Dungeon ideas for inspiring role-playing and drama.
I don't often run dungeons, but I am about to include one as a major part of a current story.
Background: The PC's are investigating a ruin discovered near a community. The amount they can explore each day is limited by the work of excavation. Each night they retire to an encampment of workers and supervisory knights near the dig.
Out of dungeon role-play events:
1. The PC's awake to find the corpse of a creature from the ruin in their bed/tent. Someone doesn't want them there.
2. An eccentric noble claming to own the land the site is on comes and watches the work and asks many questions. His interest does not seem entirely noble.
3. A local knight attempts to molest a young woman near the encampment.
4. Mercenaries arrive offering to assist with the dig.
5. A mysterious woman is seen in the darkness watching the area but dissapears whenever approached. That night the encampment is filled with mist and a vast pack of wolves attack.
6. When the PC's go to the church for healing they discover the priest has been possessed by a very malevolent spirit which tries to destroy them.
7. The inquistion arrive and attempt to arrest everyone concerned with the dig.
As always the strength of these ideas lies in the vividness of delivery - naturally each is merely the germ of a more expansive story. However hopefully this will both provide variety during the dungeon exploration and, importantly, greatly raise anxiety about what they will eventually discover in the ruin...
Scrolls
Twists, chapters, and details meant to stream with the submission — not general discussion.
8: A valuable artifact is discovered in the ruin. When the PCs wake up, …
8: A valuable artifact is discovered in the ruin. When the PCs wake up, it is gone. A foreman on the dig is implicated.
Or you could go Elizabeth Peters (Must read for anyone who runs archaeological adventures)
9: A member of the party is murdered (Or if resurrection isn't easy, a major figure on the dig). The killer's agenda is unknown.
10. Digging is risky - a few workers are caved in in a part of the excav…
10. Digging is risky - a few workers are caved in in a part of the excavated complex. Save them and become a hero, or loose them and loose face (with all that it entails).
11. Digging makes thirsty - a few workers came out on a drink, and fail to return, or return with trouble.
12. Digging makes weary - the workers complain of being so tired that they can't continue anymore. Is it only a ploy to get more money, is a little rest needed, or is there something sinister going on?
13. Minor acts of sabotage being occurring. Items on site are stolen or …
13. Minor acts of sabotage being occurring. Items on site are stolen or damaged, and purchased goods are sometimes substandard, stolen en route, or otherwise interfered with.
14. The digging uncovers a surprisingly recent corpse.
This should happen after other events which seem calculated to slow/stop the escavation have occurred, such as sabotage. The corpse is a murder victim and the murder had inadvertently selected the ruins as a good place to hide the corpse. The ruins previously were shunned due fear (substantiated or not) of evil spirits. The murderer may have instigated the sabotage either directly, or indirectly.
15. Hordes of poor peasants show up daily with digging equipment and begin digging everywhere. Rumors of the treasure have spread and the large unreasoning mob is desperate and grows every day. Depending on their desperation, they may try and run the PC's out of their claim.
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I certainly like number 9 - cheers! One of the major villians 'on site' is masquarading as a humble and slightly incoherent squire to a knight, hiding his true power.
edited 12/21/06
Category changed Check - Good
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Needs more introduction to explain the scroll... sometime.
The assignment aside, these are barely plotlings on top of it. This is just a list of binky things to bracket dungeoning. Not that useful if you are dungeoning for a purpose, rather than just plundering stuff for the purpose of something to do.
True, there's not much to look at right now, but there is a chance it will be useful someday. For now we can just dump into it any random plotlets we can think of.
What Moonhunter said. This is incorrectly named and categorized.
A collection of plots/events around a Dig could be a more useful submission.
Man, you all are harsh. Usually if it is a scroll and it has a gem of an idea that could turn out good you give it a chance and hold your vote.
I concede the cat change though and will do it forthwith posthaste.
This is decent start for a collection of plot seeds, and has potential to grow into a really good scroll. The entries are most useful for tying a 'dungeon' or other excavation in to the larger world outside.
I would like to see some suggested explanations put with the seeds. Gamemasters wouldn't have to follow the suggested explanation, but might find such information helpful.
Figure I'd add to it since I opened my mouth :)
This piece is not meant to be a literary masterpiece. I take this as it was meant to be, only seed for thought. I happen to like several of these ideas and I also like the way the are presented. A sentence or two and my mind can take over from there.
Thanks for a great post.