I'm working on creating a short adventure, hopefully, one that will take no longer than half a year to run, and I wanted to see if anyone had some fun, spooky ideas that I might be able to steal incorporate into this adventure. Original monsters, cool items, or even if you think of something that sounds fun!
WIP name is Escape from the Funk House, inspired by things like Sexy Brutale, Haunted Mansion (yeah... disney), Crypt of the Necrodancer, and probably some other things I am not thinking of! The Funk House is not marked on any map and can appear anywhere. It is a huge mansion consisting of 2 stories, an attic, a basement, and ya know... floors beneath the basement. There will definitely be a casino, an opera show room, a ballroom, a bar, a library, and more. My framework is the BBEG is a wizard/bard who sold his soul to (insert a devil/demon/something here) in order to find the most beautiful song in existence. In doing so, the BBEG's mansion has become its own plane (demi-plane?) and it travels in the multiverse luring unsuspecting, musically inclined people... This might sound familiar, and I am not even ashamed.
Each wing of the mansion will feature a specific type of music, mostly electro swing, big band, jazz, soul, etc., have its own kind of encounters, and have stylish bosses, who are ghosts of the BBEG's friends that are trapped within the mansion, that can either be brutally taken down or can be saved via solving puzzles and doing the battle in a specific kinda way. Along the way, the PCs will learn about the mansion's dark history, the BBEG's sad tale and why he wanted to find the most beautiful music in the universe, and if they survive, they might get cool items.
Obviously, I am bringing in as many ghosts as I can for this campaign. There will be various rooms where there will be haunted instruments doomed to play catchy tunes forever... I'm just wondering if there is any way I could jazz this up a bit. PCs will start at lv 5, and I am requiring most of them to have some sort of musical background. A part of me almost wants to have the party roll straight bards of different kinds and see how that goes!
The BBEG wins when he successfully has the characters die under certain conditions. Feeling right now that when the characters die any other way, they come back to life, but suffer a negative effect as outlined in the DMG for Madness.
I've built my own adventures before, but usually standard fantasy. I would really like to try to make something like this since it combines some of my favorite things: horror and electro swing/big band.
What sort of things do you think I should include? PS: Most of the people I play with IRL would eat this up. They enjoyed a lot of the weird, similar-ish things I've done in previous campaigns, so I figure having an entire adventure trapped in a haunted mansion would be a fun Halloween experience...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
If you don't mind using a song from a different genre, you might be able to do something with I See Fire.
Molly Malone even has a ghost in it already.
Ohhh, I will definitely listen to them a bunch and let my mind wander. I got half of my ideas just listening to some big band last week.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
For NCP's and possible enemies, look up some famous swing/jazz musicians and the ways they died. Make them a character, or make a character based on them. You don't have to name them, but maybe if your group is into the same music they'll get your homage. Just to fill the house with ghosts if nothing else.
Making the BBEG's origin a devil pact is a good way to go. Everyone's heard of bluesman selling their soul for skill, and your idea would be a neat twist on the myth. Fill the house with devils and infernal creatures, some who are just there to listen to some tunes, some who are looking to book the next gig (your players). Gotta have hell hounds to drag those souls back to the mansion, too.
Ohh, I like your style. Having hell hounds sounds cool! Perhaps in the different rooms that seem like they would've been for public use, like the casino or bar, there are just demons hanging out, drinking, and won't fight unless provoked. That would be kind of entertaining to see.
And thanks! The BBEG is definitely based on characters like that. I kind of want the final epic fight to be something like The Devil went down to Georgiaby the Charlie Daniels Band. Or, depending on if I run this with my goofyass players, like Tribute by Tenacious D. Some kinda deal where they face off with the BBEG with instruments or something. Maybe that is going too far, though I know most of my friends/players would also love it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
If the ballroom and/or dance studio doesn't have a Michael Jackson-themed Werewolf or Necromancer and a bunch of zombies doing Thriller, you've made a major mistake.
This could be a dance-off competition or the party could do a normal-ish fight where they are also suffering from an altered version of Otto's Irresistible Dance that still technically allows them to move as long as they do so describing a form of dance, but conferring all the rest of the spell's negative effects.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
If the ballroom and/or dance studio doesn't have a Michael Jackson-themed Werewolf or Necromancer and a bunch of zombies doing Thriller, you've made a major mistake.
This could be a dance-off competition or the party could do a normal-ish fight where they are also suffering from an altered version of Otto's Irresistible Dance that still technically allows them to move as long as they do so describing a form of dance, but conferring all the rest of the spell's negative effects.
omfg. that is AMAZING. If I could give you a million points I would!!
This is delicious... AND YES, I FORGOT ABOUT THRILLER. HOW COULD I DO THAT!!!
I think I am going to work on building a map for this and start figuring out where the plug in these ideas...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
I feel like the lack of a Soul Train reference would be sad, but I can't think of a good way to fit in an actual spectral boogie train into this somehow. However, the show runner Don Cornelius has just the kind of name that would fit great as the name for your Wizard/Bard BBEG.
EDIT: Other Funk luminaries to maybe work in -
James Brown - Progenitor of funk music and "Godfather of Soul."
James Brown was always gonna be the boss of his own wing. :) He is too cool not to be!
Thanks for the other links tho, omg. I am so excited to sit and start writing out all the NPCs that will be present in this game...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd[Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player] Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale Ru's Current Status
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hey all,
I'm working on creating a short adventure, hopefully, one that will take no longer than half a year to run, and I wanted to see if anyone had some fun, spooky ideas that I might be able to
stealincorporate into this adventure. Original monsters, cool items, or even if you think of something that sounds fun!WIP name is Escape from the Funk House, inspired by things like Sexy Brutale, Haunted Mansion (yeah... disney), Crypt of the Necrodancer, and probably some other things I am not thinking of! The Funk House is not marked on any map and can appear anywhere. It is a huge mansion consisting of 2 stories, an attic, a basement, and ya know... floors beneath the basement. There will definitely be a casino, an opera show room, a ballroom, a bar, a library, and more. My framework is the BBEG is a wizard/bard who sold his soul to (insert a devil/demon/something here) in order to find the most beautiful song in existence. In doing so, the BBEG's mansion has become its own plane (demi-plane?) and it travels in the multiverse luring unsuspecting, musically inclined people... This might sound familiar, and I am not even ashamed.
Each wing of the mansion will feature a specific type of music, mostly electro swing, big band, jazz, soul, etc., have its own kind of encounters, and have stylish bosses, who are ghosts of the BBEG's friends that are trapped within the mansion, that can either be brutally taken down or can be saved via solving puzzles and doing the battle in a specific kinda way. Along the way, the PCs will learn about the mansion's dark history, the BBEG's sad tale and why he wanted to find the most beautiful music in the universe, and if they survive, they might get cool items.
Obviously, I am bringing in as many ghosts as I can for this campaign. There will be various rooms where there will be haunted instruments doomed to play catchy tunes forever... I'm just wondering if there is any way I could jazz this up a bit. PCs will start at lv 5, and I am requiring most of them to have some sort of musical background. A part of me almost wants to have the party roll straight bards of different kinds and see how that goes!
The BBEG wins when he successfully has the characters die under certain conditions. Feeling right now that when the characters die any other way, they come back to life, but suffer a negative effect as outlined in the DMG for Madness.
I've built my own adventures before, but usually standard fantasy. I would really like to try to make something like this since it combines some of my favorite things: horror and electro swing/big band.
What sort of things do you think I should include? PS: Most of the people I play with IRL would eat this up. They enjoyed a lot of the weird, similar-ish things I've done in previous campaigns, so I figure having an entire adventure trapped in a haunted mansion would be a fun Halloween experience...
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status
If you don't mind using a song from a different genre, you might be able to do something with I See Fire.
Molly Malone even has a ghost in it already.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status
Nocturne might be good, too.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
For NCP's and possible enemies, look up some famous swing/jazz musicians and the ways they died. Make them a character, or make a character based on them. You don't have to name them, but maybe if your group is into the same music they'll get your homage. Just to fill the house with ghosts if nothing else.
Making the BBEG's origin a devil pact is a good way to go. Everyone's heard of bluesman selling their soul for skill, and your idea would be a neat twist on the myth. Fill the house with devils and infernal creatures, some who are just there to listen to some tunes, some who are looking to book the next gig (your players). Gotta have hell hounds to drag those souls back to the mansion, too.
#OpenDnD. #DnDBegone
Ohh, I like your style. Having hell hounds sounds cool! Perhaps in the different rooms that seem like they would've been for public use, like the casino or bar, there are just demons hanging out, drinking, and won't fight unless provoked. That would be kind of entertaining to see.
And thanks! The BBEG is definitely based on characters like that. I kind of want the final epic fight to be something like The Devil went down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band. Or, depending on if I run this with my goofyass players, like Tribute by Tenacious D. Some kinda deal where they face off with the BBEG with instruments or something. Maybe that is going too far, though I know most of my friends/players would also love it.
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status
If the ballroom and/or dance studio doesn't have a Michael Jackson-themed Werewolf or Necromancer and a bunch of zombies doing Thriller, you've made a major mistake.
This could be a dance-off competition or the party could do a normal-ish fight where they are also suffering from an altered version of Otto's Irresistible Dance that still technically allows them to move as long as they do so describing a form of dance, but conferring all the rest of the spell's negative effects.
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status
I feel like the lack of a Soul Train reference would be sad, but I can't think of a good way to fit in an actual spectral boogie train into this somehow. However, the show runner Don Cornelius has just the kind of name that would fit great as the name for your Wizard/Bard BBEG.
EDIT: Other Funk luminaries to maybe work in -
James Brown was always gonna be the boss of his own wing. :) He is too cool not to be!
Thanks for the other links tho, omg. I am so excited to sit and start writing out all the NPCs that will be present in this game...
DM: Adventures in Phandalin [Khessa], The Dread of Strahd [Darya], Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [Rook], Baldur's Gate Mysteries [4-Player]
Player: Oona in MO's Icewind Dale
Ru's Current Status