Instant Adventures

Here are the ideas — just add imagination for
INSTANT ADVENTURES
by Michael Kelly

Dragon 48 - Best of Dragon, Vol. V - Dragon

The players have just finished once
again retrieving a small fortune from the
depths of yet another dungeon. They’re
sitting back basking in their latest slice
of limelight, while the referee is methodically
populating (or repopulating) a new
dungeon level.

Then one of the players idly says,
“Let’s do something different, not go
back to that same old place.” Instantly,
the idea catches on with everyone in the
playing group — especially with the
referee, who feels a growing sense of
panic. Something different? How often
does a referee have “something different”
that can be all set up and ready to
play on a few moments’ notice?
This article is designed to alleviate
that problem, and stimulate variety in a
campaign, by providing guidelines for
the creation of several dozen simple, but
perhaps untried, types of adventures.
Many of these ideas, along with a big
dose of imagination and some quick
work with pencil and paper, can be
turned into ready-to-run adventures in
considerably less than an hour.
The chart of “instant adventures” can
be used for more than one purpose. If
the referee is pressed for time, he or she
can scan the “Time” column first.

“A”
type adventures will generally take up to
two hours to prepare, sometimes more.

“B” adventures can be set up and ready
to play in somewhat less than two hours.

“C” scenarios are quickly assembled,
usually needing only 20 minutes or so of
preparatory work.

If time is not that great a consideration,
the referee can look over the list for
a type of adventure that sounds intriguing.
Of course, the adventure ideas,
requirements and notes which describe
the goings-on can be used “as is”, or
they can be modified to suit the circumstances
of a certain campaign or a particular
group of characters.

None of the suggested adventures are
spelled out in great detail, and they’re
not supposed to be. These topics are
frameworks upon which the referee must
build a lot of accessories — non-player
characters, maps and floor plans, treasure
— topping off the creation with a
plausible method for conveying to the
players the information they need to
know in order to begin.

For example: A referee in a hurry
browses up and down the “Time” column
until he sees a “C” adventure that strikes
his fancy — in this case, “Salvage.” The
essential requirements are listed as “An
item, vessel or vehicle lost in the wilderness
and a rumor or map referring to
same.” The referee finds a place on his
world to locate the wreckage of a seafaring
ship (perhaps underwater, perhaps
on a beach or reef) and marks that spot.
Then he draws a rough map, showing
only as much as necessary of the area
and its surroundings to give the players
(through their characters) a good chance
of locating the site.

Next, the referee makes some arrangements
for the map to fall into the hands
of the characters. Perhaps a local thief
will accost them and offer to sell a cloak
at a cheap price. Upon obtaining and
examining the cloak, the players discover
an old parchment sewn into the
lining. It is identified as showing the
whereabouts of the wreck of the Neptune’s
Spray, which disappeared on a
voyage while carrying a fortune in silks
and spices.

And so, the characters are off. Under
“Notes,” the referee reads that “Salvage
is a high-risk adventure; there may be a
fortune or it may be all gone.” There is
plenty of time during the actual play of
the adventure for the referee to decide
whether the loot can be recovered, or
whether it has been ruined by exposure
to water or the elements. And, it is a
relatively simple matter to come up with
various minor (and perhaps major) obstacles
to confront the party with during
and after their journey to the salvage
site. But don’t make the obstacles too
major; the idea is to get them to play
through a salvage adventure — not to kill
them off, scare them away, or discourage
them before they’ve actually taken
on the mission which was designed for
them to perform.

- Type of Adventure Requirements Time Notes

1 Assault/Raid (Fortress) Maps and possibly floor plans; offensive and defensive weapons;
location of critical stores; number and types of defenders. A -

2 Assault/Raid (Town) See above. A -

3 Assault/Raid (Ship) See above. B -

4 Assault/Raid (Ambush) Victims, with a list of weapons and loot. C -

5 Assault/Raid (Skirmish) Small military group (e.g. border patrol); arms, armor, and treasure. B -

6 Assault/Raid ("Body-snatch") A small military encampment. C This is a military operation in which
an attempt is made to capture an
enemy alive for interrogation purposes.

7 Banditry (Caravan/convoy) Composition of forces; cargo list, and distribution of same. B See AD&D MM under Men (Merchant)

8 Banditry (Mugging) A victim; his weapons and loot. C -

9 Banditry (Building) A building layout (e.g. bank or store); defenses and location of safe. B -

10 Bounty Hunt/Posse A wanted person or persons, preferably
armed, dangerous, and with a price on
their heads. C Characters may voluntarily go
bounty hunting or may be drafted into
a posse.

11 Brawl Classically, a barroom scene; tables,
chairs, patrons, and bar must be located
and described. C A cliche, true, but always fun.

12 Breakout, jail Prison map; defense scheme; location
of all prisoners, cells, and guards; a person
to rescue! B

13 Breakout, prison camp A map of an enclosed, outdoor prison
camp; location of guards and defenses. B Instead of breaking someone else
out, perhaps the characters may have
to break themselves out!

14 Breakout, private prison A dungeon or tower. Otherwise as
“Breakout, jail” above. B Rescuing a fair maiden is the
classic example.

15 Caravan Escort Composition of caravan (i.e. number of
mules, wagons, etc.); defenses. C See AD&D Monster Manual, Men
(Merchant); also, type of caravan
should be specified (e.g. food, spices,
silks, etc.).

16 Cattle Drive Cattle; sellers and buyers; departure
and destination points; routes to and
from. C Not only cattle, but any type of livestock
may be used; also, a trail may not
yet be in existence. (See Trailblazing.)

17 Coup d’etat A region with a ruler to be overthrown
or discredited. B This region may be as small as a
village or as large as an empire.

18 Duel, one-on-one A real or imagined insult; a challenge;
seconds and a judge; statistics and weapons
of challenger. C One to keep in mind when a character
starts to fool around with a lord’s
lady!

19 Duel, team vs. team A “home team”; its weapons and special
abilities; rules for engagement; a suitable
locale. B Combat may be lethal or non-lethal.

20 Execution/Assassination A victim; a sentence to be carried out,
or an employer. C This should not be just a simple
“hit.” Rather the target should be far
away, powerful, and protected.

21 Exploration An unknown region; a commission to
explore and report. C The area may simply be a possible
construction site, or it may be an entire
continent.

22 Feud, inter-family Brief history of feud and feuding families;
reason for involvement of characters. B -

23 Feud, inter-business History of feud; nature of feuding parties;
fees to be paid to “hired guns.” B -

24 Hijack A vehicle or vehicles to be hijacked; a
reason for hijacking same. C -

25 Hunt, big-game A nasty beast; some obstacles for the
player characters, and a prize for the capture
of the thing. B The prize may be greater if the prey
is brought back alive. (This is intended
for sport.)

26 Hunt, commercial The location of an animal lair; the treasure
within; above all, the associated infants
and eggs. B There is good money to be had selling
animals, mounts in particular, on
the open market. However, this can be
a very high-risk venture; also, a professional
hunter must be hired.)

27 Intrigue A plot (to be accidentally uncovered by
the players); Statistics and abilities of
conspirators. A This usually involves a wicked relative
of a ruling family attempting to
usurp power by discrediting or eliminating
someone near the throne. Characters
may either thwart the plot or join
it!

28 Kidnap One victim; location of same; social
status of victim; possible ransom makers. B Number and type of bodyguards at referees discretion.

29 Madman One berserk individual to terrorize a
district, town, or quarter, by any means.. C He may be rabid, thus contagious!

30 Obstacle Course A defined territory with several lethal
and/or non-lethal obstacles. B Typically, a powerful individual will
offer future employment; However,
they must first pass one little test. Survivors
get the job!

31 Parcel/Message Delivery An item and nature of same; name of
individual to receive item and under what
conditions. Employer and terms of employment. C The item or message need not be
necessarily known to the characters.
If the item or message is of considerable
power or importance, someone
will surely try to rob the adventurers.

32 Personnel Escort A person or persons to escort; a purpose
to the voyage; employer and terms
of employment. C -

33 Pilgrimage Escort/Crusade A holy shrine to visit, worship, or rid of
infidels; a typical caravan with supplies. B See AD&D Monster Manual, Men.

34 Piracy The layout of a vessel; its location (deployed
or in port); crew, defenses and
cargo. B Risky; profitable, but those caught
must pay terrible dues.

35 Rescue, from men Perhaps a town surrounded by hostile
forces that needs reinforcements or
someone about to die at the hands of
unfriendly natives. B -

36 Rescue, from natural forces A good-sized earthquake, flood, fire, or
blizzard should do the job; someone or
something to rescue; its location and any
intervening obstacles. B This is mostly for characters with
morals, but there is an occasional reward.

37 Riot An angry mob with a grudge. C Characters may join the mob, or be
drafted to quell the riot and control
looters.

38 Sabotage/Arson, building Factory, shop, or other building plans;
defenses; type of building and construction;
location of machines and equipment
inside. B Characters run two risks: 1) becoming
wanted by the law; 2) getting
caught in their own blast!

39 Sabotage/Arson, ship Plans for vessel and immediate vicinity
of waterfront/spaceport; nature of
onboard security; nature and location of
cargo. B See above.

40 Salvage An item, vessel, or vehicle lost in the
wilderness and a rumor or map referring
to same. C Salvage is a high-risk venture; there
may be a fortune or it may all be gone.

41 Smuggling, general An illegal object or substance to smuggle;
a source for such items. C The longer the smuggling goes on,
the more likely the smugglers are to be
caught or betrayed. Also, other underworld
figures may resent the competition.

42 Smuggling, weapons A war; usually revolutionaries in need of
weapons and supplies. A source is needed
here, too. C See above.

43 Spy/Undercover, military A mission; methods of infiltration and
exfiltration. B -

44 Spy/Undercover, civil As above, but applied in connection
with police or as private investigators. B For example, to catch smugglers.

45 Sting/Switch/Swindle/Scam Suckers, and a plan B Characters may perform this; better
yet, it may be performed on them!

46 Tournament A choice of events to enter (e.g. jousts,
light-saber duels, wrestling, etc.); opponents. B Be sure to give the non-player characters
appropriate bonuses in the statistics
of their class (i.e. wrestlers
should have high strength, etc.).

47 Trail blazing A hitherto impenetrable swamp, sea, or
mountain range; an economic need for a
road through; and some businessmen to
stake a venture. C Initially, a route must be found, in itself
a dangerous undertaking; secondly,
a road may need to be built.

-	Type of Adventure	Requirements	Time	Notes
1	Assault/Raid (Fortress)	Maps and possibly floor plans; offensive and defensive weapons; location of critical stores; number and types of defenders.	A	-
2	Assault/Raid (Town)	See above.	A	-
3	Assault/Raid (Ship)	See above.	B	-
4	Assault/Raid (Ambush)	Victims, with a list of weapons and loot.	C	-
5	Assault/Raid (Skirmish)	Small military group (e.g. border patrol); arms, armor, and treasure.	B	-
6	Assault/Raid ("Body-snatch")	A small military encampment.	C	This is a military operation in which an attempt is made to capture an enemy alive for interrogation purposes.
7	Banditry (Caravan/convoy)	Composition of forces; cargo list, and distribution of same.	B	See AD&D MM under Men (Merchant)
8	Banditry (Mugging)	A victim; his weapons and loot.	C	-
9	Banditry (Building)	A building layout (e.g. bank or store); defenses and location of safe.	B	-
10	Bounty Hunt/Posse	A wanted person or persons, preferably armed, dangerous, and with a price on their heads.	C	Characters may voluntarily go bounty hunting or may be drafted into a posse.
11	Brawl	Classically, a barroom scene; tables, chairs, patrons, and bar must be located and described.	C	A cliche, true, but always fun.
12	Breakout, jail	Prison map; defense scheme; location of all prisoners, cells, and guards; a person to rescue!	B
13	Breakout, prison camp	A map of an enclosed, outdoor prison camp; location of guards and defenses.	B	Instead of breaking someone else out, perhaps the characters may have to break themselves out!
14	Breakout, private prison	A dungeon or tower. Otherwise as “Breakout, jail” above.	B	Rescuing a fair maiden is the classic example.
15	Caravan Escort	Composition of caravan (i.e. number of mules, wagons, etc.); defenses.	C	See AD&D Monster Manual, Men (Merchant); also, type of caravan should be specified (e.g. food, spices, silks, etc.).
16	Cattle Drive	Cattle; sellers and buyers; departure and destination points; routes to and from.	C	Not only cattle, but any type of livestock may be used; also, a trail may not yet be in existence. (See Trailblazing.)
17	Coup d’etat	A region with a ruler to be overthrown or discredited.	B	This region may be as small as a village or as large as an empire.
18	Duel, one-on-one	A real or imagined insult; a challenge; seconds and a judge; statistics and weapons of challenger.	C	One to keep in mind when a character starts to fool around with a lord’s lady!
19	Duel, team vs. team	A “home team”; its weapons and special abilities; rules for engagement; a suitable locale.	B	Combat may be lethal or non-lethal.
20	Execution/Assassination	A victim; a sentence to be carried out, or an employer.	C	This should not be just a simple “hit.” Rather the target should be far away, powerful, and protected.
21	Exploration	An unknown region; a commission to explore and report.	C	The area may simply be a possible construction site, or it may be an entire continent.
22	Feud, inter-family	Brief history of feud and feuding families; reason for involvement of characters.	B	-
23	Feud, inter-business	History of feud; nature of feuding parties; fees to be paid to “hired guns.”	B	-
24	Hijack	A vehicle or vehicles to be hijacked; a reason for hijacking same.	C	-
25	Hunt, big-game	A nasty beast; some obstacles for the player characters, and a prize for the capture of the thing.	B	The prize may be greater if the prey is brought back alive. (This is intended for sport.)
26	Hunt, commercial	The location of an animal lair; the treasure within; above all, the associated infants and eggs.	B	There is good money to be had selling animals, mounts in particular, on the open market. However, this can be a very high-risk venture; also, a professional hunter must be hired.)
27	Intrigue	A plot (to be accidentally uncovered by the players); Statistics and abilities of conspirators.	A	This usually involves a wicked relative of a ruling family attempting to usurp power by discrediting or eliminating someone near the throne. Characters may either thwart the plot or join it!
28	Kidnap	One victim; location of same; social status of victim; possible ransom makers.	B	Number and type of bodyguards at referees discretion.
29	Madman	One berserk individual to terrorize a district, town, or quarter, by any means..	C	He may be rabid, thus contagious!
30	Obstacle Course	A defined territory with several lethal and/or non-lethal obstacles.	B	Typically, a powerful individual will offer future employment; However, they must first pass one little test. Survivors get the job!
31	Parcel/Message Delivery	An item and nature of same; name of individual to receive item and under what conditions. Employer and terms of employment.	C	The item or message need not be necessarily known to the characters. If the item or message is of considerable power or importance, someone will surely try to rob the adventurers.
32	Personnel Escort	A person or persons to escort; a purpose to the voyage; employer and terms of employment.	C	-
33	Pilgrimage Escort/Crusade	A holy shrine to visit, worship, or rid of infidels; a typical caravan with supplies.	B	See AD&D Monster Manual, Men.
34	Piracy	The layout of a vessel; its location (deployed or in port); crew, defenses and cargo.	B	Risky; profitable, but those caught must pay terrible dues.
35	Rescue, from men	Perhaps a town surrounded by hostile forces that needs reinforcements or someone about to die at the hands of unfriendly natives.	B	-
36	Rescue, from natural forces	A good-sized earthquake, flood, fire, or blizzard should do the job; someone or something to rescue; its location and any intervening obstacles.	B	This is mostly for characters with morals, but there is an occasional reward.
37	Riot	An angry mob with a grudge.	C	Characters may join the mob, or be drafted to quell the riot and control looters.
38	Sabotage/Arson, building	Factory, shop, or other building plans; defenses; type of building and construction; location of machines and equipment inside.	B	Characters run two risks: 1) becoming wanted by the law; 2) getting caught in their own blast!
39	Sabotage/Arson, ship	Plans for vessel and immediate vicinity of waterfront/spaceport; nature of onboard security; nature and location of cargo.	B	See above.
40	Salvage	An item, vessel, or vehicle lost in the wilderness and a rumor or map referring to same.	C	Salvage is a high-risk venture; there may be a fortune or it may all be gone.
41	Smuggling, general	An illegal object or substance to smuggle; a source for such items.	C	The longer the smuggling goes on, the more likely the smugglers are to be caught or betrayed. Also, other underworld figures may resent the competition.
42	Smuggling, weapons	A war; usually revolutionaries in need of weapons and supplies. A source is needed here, too.	C	See above.
43	Spy/Undercover, military	A mission; methods of infiltration and exfiltration.	B	-
44	Spy/Undercover, civil	As above, but applied in connection with police or as private investigators.	B	For example, to catch smugglers.
45	Sting/Switch/Swindle/Scam	Suckers, and a plan	B	Characters may perform this; better yet, it may be performed on them!
46	Tournament	A choice of events to enter (e.g. jousts, light-saber duels, wrestling, etc.); opponents.	B	Be sure to give the non-player characters appropriate bonuses in the statistics of their class (i.e. wrestlers should have high strength, etc.).
47	Trail blazing	A hitherto impenetrable swamp, sea, or mountain range; an economic need for a road through; and some businessmen to stake a venture.	C	Initially, a route must be found, in itself a dangerous undertaking; secondly, a road may need to be built.