As title tells I’m a new dm (been playing Dnd for 3 years only ever been a player) I need help with an idea with my campaign! I am running curse of Strahd with a group of 4 and I’m making it as secretive as possible they don’t know what class any of the players are and they don’t know where or how or why they’ve been teleported to Barovia. The campaign is built on trusting those who you don’t know and building a relationship. In saying this I’ve given 2 I’ve my players who I’ve notified fed playing don’t struggle as much with RP as much as the other 2 specific alignments they have to make a character around one being lawful Good and one being chaotic evil. I feel this is good because it forces the group to divide at some point. Anyway getting carried away my question is to do with the chaotic evil character and on of the normal guys that I have assigned anything to. The chaotic evil guy (Zalither) is playing a warlock and his patron is Zargon. Zalither has been given special orders to hide himself within the group and at the end kill strand and claim his throne in Zargons name to bring death and misery to the land like strahd has (but worse). The other character is a gunslinger (Grom) who fights monsters with his family but one day his mother tragically dies by a random figure who is unknown to him. My question is should I make the figure zargon or connect it to strahd. I thought of an idea that Grom made packet with zargon to free her from something( don’t know what yet) and zargon came to collect her debt (her life). I then feel bad because it feels like I’m taking a lot away from strahd and I know he’s such a cool Villain. Anyway was hoping for some ideas or what sounds better narratively.
Ok, so you've got one evil character who wants to replace Strahd and be worse, in the name of Zargon, and you've got a lawful good character whose mother was killed by a mysterious entity.
I am unsure whether you are planning to end this campaign with PVP, but if the party turns on the warlock, the warlock will almost certainly die.
I would have it that the Warlock thinks they will get the throne, but then Zargon will place one of his effigies there, thus betraying the Warlock. This means that the party will, as a whole, try to stop them. This would also be a good time to have the Good player recognise the figure on the throne as the one who killed his mother, making it a revenge battle. Alternatively, have Zargon taunt in such a way as to reveal it, like "I'll give you this, you're harder to kill than your mother".
To the OP, do you intend to actually finish the campaign? Because it sounds like you are setting it up deliberately to have the party disintegrate and the campaign to end without getting to a satisfying conclusion. Encouraging PvP is a terrible idea, most DMs explicitly forbid PvP because it so very often leads to hurt feelings and the players quitting the campaign. Even without PvP if the player characters are too much at odds with each other the campaign just stalls out as they keep infighting and arguing, or eventually one or more players ask to change their character so the party can get along.
Note that D&D is a collaborative role playing game, it is largely based on improvisation. The players are going to do what the players are going to do, you cannot control it, and it's not your job to control it. You just need to give them stuff to do and a reason to do it.
"Help me create a Dungeons and Dragons adventure for [Number of Players]. The setting starts in [Choose a setting] where the players will begin gathering clues for the adventure that you choose. Use Italics for "read aloud" content. Come up with fun, unique and engaging content of your choice while following this simple progression.
ACT 1: Create 3 NPC's for the players to potentially engage with. They can will have a unique perspective on the adventure you create and should all have clues to reveal about the following acts. The NPCs should be guiding the players to a minor combat encounter that will enter the party into ACT 2.
ACT 2. After vanquishing the minor combat encounter, the players should find a small treasure that will need to be brought to an NPC not yet known. After giving this NPC the small treasure, the NPC will provide the player with a key in return and provide clues to where the key can be used. There will be a minor combat encounter guarding the location and upon success, will lead to the final act.
ACT 3. This final act will contain surprises that you reveal and a final boss will drop an item of magical value, an item of sentimental value and an item only valuable in the next adventure that you will elude to."
Use for ideas or if you're really lazy... just enjoy the adventure:
Adventure Setting: Number of Players: Up to you! Setting: The Misty Cove of Galloway - a fog-laden coastal village nestled between steep cliffs and dark forests. The villagers are suspicious yet resilient, having withstood ages of eerie legends and mysterious disappearances. The adventure begins with the players arriving in the village just after sunset, the last of the fishing boats docking under a blood-red sky.
ACT 1: The Gathering Clues
Read aloud:“The village of Galloway is eerily quiet as you arrive, the mist curling around the buildings like ghostly fingers. A few villagers eye you warily from their windows, whispering among themselves. Somewhere in the distance, you hear the cawing of crows and the creak of a sign swinging in the breeze. It reads: “The Fisher’s Tale Inn.”
The players have arrived on the eve of the annual “Hallowed Tide” celebration, during which the villagers perform a ceremony to honor an ancient sea god rumored to protect their shores from a creature lurking in the depths. However, rumors are circling that something has disrupted the god’s protection, and strange occurrences have started around the village, including missing people, strange marks on the docks, and eerie sounds from the old lighthouse.
NPCs
Mira Underbrook - The Innkeeper Read aloud: “Welcome to The Fisher’s Tale Inn. I’m Mira, the keeper of this humble establishment. It’s rare we see strangers here, especially so close to the Hallowed Tide…” Mira is a shrewd, no-nonsense woman in her forties with a silver streak in her hair. She’s heard unsettling sounds coming from the lighthouse and believes the players might be the ones to investigate what’s going on. She reveals that one of the fishermen, Torben, recently went missing after saying he’d “find proof of the old god’s wrath.”
Old Gerrod - The Fisherman Read aloud: “Ah, ye think ye know somethin’ ’bout the sea, eh? The ocean here… she ain’t like no other. She’s hungry. And lately, she’s been thirstin’ fer somethin’ fierce…” Gerrod is an elderly fisherman who claims to have seen “something” slithering in the waters at night. He’ll tell the players about strange symbols drawn in seaweed on the docks and mentions that the lighthouse keeper, Alaric, may have answers. He gives the players a rough sketch of one symbol.
Vespera - The Fortune Teller Read aloud: “The tide is restless… it calls for a reckoning, a cycle that must be completed. You, strangers… you are the ones who might unravel the depths…” Vespera is the village fortune-teller, clad in shawls and beads, who runs a small tent at the edge of the village. She cryptically warns the players of a “cycle of three,” the Hallowed Tide, and the hidden curse that binds Galloway to the sea. She directs them to the cliffs, where she says “the first step in the path to understanding lies.”
Combat Encounter: The Cave of Whispers
The cliffs lead to a hidden cave marked by the symbols Gerrod mentioned. As the players explore the cave, they are ambushed by Salt Wraiths—restless spirits of those lost to the sea, manifesting in misty, translucent forms. After defeating them, they find a small coral-encrusted medallion hidden in the sand, hinting at a deeper mystery.
ACT 2: The Treasure and the Key
The medallion is the key to progressing further. The players discover it has faint carvings and an unsettling aura, implying its importance. Returning to the village, they encounter a new NPC.
NPC: Alaric, The Lighthouse Keeper
Read aloud: “The medallion… so it has surfaced again. It’s a symbol of the old god, an artifact of sacrifice. You’ve found it, which means… the cycle may yet be broken.” Alaric is a brooding, grizzled figure, rumored to be the only one brave enough to stay in the lighthouse alone. He reluctantly tells the players that the medallion is a remnant from an ancient ritual used to call forth the protection of the sea god. As thanks for bringing him the medallion, he gifts them a brass key with a shell motif on its handle and instructs them to head to the Hidden Cove.
Minor Combat Encounter: The Shore Guardians
As the players arrive at the Hidden Cove, they’re attacked by Coral Crabs—giant crustaceans with shells covered in barnacles and embedded gems. Defeating them grants the players access to a stone door that the key unlocks, leading them deeper into the mysteries of Galloway.
ACT 3: The Final Confrontation
Entering through the stone door, the players descend into the ruins of an ancient temple beneath the cove. Here, they find evidence of the villagers’ pact with the sea god, including remnants of ancient offerings and faded murals depicting a terrifying sea creature. As they explore further, they hear an ominous rumble, signaling the awakening of the guardian.
Final Boss: The Tidecaller Leviathan
The players face the Tidecaller Leviathan, a massive, serpentine creature with scales that shimmer like the ocean at dawn. It wields powerful water-based magic, summoning waves and controlling tendrils of seaweed to ensnare players. It is the final remnant of the sea god’s wrath, bound to guard the village in the case of ritual failure. The players must use their wits and agility to navigate the flooded, collapsing temple as they battle the Leviathan.
Rewards
Upon vanquishing the creature, the players find:
Magical Item:The Ocean’s Embrace Cloak - A cloak woven from enchanted kelp that grants the wearer limited water control and resistance to drowning.
Sentimental Item:A Locket of Memories - A rusted locket containing a photo of an ancient family. This locket belonged to one of the villagers’ ancestors, serving as a reminder of the sacrifices made to protect the village.
Adventure-Hint Item:The Map Fragment - A tattered piece of an ancient map leading to an unknown location. Alaric hints that the map may lead to another temple connected to Galloway’s dark past.
Read aloud: “As the tide recedes and the temple begins to crumble, you catch a glimpse of the path ahead—a new mystery waiting, like the depths of the ocean, hidden but within reach…”
This adventure concludes, leaving the players with hints of a larger story to explore. They’ve lifted the curse on Galloway for now, but remnants of its dark past lie dormant, ready for those brave enough to seek them out.
BTW, you can just copy/paste your post into chatGPT and get ideas specific to what your campaign is, but you can enjoy that surprise on your own! Good luck.
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Hello fellow goblins,
As title tells I’m a new dm (been playing Dnd for 3 years only ever been a player) I need help with an idea with my campaign! I am running curse of Strahd with a group of 4 and I’m making it as secretive as possible they don’t know what class any of the players are and they don’t know where or how or why they’ve been teleported to Barovia. The campaign is built on trusting those who you don’t know and building a relationship. In saying this I’ve given 2 I’ve my players who I’ve notified fed playing don’t struggle as much with RP as much as the other 2 specific alignments they have to make a character around one being lawful Good and one being chaotic evil. I feel this is good because it forces the group to divide at some point. Anyway getting carried away my question is to do with the chaotic evil character and on of the normal guys that I have assigned anything to. The chaotic evil guy (Zalither) is playing a warlock and his patron is Zargon. Zalither has been given special orders to hide himself within the group and at the end kill strand and claim his throne in Zargons name to bring death and misery to the land like strahd has (but worse). The other character is a gunslinger (Grom) who fights monsters with his family but one day his mother tragically dies by a random figure who is unknown to him. My question is should I make the figure zargon or connect it to strahd. I thought of an idea that Grom made packet with zargon to free her from something( don’t know what yet) and zargon came to collect her debt (her life). I then feel bad because it feels like I’m taking a lot away from strahd and I know he’s such a cool Villain.
Anyway was hoping for some ideas or what sounds better narratively.
Cheers
Ok, so you've got one evil character who wants to replace Strahd and be worse, in the name of Zargon, and you've got a lawful good character whose mother was killed by a mysterious entity.
I am unsure whether you are planning to end this campaign with PVP, but if the party turns on the warlock, the warlock will almost certainly die.
I would have it that the Warlock thinks they will get the throne, but then Zargon will place one of his effigies there, thus betraying the Warlock. This means that the party will, as a whole, try to stop them. This would also be a good time to have the Good player recognise the figure on the throne as the one who killed his mother, making it a revenge battle. Alternatively, have Zargon taunt in such a way as to reveal it, like "I'll give you this, you're harder to kill than your mother".
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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I would just like to say I am about to DM my first game and I am SOO happy someone posted this before me
To the OP, do you intend to actually finish the campaign? Because it sounds like you are setting it up deliberately to have the party disintegrate and the campaign to end without getting to a satisfying conclusion. Encouraging PvP is a terrible idea, most DMs explicitly forbid PvP because it so very often leads to hurt feelings and the players quitting the campaign. Even without PvP if the player characters are too much at odds with each other the campaign just stalls out as they keep infighting and arguing, or eventually one or more players ask to change their character so the party can get along.
Note that D&D is a collaborative role playing game, it is largely based on improvisation. The players are going to do what the players are going to do, you cannot control it, and it's not your job to control it. You just need to give them stuff to do and a reason to do it.
ChatGPT:
"Help me create a Dungeons and Dragons adventure for [Number of Players]. The setting starts in [Choose a setting] where the players will begin gathering clues for the adventure that you choose. Use Italics for "read aloud" content. Come up with fun, unique and engaging content of your choice while following this simple progression.
ACT 1: Create 3 NPC's for the players to potentially engage with. They can will have a unique perspective on the adventure you create and should all have clues to reveal about the following acts. The NPCs should be guiding the players to a minor combat encounter that will enter the party into ACT 2.
ACT 2. After vanquishing the minor combat encounter, the players should find a small treasure that will need to be brought to an NPC not yet known. After giving this NPC the small treasure, the NPC will provide the player with a key in return and provide clues to where the key can be used. There will be a minor combat encounter guarding the location and upon success, will lead to the final act.
ACT 3. This final act will contain surprises that you reveal and a final boss will drop an item of magical value, an item of sentimental value and an item only valuable in the next adventure that you will elude to."
Use for ideas or if you're really lazy... just enjoy the adventure:
Adventure Setting:
Number of Players: Up to you!
Setting: The Misty Cove of Galloway - a fog-laden coastal village nestled between steep cliffs and dark forests. The villagers are suspicious yet resilient, having withstood ages of eerie legends and mysterious disappearances. The adventure begins with the players arriving in the village just after sunset, the last of the fishing boats docking under a blood-red sky.
ACT 1: The Gathering Clues
Read aloud: “The village of Galloway is eerily quiet as you arrive, the mist curling around the buildings like ghostly fingers. A few villagers eye you warily from their windows, whispering among themselves. Somewhere in the distance, you hear the cawing of crows and the creak of a sign swinging in the breeze. It reads: “The Fisher’s Tale Inn.”
The players have arrived on the eve of the annual “Hallowed Tide” celebration, during which the villagers perform a ceremony to honor an ancient sea god rumored to protect their shores from a creature lurking in the depths. However, rumors are circling that something has disrupted the god’s protection, and strange occurrences have started around the village, including missing people, strange marks on the docks, and eerie sounds from the old lighthouse.
NPCs
Mira Underbrook - The Innkeeper
Read aloud:
“Welcome to The Fisher’s Tale Inn. I’m Mira, the keeper of this humble establishment. It’s rare we see strangers here, especially so close to the Hallowed Tide…”
Mira is a shrewd, no-nonsense woman in her forties with a silver streak in her hair. She’s heard unsettling sounds coming from the lighthouse and believes the players might be the ones to investigate what’s going on. She reveals that one of the fishermen, Torben, recently went missing after saying he’d “find proof of the old god’s wrath.”
Old Gerrod - The Fisherman
Read aloud:
“Ah, ye think ye know somethin’ ’bout the sea, eh? The ocean here… she ain’t like no other. She’s hungry. And lately, she’s been thirstin’ fer somethin’ fierce…”
Gerrod is an elderly fisherman who claims to have seen “something” slithering in the waters at night. He’ll tell the players about strange symbols drawn in seaweed on the docks and mentions that the lighthouse keeper, Alaric, may have answers. He gives the players a rough sketch of one symbol.
Vespera - The Fortune Teller
Read aloud:
“The tide is restless… it calls for a reckoning, a cycle that must be completed. You, strangers… you are the ones who might unravel the depths…”
Vespera is the village fortune-teller, clad in shawls and beads, who runs a small tent at the edge of the village. She cryptically warns the players of a “cycle of three,” the Hallowed Tide, and the hidden curse that binds Galloway to the sea. She directs them to the cliffs, where she says “the first step in the path to understanding lies.”
Combat Encounter: The Cave of Whispers
The cliffs lead to a hidden cave marked by the symbols Gerrod mentioned. As the players explore the cave, they are ambushed by Salt Wraiths—restless spirits of those lost to the sea, manifesting in misty, translucent forms. After defeating them, they find a small coral-encrusted medallion hidden in the sand, hinting at a deeper mystery.
ACT 2: The Treasure and the Key
The medallion is the key to progressing further. The players discover it has faint carvings and an unsettling aura, implying its importance. Returning to the village, they encounter a new NPC.
NPC: Alaric, The Lighthouse Keeper
Read aloud:
“The medallion… so it has surfaced again. It’s a symbol of the old god, an artifact of sacrifice. You’ve found it, which means… the cycle may yet be broken.”
Alaric is a brooding, grizzled figure, rumored to be the only one brave enough to stay in the lighthouse alone. He reluctantly tells the players that the medallion is a remnant from an ancient ritual used to call forth the protection of the sea god. As thanks for bringing him the medallion, he gifts them a brass key with a shell motif on its handle and instructs them to head to the Hidden Cove.
Minor Combat Encounter: The Shore Guardians
As the players arrive at the Hidden Cove, they’re attacked by Coral Crabs—giant crustaceans with shells covered in barnacles and embedded gems. Defeating them grants the players access to a stone door that the key unlocks, leading them deeper into the mysteries of Galloway.
ACT 3: The Final Confrontation
Entering through the stone door, the players descend into the ruins of an ancient temple beneath the cove. Here, they find evidence of the villagers’ pact with the sea god, including remnants of ancient offerings and faded murals depicting a terrifying sea creature. As they explore further, they hear an ominous rumble, signaling the awakening of the guardian.
Final Boss: The Tidecaller Leviathan
The players face the Tidecaller Leviathan, a massive, serpentine creature with scales that shimmer like the ocean at dawn. It wields powerful water-based magic, summoning waves and controlling tendrils of seaweed to ensnare players. It is the final remnant of the sea god’s wrath, bound to guard the village in the case of ritual failure. The players must use their wits and agility to navigate the flooded, collapsing temple as they battle the Leviathan.
Rewards
Upon vanquishing the creature, the players find:
Read aloud:
“As the tide recedes and the temple begins to crumble, you catch a glimpse of the path ahead—a new mystery waiting, like the depths of the ocean, hidden but within reach…”
This adventure concludes, leaving the players with hints of a larger story to explore. They’ve lifted the curse on Galloway for now, but remnants of its dark past lie dormant, ready for those brave enough to seek them out.
BTW, you can just copy/paste your post into chatGPT and get ideas specific to what your campaign is, but you can enjoy that surprise on your own! Good luck.