Are you looking for your next campaign side-quest or one-shot idea? Read ahead for a list of fun and engaging plot ideas to get your party on their next adventure!
This is part of a Dungeons and Dragons writing series we’ve published. You can find more here with our D&D character writing prompts, D&D backstory prompts, and other D&D inspiration. Stay tuned for more on the way….
Here are the D&D Story Ideas
- Your party comes into contact with someone who asks for their help to solve a string of cold cases within a village.
- A whodunit-style one-shot campaign set in an upscale manor.
- There’s a sign on the tavern job board asking for help to find a missing turtle—who is actually a young student whose polymorph went terribly wrong.
- A Minotaur will only grant you passage through the gates if you defeat him in a battle… a dance battle!
- Your villain is a necromancer growing an army of the undead.
- A race against time to diffuse an explosive set to destroy the castle.
- A one-shot where your party plays as the sidekicks of a previous campaign’s party.
- A bard NPC joins your party and annoyingly sings every move your players make.
- An elite member of society believes their home is haunted. Your players investigate and find something much more sinister.
- A corrupt guard is helping a group of smugglers sneak goods out of the city. Your party is tasked with stopping them.
- It’s up to your players to clear the name of a guard who has been accused of killing a local tavern owner.
- Your party meets an NPC who seems to be helping them but is actually leading them to their potential demise.
- A group of thieves steal from the wealthiest family in the city.
- A young witch accidentally unleashes a terrible curse upon her village. Your party must figure out how to reverse the curse.
- During the town’s annual festival, a woman goes mad and insists someone is out to get her. Your players are to help her get to the bottom of it.
- Center your session around the birthday of a player or their character.
- Your party encounters a djinn, and one wrong roll could leave a player regretting their wish.
- A miner follows an apparition deeper into the mines. Your players are hired to find him.
- An arena one-shot, with your players pitted against each other.
- Your players must pull off the perfect bank heist—but the vault is guarded by a BBEG.
- Your party is given a map to the city of Atlantis. They must find it before another group of adventurers does.
- When a dragon is slain in its cave, there is a race to claim its treasure.
- A list of ten names is posted in the local tavern. One of your party members’ names is on the list–and the first three names are crossed out.
- Two young villagers have somehow brought their freshly built snowmen to life—and the snowmen are on a rampage.
- An earthquake triggers a chain of mysterious disappearances.
- Your villain is a young child with unmanageable powers.
- No matter what your party does, every success eventually leads to the success of the villain.
- After a night of blackout drinking, your party all wakes up in a different party member’s body.
- Your party makes an unlikely ally.
- One of your magic users loses their abilities and your party must figure out why.
- A young scholar approaches your party and asks for help exploring ancient ruins outside of town.
- Guarded relics are stolen in broad daylight.
- A young king hires your party to pretend to be his friends for an upcoming social engagement.
- A librarian hires your party to track down missing ancient texts.
- A race against time to prove the innocence of someone facing death.
- You find a trail of unicorn blood in a dark forest.
- A young NPC joins your party, but they’re not who they seem to be.
- A wanted poster appears in the tavern, with the face of one of your players on it.
- A maze with two exits: one that leads to treasure, and one that leads back to the start.
- Your party is tasked with figuring out why children keep disappearing from a local orphanage.
- Your adventurers are asked to expel an evil being from a nearby well.
- Have a D&D holiday party in-game.
- The livestock of a local farmer are all slowly turning mad.
- A village stumbles upon a body and is accused of murder. But one of your party knows who really did it.
- While out at sea, your party is attacked by undead pirates.
Looking For More D&D inspiration?
Our site is home to an abundance of writing resources to help get your creative gears moving and your imagination flowing.
Take a look at our D&D character writing prompts, D&D backstory prompts, and other D&D inspiration, and let us know what we should do next.
