Matt Davids - The Book of Random Tables: Quests

The Book of Random Tables

QUESTS

Written By

Matt Davids

With Additional Material By

Erin Davids

Edited By

Erin Davids

Layout & Design By

Matt Davids

Patrons

Scott Frega, Andrew Nagy, and Heath Baxter

Thanks

Mik Calow, J.E. Melton, and Je Gatlin

The cover is from iStockphoto and is copyrighted. Used under license.

Visit WWW.DICEGEEKS.COM/FREE for Free Dungeon Maps

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

P resented in this book is a collection of quests or adventure ideas for the use in fantasy tabletop role-playing games.

This small volume has a dual purpose. The rst purpose is to cut down gamemaster prep time. Once we have families, jobs, and other commitments in our lives, time becomes more precious than ever. The second is to help gamemasters provide interesting adventures for their players. We all need a spark of creativity once in a while and that is what these ideas are meant to do.

The ideas are organized by a broad topic and are placed in a random table format. Each table has one hundred ideas. You can use these adventure ideas to run RPG sessions in a number of ways.

You can read through the tables and choose an idea. You can take several ideas and combine them into one scenario for a campaign. You can roll randomly on a table to nd an adventure on the y. You can also use these ideas as side quests within your own campaigns.

The rst six tables contain ideas that range from story hooks to scenarios to globe-spanning adventures. These tables are organized under the topics: Dungeons Hooks, Royal Quests, Forest Quests, Doorways to Another World, Town Quests, and Sea Quests.

The next three tables are as follows: Questing Beasts, Quest Objects, and Lost Cities. Here you will nd the name of a thing and a bit of context. These are meant to be used as the goal of the quest. How the goal is attained is up to the gamemaster.

Meta-Quests is the last table in the book. It is a list of simple ideas that can be used as micro-quests much like collecting feathers in Angry Birds or bobbleheads in the Fallout videogames.

It is my sincere hope that this book is the kindling that inspires gamemasters to ignite

a roaring ame of fantasy adventures.

Matt Davids

8/16/2019

Dungeon Hooks

1. The towns well has gone dry. Strange sounds can be heard from below. The town set up a guard around it, but no one will investigate. The party is hired to check it out. Once down in the well, they notice the water has been diverted and the caverns lead to a dungeon.
2. The party is magically transported into the center of an ancient dungeon. They must fight their way from the inside out. They find clues along the way revealing both the identity of the person who imprisoned them and their location.
3. The party finds a magic item at the bottom of a sinkhole. It leads the party to an evil wizards tower and dungeon.
4. A black stone falls out of the sky and hits one character on the head. The stone starts exhibiting strange characteristics. It flashes whenever its pointed in a certain direction. It leads the players to a dungeon.
5. A small creature steals one characters prize possession and runs off with it. When the party gives chase, it leads them down through the woods into a secret grotto. There are a small waterfall and cave. If they venture into the cave they find that orcs are spoiling the idyllic nature of the caves and polluting the grotto. If they slay the orcs, the creature appears, thanks them, and returns the stolen item.
6. Along the path, there are signs of a struggle. Drops and spatters of blood lead off into the woods. If the party follows the trail of blood, they come upon the cave-like entrance to a goblin lair. The lair is built in an old dungeon. The party will find the goblins holding several travelers hostage.
7. When relaxing in an inn, one character notices a neatly folded piece of parchment under their chair leg. It is a map to a dungeon.
8. A family has disappeared, and the party is asked to investigate. When they go to the familys home to explore it, they find a basement passage that leads down to a dungeon.
9. A wizard needs a vial full of swamp gas. In return to anyone who brings it to him, he will tell them of the location of an ancient ruin.
10. The tower of a long-dead robber baron is moldering and decaying. If any brave souls would repair it, it would be a formidable stronghold. Of course, a dungeon is beneath it.
11. A businesswoman hires the party to clear a forest near a town. While they are clearing the forest, a chest is found with several important items inside. One of the items is a map to a legendary library. Their employer asks them to find the library.
12. An earthquake reveals the entrance to ancient ruins. The party is asked to investigate.
13. The old man who runs the herbalist shop asks the party to gather some rare plants. He tells them of a cave not too far from the town where he used to go. However, his old knees dont allow him to go there anymore. In exchange, he will give them some healing potions. Once the party arrives at the cave, they find some of the plants. However, it becomes quickly apparent that something suspicious is going on at the cave. There are bandits and some unsavory characters living deep inside the cave. The cave leads to a dungeon.
14. While planting an orchard, a young child falls into a pit. The parents rush to town and ask for help. If the party responds, they are able to rescue the child. However, the pit leads down into a forgotten dungeon.