for less experienced DM's to try their hand, in a basic, low-management run. Links below to the dungeon generating sites I use.
DunGen (just creates a dungeon map, you can use Encounter Builder or your own method to populate)
Well, a whole fun side campaign is going to be you “yes, and…”-ing the characters they come back with. If they understand the assignment, their whole concept will be a clue as to the direction they want to lean in.
Alternatively, you could pitch them on a group concept: Everyone makes a bard and you have a band. Everyone makes an aaracokra and they all hang out on the roof of a tavern. Whole different world where it’s only tabaxi, harengon, tortles, aaracokra, etc, and everything is cartoonishly violent with animal pun names…
Throw Kevin Roberts at them, he'll mess with their heads (I did this last week, and the interaction I felt was sucessful enough that he'll be a recurring presence, wandering in and out of the planes trying to get that donut, and. occasional date, and he may hold some truth that the game is actually a simulation, and I need to stat his friend who wants to hook him up with that donut, somewhere in the Wandering Emporium on Avernus, you too can get a suit like Kevin Roberts):
Keep your head in the game.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Yeah, that's the plan - "yes and.."-ing... We've already agreed they're a small mercenary party for hire to make everything as easy as possible. All three of them have made heavy combat-focused characters, so that's where everything will be going... interesting and challenging combat settings with some story thrown in. And that's where I could use some fun encounter ideas.
The premise is already a curve-ball; steal something very hard to steal from someone who is very dangerous to steal from... there are no rogues, no deliberatelt stealthy/infiltrator-y characters in the party, so I'm already anticipating a bunch of beef cakes bumbling through a heist scenario. :P
Howdy, DMs!
I'm on the verge of starting a (side) campaign with my usual players (they're looking for a bit of fun on the side - apart from our main quest, which can sometimes get a little (too?) gritty). So, they've rolled up some side characters (lvl 8) and I'm going to send them on a heist mission, basically.
They're going to run into a drunk dude who claims he's gotten kicked out of of a pocket dimension tavern by the name of The Hole in the World - kind of a neutral ground for mid- to high level characters and antagonists. And the only way he can get back in is, if the party steals something for him, a Sphere of Annihilation kept at Orogoth on the Sword Coast part of Faerûn. I'm probably gonna throw some underlings at the party; vampires and vampire spawn (and some dragon-related stuff), but other than that, I'm looking for all kinds of fun ideas to give them a challenging side quest while keeping it lighthearted and fun - basically recess from our serious main campaign.
So, any ideas? :)
/Michael
For our group, we have a campaign open I have called "The Tavern of Heroes" Within, the players have 2-3 characters of various levels. When we want to do something "fun" I put on the DM hat, generate a random dungeon and run it. I use 2 tools for creating this, to make for a quick setup and go. Depending on how avidly the group pursues this task, it can be a one-shot, or a 3-4 session run. Quick to set up, easy to run (don't need a city/town/shops/NPC's etc) Makes for quick, easy fun AND allows an option for less experienced DM's to try their hand, in a basic, low-management run. Links below to the dungeon generating sites I use.
DunGen (just creates a dungeon map, you can use Encounter Builder or your own method to populate)
donjon; 5e Random Dungeon Generator (bin.sh) (creates the map, layout, description and populates it entirely. Generate and GO!)
Talk to your Players. Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
Well, a whole fun side campaign is going to be you “yes, and…”-ing the characters they come back with. If they understand the assignment, their whole concept will be a clue as to the direction they want to lean in.
Alternatively, you could pitch them on a group concept: Everyone makes a bard and you have a band. Everyone makes an aaracokra and they all hang out on the roof of a tavern. Whole different world where it’s only tabaxi, harengon, tortles, aaracokra, etc, and everything is cartoonishly violent with animal pun names…
Throw Kevin Roberts at them, he'll mess with their heads (I did this last week, and the interaction I felt was sucessful enough that he'll be a recurring presence, wandering in and out of the planes trying to get that donut, and. occasional date, and he may hold some truth that the game is actually a simulation, and I need to stat his friend who wants to hook him up with that donut, somewhere in the Wandering Emporium on Avernus, you too can get a suit like Kevin Roberts):
Keep your head in the game.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Cool, thanks for the practical input, Falwith. :)
Yeah, that's the plan - "yes and.."-ing... We've already agreed they're a small mercenary party for hire to make everything as easy as possible. All three of them have made heavy combat-focused characters, so that's where everything will be going... interesting and challenging combat settings with some story thrown in. And that's where I could use some fun encounter ideas.
The premise is already a curve-ball; steal something very hard to steal from someone who is very dangerous to steal from... there are no rogues, no deliberatelt stealthy/infiltrator-y characters in the party, so I'm already anticipating a bunch of beef cakes bumbling through a heist scenario. :P
Thanks, TimCurtin.
Muahah! That's the tone we're aiming for at least... somethin' fun and weird. :) Thanks, MidnightPlat.