Summary
Mystery campaigns inDungeons & Dragonscan prove to be a rewarding roleplay and puzzle-solving experience for both players and Dungeon Masters alike. Of course, plotting one of these complex mysteries out is easier said than done. However, what all great mysteries need is a really strong and captivating adventure hook.
But, if you’re not exactly sure where to start when it comes to crafting a mystery campaign or adventure, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why we’ve created this list, which has all of the best plot hooks to use for a mystery-themed adventure in your Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
10Murder Most Foul
Cold And Ruthless
The best way to start a classic murder mystery is with a classic murder. For this adventure hook, it’s likely better to use anNPC or characterthat the players are familiar with already, but you can also make up an NPC for the adventure. Have the players stumble across the scene of a murder that they’ll have to solve.
For extra fun, have city authorities show up at the same time as the party, thus making the party seem guilty by association. If the party wants a chance at proving their innocence, they’ll have to find the real killer, and fast.
9The Missing Magistrate
An Empty Throne
In a large metropolis ruled by a powerful magistrate, the city suddenly goes on edge when its leader vanishes without a trace. There’s no sign of a body, note left behind, or any other clue as to where they might be. Soon, many greedy nobles begin to vie for the throne.
For this adventure, have the party enlisted to track down the missing sovereign, attempting to piece together who or what caused this ruler to vanish. Players will have to not only find the missing magistrate but also keep others at bay from seizing the throne while it sits empty.
8Waning Magic
Avoid The Spellplague
All across a vast kingdom, mages of all levels of power are suddenly beginning to lose their magical prowess. Other than the weakening of their spells, they have no other symptoms and appear physically well. Local leaders beseech the party for help.
Players must investigate several settlements in which powerful mages are losing their powers. If their investigation proves fruitful, the party may soon discover that there appears to be one mage in the kingdom whose powers haven’t weakened and have, in fact, grown stronger over time.
7The Mark Of A Thief
It’s Their Signature
All over the city, nobles of every variety are being robbed and attacked in the middle of the night. While they are left physically unharmed, many priceless family heirlooms have been taken in the process. Local law enforcement will enlist the party to help crack this case.
Interestingly, every single household that has been robbed is left with a unique sigil or symbol engraved into the mantles of their fireplaces. While each one is different, there is a similarity in the style and shape of these engravings. Could they be a cipher to crack a code? Or, could there be a message left behind by the culprit to the party?
6The Burglar Becomes The Burgled
The Tables Have Turned
This next adventure hook is perfect for a party that hasa rogue in it, or any player who is a member of a criminal faction. A dastardly crime syndicate reaches out to the party, mysteriously asking for help. Someone, or something, has been targeting members of their order.
While the party might not have much sympathy for the criminal underbelly, leaders in the faction may inform the party that, should they refuse to help, they’ll be marked by the organization for life, relentlessly pursued by their other members. Blackmail is a strong motivator after all. Players will have to use various clues to track down who might want revenge against the criminal syndicate.
5Innocent Until Proven Guilty
The Best Defense
The party is reached out to by a lowly commoner who is being accused of kidnapping a wealthy nobleman’s daughter. Though she has been returned safely, the daughter of this noble house accused the commoner of kidnapping. With no evidence to deny her claim, the commoner is at a loss; he claims he is innocent, but has no way to disprove her.
The party will have to investigate the claim of the noblewoman and find out why she might have an incentive to lie. Or, perhaps the party will discover that her memory has been modified, thereby disguising the real culprit behind the entire plot.
4Strange Sounds In The Night
Bump, Bump
If players or the party itselfhas a bastion or keep, use this next adventure hook to kickstart a mystery campaign. Late one night, one or multiple players may start to hear strange thumping sounds coming from behind the walls of their bastion. Should the party investigate, they may discover that they’re not alone.
While at first, the mysterious noises may cease upon further inspection, they will get progressively louder and more aggressive each successive night. The party will have to track down who or what is tormenting them, and rid their home of this foul invader if they’re ever to get a good night’s rest again.
3Hypnotic Heretics
Praise Be
A local organization of clerics reaches out to the party for help. Several of their worshipers have begun acting strangely during routine services. They cannot bear to pray or hear the name of their deity uttered. Sometimes, they’re even caught in strange, trance-like states all over the chapel.
The party will have to investigate these individuals, discovering who or what is making them act so strangely. Should the party press the issue, they may discover that many of these individuals have recently run afoul of a high priest at the temple, whose vengeful nature is well-known to everyone in town.
2The Devious Dungeon
Where Did That Come From?
A small, quiet farming town suddenly becomes the talk of the realm when the entrance to a vast and storied dungeon is discovered right in their backyard. The farmers are befuddled: they claim that the dungeon seems to have manifested out of thin air. They’ve never seen anything like it.
Various adventuring parties have attempted to explore the dungeon, attempting to find out its true nature, but none so far have returned. To make matters worse, crops have mysteriously started failing in town. The local leaders of this farming village reach out to the party for help, asking them to investigate the mysterious ruins and discover what could possibly be making their crops fail.
1Arcane Arson
Hiding Something?
One night, in a bustling magical metropolis, a shop known for its fabulous bouts of arcana and magic items is mysteriously burned to rubble. The fire is strangely contained to just the one building, implying that this is perhaps the work of an arson. The party is called upon to investigate.
Who or what might have had reason to burn down this shop? Is someone simply seeking revenge against the shop owner, who has been known to prove quarrelsome in the past? Or, could the shop owner himself have burned it to the ground to cover up some arcane experiment gone awry?
