10 New Serious RPG Adventure Hooks (and 6 Funny Ones)

Versione in italiano qui.

Thirteen years ago, I searched online and compiled the list you'll find in this post (italian only).

I have a series of activities planned for the blog, and soon you'll find out how they tie into what I'm about to do.

In this 2025 version of the post, I’ll not only list the prompts, but have them face off (according to my taste) until I choose the one I like the most.

First, let’s list them. To make it an even number, I decided to offer 10 serious prompts and 6 funny ones.

Edit 22/08/2025: fixed some translation errors. 

10 Serious Adventure Hooks

  1. The Echo of the Past

    An ancient manuscript resurfaces, revealing that a legendary hero was in fact a bloodthirsty tyrant. His deeds, celebrated for centuries, hide a dark secret that threatens to rewrite history.
  2. The Silent Village
    The inhabitants of a village have vanished without a trace. The houses are intact, meals still warm. Only a whisper in the wind endlessly repeats a forgotten name.
  3. The Curse of the Stars
    Every night, a star falls from the sky, and with it, a new aberrant creature is born. Scholars fear the sky itself is dying, and with it, the entire world.
  4. The Broken Pact
    An ancient treaty between humans and forest creatures has been broken. Nature spirits awaken, bringing chaos and destruction, demanding justice for the offense.
  5. The Forbidden Legacy
    A young person discovers she is the last descendant of a banned bloodline of sorcerers. Their latent powers begin to manifest, attracting magical hunters and dark cults.
  6. The Sunken Temple
    During a drought, a lake’s waters recede, revealing a sunken temple. The inscriptions speak of a forgotten god and an imminent sacrifice.
  7. The King's Mask
    The king of a realm seems changed: colder, distant, inhuman. Rumors speak of a magical mask that has taken control of its wearer.
  8. The Sirens’ Song
    Sailors tell of an island that appears only during eclipses, inhabited by beings who sing irresistible melodies. Those who listen never return.
  9. The Infinite Library
    A dimensional portal leads to an endless library, where each book contains a person’s fate. But some volumes are beginning to rewrite themselves.
  10. The Eternal Judge
    A hooded figure appears in villages, judging the actions of the inhabitants and delivering immediate punishment. No one knows its origin or purpose.

6 Funny Adventure Hooks

  1. The Dragon Festival
    A small village holds an annual festival honoring an imaginary dragon. This year, a real dragon shows up, confused but curious to participate.
  2. The Shadow Thief
    The citizens of a town discover their shadows have vanished. An eccentric artist stole them to create his “ultimate masterpiece.”
  3. The Dancing Curse
    Anyone entering a certain tavern is forced to dance non-stop until dawn. The music seems to come from a magical jukebox with questionable taste.
  4. The Goblin Poet
    A goblin has decided to become a poet and challenges everyone to rhyme duels. His verses, however, have unpredictable magical effects.
  5. The Crafts Tournament
    A bored king organizes a tournament where participants must excel in common trades: cooking, sewing, gardening. The prize? A powerful magic item.
  6. The Flying Cow
    A cow has gained the ability to fly and is causing panic in the skies. The adventurers must discover the origin of the phenomenon and restore peace.

Now let’s set up the tournament board!

The Echo of the Past VS The Shadow Thief
The Broken Pact VS The King's Mask
The Eternal Judge VS The Crafts Tournament
The Dragon Festival VS The Flying Cow
The Dancing Curse VS The Sunken Temple
The Curse of the Stars VS The Infinite Library
The Goblin Poet VS The Forbidden Legacy
The Sirens’ Song VS The Silent Village

First Elimination Round

The Echo of the Past VS The Shadow Thief

The Echo of the Past appeals to me because, if built well, it can first cast doubt on the players’ actions, then place them in an awkward situation with the NPCs.
The Shadow Thief is interesting; magical painting used sparingly can really break the routine of a session.
However, my verdict gives the win to The Echo of the Past as it better supports a full-blown adventure (I can already picture it in three parts).

The Broken Pact VS The King's Mask

The Broken Pact is a classic and could even bring a social theme to the table for the right group.
The King's Mask feels a bit predictable, but with some tweaks it could be interesting (I’m thinking of a mask that actually made the king wise and whose loss now endangers the kingdom).
Neither excites me much, but thanks to the idea I had while reading, The King's Mask wins.

The Eternal Judge VS The Crafts Tournament

The Eternal Judge could be fun; the PCs might be hired by a wealthy but unpleasant man who fears being judged. The Judge might initially target the most hated villagers, then start eliminating everyone else. Lots of creative room here.
The Crafts Tournament is good for a break but wouldn’t sustain a full adventure.
The winner here is The Eternal Judge.

The Dragon Festival VS The Flying Cow

The Dragon Festival could work, but it feels like a side quest. In D&D, dragons are hard to manage at low levels, and the idea of a festival doesn’t fit well at high levels.
The Flying Cow is also a side quest, but with an advantage: a flying creature can challenge mid-level characters who are strong on the ground but don’t yet have flight abilities or items.
From that perspective, The Flying Cow wins.

The Dancing Curse VS The Sunken Temple

The Dancing Curse isn’t even a side quest — more of an encounter. Maybe the only item that can exhaust a powerful enemy, with a quest to lure them into the tavern.
The Sunken Temple leads directly to a dungeon, maybe with a time-based twist due to a curse or prophecy.
One-sided match: The Sunken Temple wins hands down.

The Curse of the Stars VS The Infinite Library

The Curse of the Stars could work for a whole campaign — either in an epic or a humorous tone (I’m thinking old-school mecha anime).
The Infinite Library has a great mood, but I think it would be hard to keep that atmosphere while the players are actively trying to resolve the mystery through quests.
So the winner here is The Curse of the Stars.

The Goblin Poet VS The Forbidden Legacy

The Goblin Poet is definitely fun, with just enough frustration for the players — especially if you're not good at freestyle rhyming.
The Forbidden Legacy suggests a classic escort quest. But if the cursed one is a player character, I can see a much more engaging story.
Despite my love for stories with redeemed goblins, The Forbidden Legacy wins.

The Sirens’ Song VS The Silent Village

A clash between sound and silence (you’ll soon find out why I’m surprised by this).
The Sirens’ Song lacks punch. In 100% of cases, if sailors tell players about a strange song leading people to a mysterious island, players think “sirens.” It needs a stronger hook.
The Silent Village reminds me of something I’m currently reading (a '90s work I'm progressing slowly through, but I’ll review it later). Interesting hook, but hard to find activities for the players.
Neither excites me much, but The Sirens’ Song wins.

Second Elimination Round

The Eternal Judge VS The Flying Cow: I choose The Eternal Judge because it has all the elements to support a full adventure.
The Echo of the Past VS The Sirens’ Song: Sirens barely scraped through earlier; The Echo of the Past wins this one easily.
The Curse of the Stars VS The Forbidden Legacy: Tough match. But personally, I prefer The Forbidden Legacy.
The King's Mask VS The Sunken Temple: Not a great matchup. I prefer the emotion of the mask, but The Sunken Temple wins for its adventure potential.

Semifinal

The Eternal Judge VS The Echo of the Past
The Forbidden Legacy VS The Sunken Temple
The Echo of the Past wins over The Eternal Judge by a small margin — this could've been a final.
The Forbidden Legacy wins over The Sunken Temple, especially in the version where the cursed character is a player.

Final

The Echo of the Past VS The Forbidden Legacy
Only in the version where the cursed one is the player, my winner is:
The Forbidden Legacy
 
Now it’s your turn! Let me know your favorite adventure hook by voting here.
The random pairings in this post were made using this tool.  

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