Summary
Running a nautical, pirate-themedDungeons & Dragonscampaign can prove to be a fun challenge for Dungeon Master and players alike. Between hunting for buried treasure, ship-versus-ship naval battles, and all manner of aquatic creatures, there are plenty of tools at a DM’s disposal when it comes to sailing the seven seas.
But, what are some of the best ways to hook your players and engage them in your pirate-themed adventure? Whether you’re a first-time DM or a veteran of the game, you can use these adventure hooks to get your table invested in a swashbuckling campaign perfect for any level.
10X Marks The Spot
Start Digging
Let’s start with aclassic treasure-huntingadventure. For this hook, assume that the party already has a ship to call their very own, and a crew to help operate their vessel. From there, tease them with rumors of a vast treasure buried on an island out in the vast ocean with a handful of clues as to the description of the island.
From there, you’re able to imply that other pirate crews are racing toward the island as well, meaning players will have to quickly decipher the location of the island based on the clues given. They may even have to fight off other pirate crews in the process to claim what’s rightfully theirs.
9Merfolk
Can You Resist?
During one voyage, the entire crew of the party’s vessel is tempted by siren song far out on the open ocean. Have players and crew alike make Wisdom saving throws to resist the call of these sirens. Anyone who fails is taken by the merfolk back to their home island.
The party and remaining crew will have to follow the trail of the merfolk back to their home island, either bartering for the return of their captured allies or defeating them all in combat. Just be careful not to be tricked by their song into fighting your own allies instead of the creatures themselves.
8Skeleton Crew
Swab The Deck
Skeletons are a classic Dungeons & Dragons monster that can also be used for pirate-themed adventures or nautical quest lines. For this adventure, have the party search for a nearby shipwreck that’s said to be teeming with treasure. For extra fun, you can even turn exploring this vast ship into aminiature dungeon crawl.
From there, as players investigate the shipwreck, they may start to notice that the skeletal remains of the crew left behind seem to move. As soon as any player takes treasure, the skeletons spring to life and attack, meaning the party will have to fight off droves of undead if they ever want to see the light of day again.
7Mutiny
Take Back What’s Yers
For this adventure, have the party enlisted as part of a merciless pirate captain’s crew, taking them all over the seven seas on various adventures. Once indoctrinated into the crew, the party will soon realize that their captain steals treasure from all of his mates, leaving them penniless once he’s had his use of them.
To regain what’s rightfully theirs, the party will have to stage a mutiny, convincing enough of the crew to join them in their quest to usurp the pirate captain. This adventure is a good test of both combat prowess and roleplay skills for expert parties.
6Stowaways
Shhh…
This next adventure hook is great for parties that are in between grander campaign arcs. Assume that the party has to get from one location to another, separated by a vast ocean. However, the party is robbed, and a little short on coin to pay for passage.
To get where they need to go, the party will have to stow away on a ship without being spotted. This is a great adventure for rogues or other stealthy characters. Finding food, water, and more resources onboard without being found out will prove a great challenge and require a lot of quick thinking on the players' part.
5Pirate Island
There’s No Place Like Home
If the party is an established pirate crew with a mighty ship and plenty of bounty, have them be invited to a mysterious pirate-populated island. This adventure can serve as a smaller arc in between grander storylines, where players can shop, meet other pirate crews, and more.
However, while the party is enjoying the delights of a pirate-populated island, the island is attacked by local citizens who are tired of being plundered all the time. The party will have to ward off this attack and help defend the island if they want to keep sailing the seas at their leisure.
4Tournament Of Champions
Who’s The Most Fearsome Pirate Of All?
An eccentric pirate captain has decided to host a tournament to decide who’s the most swashbuckling pirate out there. The tournament will include three challenges: sword-fighting, ship-racing, and drinking rum, of course. Inform the party that any number of them can participate, and claim the grand prize at the end.
For this adventure, let anyone in the party who wants to play do so, and then run them through all three gauntlets, usingchase mechanics for the races, normal combat mechanics for sword fighting, and Constitution saving throws for the drinking contest. Though a more lighthearted adventure, this quest is sure to prove a fun distraction for any level party.
3Raid And Plunder
Get Your Loot On
A greedy, exorbitantly wealthy island town is known far and wide for its lust for money and material wealth. The nobles on the island have more riches than they could ever dream of, while the servants on the island toil in makeshift houses, barely strong enough to withstand the rain.
For this adventure. have the party act as a sort of Robin Hood pirate crew, plundering the wealthy nobles for all their worth and redistributing their wealth to the peasants of the island. This will allow the party to live out a full pirate-plundering fantasy while still keeping their alignment largely in check.
2Around The World
Race To The Finish
While the party has become an established pirate crew, another rival crew has risen to power recently and challenges the party to a competition. The first crew to travel their ship around the world and back again, wins. This is a long-running campaign adventure, but can prove rewarding for players who are up to the task.
You don’t have to roleplay every single day of the journey, but, for this quest, you can have various players roll on random encounter tables to determine things like weather, wind direction, creatures encountered, and more. Plus, you can roll above the table to show players the progress the other crew is making as well, turning this quest into a high-stakes race.
1The Great Ship Heist
Ocean’s Eleven, Literally
After successfully securing a vast treasure, the party wakes one morning to discover that they’ve been burglarized. Another crew has stolen their plunder. To get it back, the party will have to organize a heist, in which they break into the other crew’s ship under the cover of night, and take back what’s rightfully theirs.
Use this adventure for a party full of sneaky and deceptive heroes to allow them to flex their creative skills and cunning. Plus, running a heist combined with a pirate adventure is sure to prove to be a memorable encounter for your table.
