Dungeon Master's Guide

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Goal
Seize control of a fortified location such as a
fortress, town, or ship.
2 Defend a location from attackers.
3 Retrieve an object from inside a secure location in
a settlement.
4 Retrieve an object from a caravan.
5 Salvage an object or goods from a lost vessel or
caravan.
6 Break a prisoner out of a ja il or prison camp.
7 Escape from a jai l or prison camp.
8 Successfully travel through an obstacle course to
gain recognition or reward.
9 Infiltrate a fortified location.
10 Find the source of strange occurrences in a
haunted house or other location.
11 Interfere with the operation of a business.
12 Rescue a character, monster, or object from a
natural or unnatural disaster.
2. IDENTIFY IMPORTANT NPCs
Use the Adventure Villains, Adventure Allies, and
Adventure Patrons tables to help you identify these
NPCs. Chapter 4 can help you bring these NPCs to life.
ADVENTURE VILLAINS
d20
2
3
Villain
Beast or monstrosity with no particular agenda
Aberration bent on corruption or domination
Fiend bent on corruption or destruction
4 Dragon bent on domination and plunder
5 Giant bent on plunder
6-7 Undead with any agenda
8 Fey with a mysterious goal
9-10 Humanoid cultist
11-12 Humanoid conqueror
13 Humanoid seeking revenge
14-15 Humanoid schemer seeking to rule
16 Humanoid criminal mastermind
17- 18 Humanoid raider or ra vager
19 Humanoid under a curse
20 Misguided humanoid zealot
ADVENTURE ALLIES
dl2 Ally dl2
1 Skilled adventurer 7
2 Inexperienced 8
adventurer 9
3 Enthusiastic 10
commoner 11
4 Soldier
5 Priest 12
6 Sage
Ally
Revenge seeker
Raving lunatic
Celestial ally
Fey ally
Disguised
monster
Villa in posing as
an ally
~D~l:.NTOTfE ?J>.TRON"S
d20 Patron d20 Patron
1-2 Retired adventurer 15 Old friend
3-4 Local ruler 16 Former teacher
5-6 Military officer 17 Parent or other
7-8 Temple official family member
9-10 Sage 18 Desperate
11-12 Respected elder commoner
13 Deity or celestial 19 Embattled
14 Mysterious fey merchant
20 Villain posing as a
patron
3. FLESH OuT THE LocATION DETAILS
Chapter 5 offers suggestions for creating and fleshing
out an adventure location, including tables that can
help you establish the important elements of a dungeon,
wilderness area, or urban setting.
4. FIND THE IDEAL INTRODUCTION
An adventure can begin with a social interaction
encounter in which the adventurers find out what they
must do and why. It can start with a surprise attack,
or with the adventurers coming across information by
accident. The best introductions arise naturally from the
goals and setting of the adventure. Let the entries in the
Adventure Introduction table inspire you.
ADVENTURE INTRODUCTION
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2
3
4
5
6
Introduction
While traveling in the wilderness, the characters
fall into a sinkhole that opens beneath their feet,
dropping them into the adventure location.
While traveling in the wilderness, the characters
notice the entrance to the adve nture location.
While traveling on a road, the characters are
attacked by monsters that flee into the nearby
adventure location.
The adventurers find a map on a dead body. In
add ition to the map setting up the adventure, the
adventure's villain wants the map.
A mysterious magic item or a cruel vi llain teleports
the characters to the adventure location.
A stranger approaches the characters in a tavern
and urges them toward the adventure location.
7 A town or village needs vo lunteers to go to the
adventure location.
8 An NPC the characters care about needs them to
go to the adventure location.
9 An NPC the characters must obey orders them to
go to the adventure location.
10 An NPC the characters respect asks them to go to
the adve nture location.
11 One night, the characters all dream about entering
the adventure location.
12 A ghost appears and terrorizes a village. Research
reveals that it can be put to rest only by entering the
adventure location.
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CHAPTER 3 I CREATING ADVENTURES