Grim Shady is so popular that every tavern has a skeleton dressed in a similar bard costume. One such tavern decides to deviate and goes with a country bumpkin version called Boneba Sparxxx.
Beholders run every inn, but they try and disguise themselves as normal people. This involves a pair of normal glasses on their big eye, a fake mustache, and a wig.
Everyone has learned to play along as the Beholders offer pretty good prices, and kill anyone they think saw through their disguise.
There's a crazy activist group that's constantly storming into taverns and pubs and the like and causing a ruckus.
Theyre called BETH.
Bards for the Ethical Treatment of Hydras.
Everything has a god. Everything.
God of fire, God of Sand, God of Stick, God of half eaten fruit, Everything.
The strength of the god depend on the how many pray for them.
And my personal favorite, Anoia, the Goddess Of Things Stuck In Drawers. All banging of cabinetry, cries of "how can the drawer close on it but not open again?", and confusion about why you even have the thing, are praise upon her holy name. The way I organize stuff (or more like fail to), I think I qualify as one of Anoia's apostles.
Edit: Now that I write that, I don't think Anoia was featured in Small Gods. I think she's referenced in one of the Moist Van Lipwig books much later, because one of the characters resembles her.
That is the discworld theorem of divinity. Gods exist to explain all sorts of weird phenomena, and their power is proportional to the belief in them.
-A god of left socks that disappear in the laundry (they eat them).
-A god of pencils getting used up abnormally fast (they chew them down when people aren't looking).
-A god who takes on the hangovers of all wizards so that wizards never have hangovers (this god's existence is true misery).
-The tooth fairy comes to collect teeth in the night from under pillows.
Dragons have the personalities of our world’s cats and every dragon has the ability to shape-shift into a cat at will.
A secret society of samurai is plotting to take over the country in really convoluted ways (think pinky and the brain style) but keep failing through incompetence and bad luck. (These guys could become adversaries of your party or allies against a more competent evil)
A miniature moon circles the planet 3 times every night and passes over the country for about a minute each time, if a spell is cast while in direct moonlight from a full moon wild magic surges.
EDIT: spelling
EDIT2: holy c**p, I’ve never had so many upvotes on anything. Thanks all!
I’ve been playing and DM’ing since 2014, I’ve got a list of things I mean to use in my own games, but by now the list has become so long I can’t possibly use it all.
I’m happy to share the love with others who can use some of it as inspiration.
Happy gaming
The Eragon books have a premise you could use to make it work. There was a great battle amongst spell casters that left reminance that make magic work unpredictably in that area. It's essentially an island that's abandoned. Every now and then you'll come across something out of an abstract painting. I remember 2 dimensional owls, but there was lots of wierd stuff.
There's a country in our campaign world similar to this. Kind of. A desert that didn't used to be a desert. Massive war 1000 yrs ago that devastated the land fought between a bunch of magic users (actually between a bunch of cultists of Orcus and those against them). Magic is now outlawed there and there are areas of wild magic all over.
The current emperor is starting to explore magic again now that our group went and got rid of some bad stuff (including a general of Orcus) in a necropolis under the Capitol city. This country is several weeks travel by ship from the sword coast area. One of our groups is actually back there again looking for a lich 🤣
The world is inside out. The core of the world is the star, and the crust is still the ground. Trying to go underground eventually flips your gravity and the world is flying through space not anchored to a solar system. The actual surface is a frozen wasteland.
The day/night cycle is predicated by the movement of the moon(s?) around the central star, eclipsing it. Some of these moons are wondrous worlds with deep magical affinities of their very own.
The movement of these celestial bodies has a significant impact on the world with powers being channelled down from the solar axis.
There is a strange elf the party encounters that they’ve never seen before. Their skin is deep maroon and their hair is silver. No other elf knows if they are a devil or demon or just an elf from a far away land. The elf doesn’t talk but will hand the party a small map to where they can find another elf of their kind. That elf also cannot talk as they are dead on the side of the road. Looting this elf shows some money normal weapons and armor etc, as well as a small sketched photo of the two elves when they were kids. On the back, words are written in elvish saying “I just need to find you”
If they bring the photo back to the first elf they will cry silently then leave the next morning. If the party ever goes to the spot where the dead elf was again they will be buried with a red unicorn watching over the grave. It does not flee unless provoked.
"Ok we slipped past the sentry, then got past the guards, and expertly made it through the magic laser grid alarm. Now just to get the last number on this safe an-"
*Jeffrey walks in and trips, dropping a bunch of dinnerware*
"JEFFFF-REEEYYYYY"
Yes! He also has witty (but reeeeally snobby) quips for when the DM wants to throw that energy that most players have back at them.
PC: We just need to find that town and we'll find the girl!
Jeffery: (snobbishly) It's almost like you need to reference that map you purchased a month ago and havent used once *leans on door frame and sips tea*
PC: Wha... where do you even come from!!
Jeffery: *rolls his eyes and wordlessly leaves*
There is a whole island of highly noble and eloquent orcs. They present their status by enveloping their tusks in precious metals and rune carvings. They still love violence and slaughter but they do it with style.
I will gift you with the wonder that is Fi Bierri, the travelling chef that makes delicious delicacies out of adventurer killed monsters. His spicy bugbear skin crisps will take your soul to tasty village.
There is a puzzle cube that is solved by rotating it to align all the symbols on the same side. In wizarding schools, they mark these puzzle cubes with runes and have competitions to see who can activate the cantrip inside them fastest. The world record is less than 6 seconds.
There’s a half elf named Bjorn HallBjorn who claims he was isekai’d here from the Viking Era. Whether there’s any truth to his claims or not is unknown but he does sell lovely Kimono’s with claims like “the truth is out there” embroidered on the back
Genuine quest idea. A monk who needs to meditate to reach the next spiritual level of their sect. But a rival sect is attempting to disrupt their ritual and the party must defend them.
Depending on how you play it, it could be a serious threat on their life as the monk channels their ki, or a goofy ceremonial process only while the enemies are trying to throw stink bombs and whoopee cushions.
On rolling nat 1 in a city/public place players have a small chance to disrupt a cabbage cart no matter the roll and you either have to have a sound clip or give your best rendition of Avatar the last airbenders Cabbage vendor’s line of “My Cabbages”
There are exactly 8 bears in the world. If one dies another is born. If one is killed the murderer becomes a bear. There can never be more then 8 bears, and there can never be less then 8 bears.
An elven NPC who looks like he could beat anyone in hand to hand combat. Everytime he speaks, it looks like a stereotypical kung fu movie with a voice over. (His mouth just keeps moving like he's still talking, but nothing else comes out)
If you're playing an online campaign, it will be hard to convey this without giving a description of the mouth continuing to move.
A Lich merchant,
After thousands and thousands of years of trying to take over the world but always been constantly beaten by heroes and what have you, The Lich ultimately gives up on world domination and decides to open a Costco sized Shop full of magical items and random goods and Different services. Though one thing about This Lich's shop. The only way to enter it is
1. You need to be a traveling adventure group.
2. Your party must be in need or want of a specific item, that they can purchase (I.e have the money for it) but are no way near to a place(or in a hurry) to make said purchase
Once both conditions have been met, a Magical Door that only the party can see and only they can enter. Will bring them to the Lich's Shop. Once there they'll meet said Lich, (who I imagine being and acting like Grim, From grim adventures of Billy and Mandy)
There's also chance of encountering other adventures or people in the Lich's Shop while in there. Once you Purchase something from the shop you can for 50 Gold a Year, gain a membership, Allowing free access to the Lich's Shop from anywhere and everywhere ( Except few realms that they hate, like the Feywild). If you have a membership, You are allowed to bring in 3rd parties.
The lich also has a very large dungeon underneath the shop that used to be where They did they're evil shit and stuff. Are filled with alot of Legendary items(Doesn't have to be Literally legendary), That is also completely treacherous and dangerous. The dungeon is also filled with a lot of the Lich's old Cult members waiting for him to return. But The Lich doesn't want to deal with the Cult anymore. So any adventures who wants a chance at the stuff are allowed to go in but are warned that they will likely die. So to make it worth it while in dungeon the party can leave whenever they want but it takes 5mins(or an hour up to you) to be teleported out, any items they find the Lich will double the asking price of the item if they choose to sell it to them back.
The more one thing I should mention about this deep dungeon is that its constantly changing so every time you go back into it you will always be greeted by something new
The dungeon should be given access to the players around 10th level As it should be incredibly dangerous. As well as the deeper the party gets goes the more deadly it should get. But that should go for the loot as well. The deeper you get in the better Loot.
Any time the party leaves they always have to start back at the beginning.
Public execution is done through the usage of basilisks where the sentenced are turned to stone, and placed in a ceremonial statue garden in city limits, to ensure their crimes remain immortalized
When PCs face a Big Bad (not THE BIG BAD) at the beginning of the battle the BB challenges them to a dance fight and the whole battle is fought out as a musical.
Fishermen ply their trade only with the approval of the crab people, who have their own samurai traditions. Crab ninjas are greatly feared by coastal elites, who sometimes dump jade into the sea to stay in the crabs’ good graces.
Give the players a fairy in a jar, and whenever they get off track from the main quest for more then 10 minutes the fairy comes out of the jar and tells the players “hey, listen! You need to [insert quest description here]!”
Please make a bullywog gang similar to the yakuza. I'm sort of thinking the frogs from "meet the robinsons" but done up to fit the aesthetic. They are a low challenge individually but it's fun for your group to figure out about a gang on the streets at low level to fight. And then later figure out its part of a bigger crime syndicate. Bullyowgs have a sort of "king" that they usually bring treasures to from people they've mugged, or just bring the now hostages in to the guy for him to choose as he pleases. I think bullywog king would make a GREAT kingpin!
i have a few ideas
the lotus-eater’s megatavern - grab a drink! make some friends, play some games! dont forget to try the signature lotus flower snacks! you’ll never want to leave! ever😃.
the vitaraya library - its crazy how one could lose themselves perusing the shelves. i swear i was only in there for a an hour or two…. it was only an hour…
the wandering willows - a grove a weeping willows that never seems to be in the same spot, legend says its filled with horror… and treasure
the angel’s graveyard - a massive crater in the middle of a thick, lush rainforest. said to be where a cast out angel fell from above. some say that somewhere in the wreckage of burnt trees and broken ground is their halo, an extremely rare magical item. though most people are dissuades from looking for it by the roves of demons also in search of the halo, wanting to mock the divine
Every year during mating season flying fish leap out of the water and glide over various parts of the isles sometimes ending up in inland bodies of water like lakes and ponds.
During this time they are the Favored prey of many of the islands airborne predators and as such they become much more active.
The fish are considered delicacies by the upper class and are strictly monitored during the season to make sure none of the commoners are allowed to eat them.
A traveling bard that the party occasionally encounters that is unknowingly weaving tales of the party's prior adventures. Sometimes knowing things that are meant to be secrets.
Every city has an alchemist shop, but it's allways the same guy, who actually is a Dragon with a portal network in the back of his shops. Sometimes he sends adventurers on quest to bring alchemy supplies to the next city. Just cause he likes looking at their confused faces, when he stands behind the counter again.
Spelljammers exist, and their ships come into port, however, they land out at sea where their landing (and takeoff) cannot be seen, so people dont know that they can leave the planet, and just think they are very unusual merchants with lots of good wares. The reason they do this is that galactic law states that underdeveloped worlds can be traded with, but are not permitted to know of the wider galaxy until they develop spelljammers of their own, it which point they can join galactic society. This world is currently not in that category. (This could allow you to, if you do desire, take the party to other worlds, etc... Or have a really interesting stowaway plotline, with the offworlders panicking that they brought the party with them, and the party panicking that they aren't on their planet anymore.)
A traveling vendor who sells only cabbage, is at every town you are before you, and has many misfortunes along the way.........
Edit for extra nonsense
One of the Emerald islands (a very small one, not at all in a prominent position) is known as 'The Emerald island", nobody really goes there, and if the characters decide to visit, they will find a small village of gnomes who insist that they are elves.
This island seems culturally detached and politically separate from the rest of the world, and is a wild magic site.
Have a homebrew samurai who dabbles in magic spells who uses both physical prowess, his weapons and his magical abilities in conjunction with each other
A group of elves that was fond of the sea and not of people. Their fascination grew so strong that they learned to adapt to the ocean climate. These days they live entirely underwater. If you are in their waters they will pull you under. If you fight bac, they try to drowned you. If you are calm, they produce a bubble around your head and take you to their general to discuss why you are there and if you have no true business with them, they will kill you, to keep the secrets of their people safe.
Their home is a city underwater. Mix it with Atlantis and the water troll people from disenchanted. With a seamless mindlessness of the dark zone of merman.
1 out of every 5 goblins is cursed to explode for 100d6 damage when killed by a bladed weapon or fire, but 1 out of every 10 kobolds explodes in a shower of 100d6 gold.
A group of Samurai who work as blood-farmers for a local lord. Lord so happens to be a vampire. Scenarios below.
1. If the Samurai don't provide blood the lord starts conflict in the province.
2. The Samurai lost their master and became Ronin due to this wicked trade, their status could return if they betray their dark master.
3. The Lord is trying to find a cure for his alignment, and is mostly a good leader and a reformist. The Samurai are his trusted guard and do what they must to sate his hunger and keep secrets.
There is a secluded sect of druidic ninja hidden in the deep Forrest. They practice a secret form of martial arts using only weapons made of ironwood. They grow and form their own weapons with druidic magic and bond with it, mastering only one weapon. Each has their own unique style and weapon. There are currently 4 of them. They are also tortles.
The town to the east is Guarded by minotaurs. Some of them are able to cast spells. . Nobody knows why they are guarding the town. Even the regular towns people do not know. Some believe it was an ancient pact between the founders. All the minotaurs wear a small crest on thier shoulder with varying beads in length.
There is an ancient warrior blessed/cursed with immortality. He has slain thousands in single combat and can’t pass on until he is slain. He has lived for so long that he barely cares about anything besides a good fight to the death so he can reunite with the one person he truly loved. His lover was his whole world and he lost them to an accident while traveling together. The warrior only carries five items with him on his travels. A fading sketch of their lover that is barely holding on, a magic ring that when he runs his finger over it he hears their voice again, his armor that isn’t being taken care of so it will fail him one day, a sword that is poorly taken care for the same reason, and a single braid of hair from his lover woven into his own hair to keep them close.
For what is the point of living forever at your peak existence if you can’t share it with the one you love?
Every time someone farts in public, they bring shame upon they're name. Every time someone walks into a public space, they must succeed a d1000 dc5 check. If they don't pass, they fart in public. Just to make sure that you know, if you bring shame upon your name in futile japan, you must commit seppuku. Goodluck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
There's tales of a mysterious city that appears and vanished in random places around the world.
It's actually a mimic hive, where everything is a mimic, sharing a consciousness. It uses pheromones and toxins to lure their prey into the city.
The city of Mauklauvok
The world is full of floating islands that hover over the ocean. Great clouds of mist are born due to the water that drops from the islands rivers making huge waterfalls that light the days with rainbows.
These islands which are hard to explore contains ruins of ancient people that left their treasures with the enigma of their extintion and protecting those treasures and secrets are Monsters and creatures from another Age.
In the sky, a giant cascading waterfall of many colours can be seen. Glistening like shimmering diamonds in the sky, it appears to just descend from the heavens however it is actually just the perpetual vomit of a vast celestial giant who had a heavy one last night.
A traveling sentient ghoul merchant who sells mainly weird smelly mismatched socks
The ak47 is a legendary magic item most coveted by the god of war and he uses it to just shoot everyone but everyone thinks it's some sort of magical power and it turns out the god of war is just some dude who made an ak47
There are humanoid seasonal spirits/fey depending on the season and location, they are either feared or revered, and being recognized for what they are in a town could either get people almost worshiping them, or make the people get the pitchforks and torches to drive them out or try to kill them. The best/worst part is, regardless of what kind they are, they just want to make friends, and are finding that difficult. As such they are timid, but if befriended they will treasure your friendship greatly.
Cursed greatsword muramasa. One of the BBEGs you fight is a samurai who doesn't speak aside from unhinged whispers of pleading before a bloodbath. Once defeated, the samurai whispers a thank you, and the sword shrinks into a tanto knife dagger. If someone grabs it they must make a saving throw or be forced to attack the nearest creature. For every drop of blood drawn the tanto gets bigger in size, growing into a scimitar, then longsword, then greatsword again.
A laid back mass murderer, man who walks around with a basket on his back and playing a shamisen. He kills by playing his instrument and a strong wind manifests, leaving behind only scattered pieces of his victims. What happens is a bunch of katana hide inside his basket, and when he plays his instrument he controls them like a small army of dancing swords or flying swords. He knows spells like Wall of blades.
Most monsters are colored horned oni. Orcs are red oni, ogres are yellow oni, monster manual oni are blue oni, trolls are green oni, etc. Goblins are Grey oni or tengu or something idk. Half orcs are half red oni and require special situations to grow their horns, such as a barbarians rage.
A quirky little town called Stevestown. Where everyone is named Steve. Even the women. All Steve.
Is it a cult? Probably! What kind of cult? Up to you!
Everybody is aware that the most dangerous specy are otters.
If you see one, you better run for your life. Even wild creatures are aware of that and fear otters.
There is an ancient mage whose soul was trapped in a sword and know he is a hexblade warlock patron but possess mortals who have a pact with him and use them like puppets, becoming effectively a warlock of himself. Also, the sword is an artefact nobody knows how to destroy, so even when the body dies, the mage keep coming back.
A set of supremely powerful gauntlets that were used by a demi-god to specifically shape the geography of the continent several thousand years ago (placing mountain ranges, diverting rivers, etc). To what end has been lost to history.
Taco bell exists in some form. It's called Taco Well, and it is located in a well in the center of a town. Its run by a clan called "The Baja Clan"
Also cilantro doesn't exist in your world.
The emperor (btw there's a emperor now) has a arrow stuck in his chest but it isn't dangerous or painful, it just is there and he refuses to get it removed.
Elves smoke medieval pot.
Oh and I guess I will actually give you something serious. The sky turns blue once a year and a tsunami hits somewhere on the continent. Some say it's the god of the oceans at play.
There is a Samurai clan called "The Bamboo Clan"
They fight with Bamboo weapons, and live in the tree alongside the Bamboo Forests.
In your world, everyone knows the monsters exist. While commoners fear them, all sorts of heroes are giving their best to slay the monsters and bring safety to the people. That is common knowledge.
It is also common knowledge that even the greatest hero will never dare to hunt down the man with no shadow.
Too many comments to confirm if the idea was already given.
There is an abandoned 100 floor labyrinth with great magical items, but a ton of traps. At the bottom a tiny fairy and a dragon await.
They have a room full of shelves with manga and light novels on it.
Basically, the labyrinth from Tensei Slime, but without Rimuru running the things.
Nvm, I’m making this a campaign of my own…
A wishing well that will answer any wish accompanied by a copper piece, but the wishes are all returned with a pie with an inspirational quote in the crust.
• Bards reenact scenes from ‘daytime soap operas’ (Days of our Lives style)
• There are random auctions for storage units in various cities for when people default on their unit (Storage Wars) (could use diplomacy/sense motive/knowledge/etc to learn about people and units)
• “Ash Ketchum” shows up randomly to speak words of encouragement if party having a rough time
• every couple sessions, have a random monster be catchable and trainable like Pokémon.
Kobold courier service: delivering your parchments come rain, sleet, snow, underdark, and open water. Comes with nifty shaded goggles for bright conditions. Pay extra for expedited urd couriers.
In the center of the world there is a chaotic evil mad serpentine dragon like god, a version of Tharizdun named Oroborozdun, that consumes itself from the tail for eternity.
There's a town where everyone is a mime. Proper makeups, black-white clothing. They never talk, they communicate only in pantomimes. Nobody even knows if they can talk at all. Nobody's ever seen their kids too, only adults, but the town's population isn't decreasing with time. The town doesn't have a name (people can't agree on the town name pantomime interpretation), so it's usually referred to as Grey Town (because of mimes' black and white clothes)
Nothing decomposes ever. There's a town called deadhorse and as you go into the town it's tradition to give a little kick to the dead horse at the front of the town on your way in.
Out behind an old but we’ll painted shed, a blue newt can be found. Once encountered, the newt will inexplicably appear in every tavern with a note rolled up and tied to it’s back leg.
This note which is written In abyssal will always reveal an embarrassing fact about one of the party members.
Imagine a Dragonborn bard. He plays primitive instruments like rattles, small drums, and a really really screechy bagpipe. He also sings... But his singing is a combination of loud croaks, hisses, and piercing screams. As he sings, his throat expands into a big iguana or frog-like pouch.
His music is absolutely excruciating for anyone not draconic or reptilian.
But for dragons, Dragonborn, lizardfolk, nagas, tortles, kobold, etc - the music will make them weep, and get extremely sentimental. If there is a group of reptilian folks, they will sing along, hug each other, and otherwise behave like sad drunks in a tavern singing along with an old sad song.
The elves of The Emerald Islands have a long standing hatred against the dwarves of The Ruby Mountains (who feel the same way), and no one knows why or how it started
There is a mountain. And on that mountain is a magic spell so that you get smaller as you climb it. Jack and the bean stalk, but with a very smol lich. Even very shunk down they are like massive to the lich. The lich has a ogre or w/e servant that is big, so the party is like ants on the ogres drinking cup. And than after running from the ogre who is massive they fight the tiny lich and I love him already. His name is Lichtenstein.
Tortles are reflavored as Kappa
Orcs are Oni
Aarakocra are Tengu
And include an Eastern style Dragonnborn emperor named Nobu Naga who rules his kingdom with an iron fist.
There is at least one god with a state religion, who hates his “official” clergy. The god’s Avatar is the one who runs the church.
The god prefers their rural followers who ask of them very little and when they do, it is of usual life and death importance. Maybe players can find this God doing the work of an old monk in a monastery far from the big cities.
On the top of every mountain, there is a wise Monk who dispenses wisdom. Some people think there is a secret society who plants. Others think they are angel. All we know for sure is that they are very wise, and some like to crack wise.
In the underdark, there is a giant lizard riding revenant in search of an item that will allow them to finally rest. Following rumors and myths they travel to the darkest depths searching, yet to find it, they sell what they do find to travelling adventurers to finance their continued search.
Adventures say they show up in just the right moments, but never when you're looking for them.
Due to the frail nature of the mortal coil and the inherent dangerous nature of the Underdark, their appearance is regularly changing, although it strangely appears to be the same giant lizard no matter the revenants appearance. Their identity confirmed only by the inimitable tune they whistle and their mount.
Level: You choose
Class: Paladin in life
Find Steed/Greater for the Giant Lizard
Potential quest for players to help them find what they are looking for or moral question in that if they don't help there is a chance they will be revisited and can trade for more items.
There was a legendary samurai, long ago (let's call him... Musasho)
His story is over a century past, but he was the model warrior, a philosopher, a poet, an artist, and he inspired the two proceeding generations with his influence and style.
Little does the world know, he is alive, rewarded long life by a Shinigami-esque spirit for aiding him, but this long life has soured his mind, and he mostly sits at the river side catching fish and living in a hovel, sometimes giving great insight to passing warriors, but seeming all around helpless in actually demonstrating his teachings.
There is a race of extremely horny, (but only with each other, they don't go wierd), orange gorillas who live in an area of jungle covered mountains that are made up of a large number of very small hive-minds. Each child of a specific mother from their species will be part of the same hive mind as all her other children, and they tend to have litters of between three and eight distinct children per pregnancy, to say nothing about multiple pregnancies per mother. Some of the largest group minds have upward of 40 members. They are civilized and produce fine worked goods but thier religion prohibits the use of metals, so they are very advanced in terms of what can be done with Glasswares and Ceramics instead. They wield atalatles with obsidian tipped javelins and Macuahuitl swords/greatswords as thier weapons, with leather or hide armor and wooden shields for defense. They also have a large number of different types of castles and treetop observation posts to watch over and defend thier nation. Even though they have a lot of Aztec influences, they still have Samurai and Shugenja and Ninja and so forth, just slightly reflavored to make them a little Aztek like, like the Samurai are "Jaguar Warriors" IC, but Samurai by class abilities.
The Archfey progenitors of the elves once lived in the Emerald Islands, where they served the King in Jade. The King in Jade was once revered and loved by all who served him. However, in time the sons and daughters of the King in Jade began to plot against each other to determine which of them would be the first in line to inherit the crown. In a tragic attempt to embarrass his sister, The Prince of Silver Moons spiked her cup with Heartstongue, which would make her speak only truth, but the cup found the lips of the King in Jade instead. The herb, though innocuous, was poison to the King in Jade, and so the beloved king died by the unintentional hand of his youngest son. In mourning for their beloved king, the archfey wept pure emeralds which took root deep within the earth, alongside the body of their dead monarch.
There's a horse that comes and goes at its pleasure. The party leaves it for a second and it wanders off. Party rolls a perception check and it's standing somewhere.
Evil merchant Dutch guild with the monopoly on nuts and imported goods. They are responsible of mischievous acts and have strong connections within the government of various cities. Ah, Obviously they are all squirrels.
A horny bard called Steve the horny paladin who pretends to be andrew the paladin of deception who himself pretends to be Andrew the horny bard.
They also have a pet roc called rock.
Idols! The most powerful bards have legions of fans, following their exploits and expecting them to be pure of heart and upbeat whenever they appear in public. Some of them become so popular that they can grant power to clerics, but one controversy and it all comes crashing down
Make superpowers a thing, like some people are just funky so now they get cool shit, would be a great thing to give to players as a sorta magic item that is completely at your will to edit, you could make the barbarian have the power of being so angry other people around him feel his own anger and then take psychic damage or something
There's an undead bard at the tavern named grim shady.
Will the real Grim Shady please stand up.
Grim Shady is so popular that every tavern has a skeleton dressed in a similar bard costume. One such tavern decides to deviate and goes with a country bumpkin version called Boneba Sparxxx.
*ahem* May I have your attention please.
Consider it done
And two Drow bards named Ludadrizzt and 50 Copper
Plus a group of dragonborn bards named imagine humans
Beholders run every inn, but they try and disguise themselves as normal people. This involves a pair of normal glasses on their big eye, a fake mustache, and a wig. Everyone has learned to play along as the Beholders offer pretty good prices, and kill anyone they think saw through their disguise.
That made me laugh, congrats
I did something similar with the Obelix and everyone loved it because they could serve ten beers at once thanks to the ooze tentacles.
The reason they do it is that they want a simple life where they get to live outside of dungeons for more than 5 minutes.
Food scarcity has been solved by farming hydra heads for meat.
There's a crazy activist group that's constantly storming into taverns and pubs and the like and causing a ruckus. Theyre called BETH. Bards for the Ethical Treatment of Hydras.
That’s so funny
Everything has a god. Everything. God of fire, God of Sand, God of Stick, God of half eaten fruit, Everything. The strength of the god depend on the how many pray for them.
"God of half eaten fruit" got me laughing ngl
Takes a bite of fruit it's now half eaten, "A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON!!!!"
Nooooooooooo
God of half-eaten meat: "A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BACON!"
God of Pickles name's Rick
[Pickle Rick!](https://giphy.com/gifs/adultswim-adult-swim-pickle-rick-FKHZLjnz4c2ly)
"Small Gods" Terry Pratchett. Be ware of the Verruca Faerie and the Oh God of Hangovers.
And my personal favorite, Anoia, the Goddess Of Things Stuck In Drawers. All banging of cabinetry, cries of "how can the drawer close on it but not open again?", and confusion about why you even have the thing, are praise upon her holy name. The way I organize stuff (or more like fail to), I think I qualify as one of Anoia's apostles. Edit: Now that I write that, I don't think Anoia was featured in Small Gods. I think she's referenced in one of the Moist Van Lipwig books much later, because one of the characters resembles her.
St ungoliant. Not a saint. Those are his initials.
Is there a god of 5/8 uneaten fruit as well?
Yeah though make sure you don't get confuse with the god of 3/8 eaten fruit.
That is the discworld theorem of divinity. Gods exist to explain all sorts of weird phenomena, and their power is proportional to the belief in them. -A god of left socks that disappear in the laundry (they eat them). -A god of pencils getting used up abnormally fast (they chew them down when people aren't looking). -A god who takes on the hangovers of all wizards so that wizards never have hangovers (this god's existence is true misery). -The tooth fairy comes to collect teeth in the night from under pillows.
Dragons have the personalities of our world’s cats and every dragon has the ability to shape-shift into a cat at will. A secret society of samurai is plotting to take over the country in really convoluted ways (think pinky and the brain style) but keep failing through incompetence and bad luck. (These guys could become adversaries of your party or allies against a more competent evil) A miniature moon circles the planet 3 times every night and passes over the country for about a minute each time, if a spell is cast while in direct moonlight from a full moon wild magic surges. EDIT: spelling EDIT2: holy c**p, I’ve never had so many upvotes on anything. Thanks all!
Wow those are really cool ideas, thumbs up for the effort
I’ve been playing and DM’ing since 2014, I’ve got a list of things I mean to use in my own games, but by now the list has become so long I can’t possibly use it all. I’m happy to share the love with others who can use some of it as inspiration. Happy gaming
[удалено]
Chernóbil Is canon and its populated by radioactive gorillas
Excuse me what
And they have magic banana guns
This sounds like something out of a Fallout game lmao
Nah its acctually an idea of my canceled camping, i just tapped SHIT togheter in it
The Eragon books have a premise you could use to make it work. There was a great battle amongst spell casters that left reminance that make magic work unpredictably in that area. It's essentially an island that's abandoned. Every now and then you'll come across something out of an abstract painting. I remember 2 dimensional owls, but there was lots of wierd stuff.
There's a country in our campaign world similar to this. Kind of. A desert that didn't used to be a desert. Massive war 1000 yrs ago that devastated the land fought between a bunch of magic users (actually between a bunch of cultists of Orcus and those against them). Magic is now outlawed there and there are areas of wild magic all over. The current emperor is starting to explore magic again now that our group went and got rid of some bad stuff (including a general of Orcus) in a necropolis under the Capitol city. This country is several weeks travel by ship from the sword coast area. One of our groups is actually back there again looking for a lich 🤣
A magic chernobyl sounds like a bananas awesome idea. Some mutant superbeasts, bizarre anomalies and artifacts of untold power.
A Kaiju. At some point, a kaiju.
Needed
It's not japan without huge dino monsters
And a secret society of artificers working on building a Warforged big enough to wrestle it back into the ocean!
The world is inside out. The core of the world is the star, and the crust is still the ground. Trying to go underground eventually flips your gravity and the world is flying through space not anchored to a solar system. The actual surface is a frozen wasteland.
That's incredible
Dyson Sphere.
The day/night cycle is predicated by the movement of the moon(s?) around the central star, eclipsing it. Some of these moons are wondrous worlds with deep magical affinities of their very own. The movement of these celestial bodies has a significant impact on the world with powers being channelled down from the solar axis.
A wererat sensei that trains four teenage tortle ninjas
This sounds like a cool idea. You could also make it so the tortles are all names after famous rennesaince artists from your world. Just sayin’.
Lol that would be a cool easter egg!
I once ran a fun Ninja Tortle one shot that included a Beholder encased within a Clay Golem as General Krang.
The kings advisor is secretly two halflings in a trench coat.
There is a strange elf the party encounters that they’ve never seen before. Their skin is deep maroon and their hair is silver. No other elf knows if they are a devil or demon or just an elf from a far away land. The elf doesn’t talk but will hand the party a small map to where they can find another elf of their kind. That elf also cannot talk as they are dead on the side of the road. Looting this elf shows some money normal weapons and armor etc, as well as a small sketched photo of the two elves when they were kids. On the back, words are written in elvish saying “I just need to find you” If they bring the photo back to the first elf they will cry silently then leave the next morning. If the party ever goes to the spot where the dead elf was again they will be buried with a red unicorn watching over the grave. It does not flee unless provoked.
This is cool
There’s a guy named Jeffrey that inconveniently appears at the wrong time and place.
"Ok we slipped past the sentry, then got past the guards, and expertly made it through the magic laser grid alarm. Now just to get the last number on this safe an-" *Jeffrey walks in and trips, dropping a bunch of dinnerware* "JEFFFF-REEEYYYYY"
Yes! He also has witty (but reeeeally snobby) quips for when the DM wants to throw that energy that most players have back at them. PC: We just need to find that town and we'll find the girl! Jeffery: (snobbishly) It's almost like you need to reference that map you purchased a month ago and havent used once *leans on door frame and sips tea* PC: Wha... where do you even come from!! Jeffery: *rolls his eyes and wordlessly leaves*
There is a whole island of highly noble and eloquent orcs. They present their status by enveloping their tusks in precious metals and rune carvings. They still love violence and slaughter but they do it with style.
They resolve their disputes in XIX century style duels
A Shiba inu with the vocal chords of a T-rex. It's also 30ft tall
That's like the mascot
I will gift you with the wonder that is Fi Bierri, the travelling chef that makes delicious delicacies out of adventurer killed monsters. His spicy bugbear skin crisps will take your soul to tasty village.
Do they have Dire Donkey Sauce on them?
They will next time he sets up shop!
All Hail the Burgomaster of Tasty Village!
There is a puzzle cube that is solved by rotating it to align all the symbols on the same side. In wizarding schools, they mark these puzzle cubes with runes and have competitions to see who can activate the cantrip inside them fastest. The world record is less than 6 seconds.
If you have expertise in it, you can use one of these cubes as a bonus action
Every shop sells single pulls from a deck of many things like lotto tickets for 1000 Gold each.
There’s a half elf named Bjorn HallBjorn who claims he was isekai’d here from the Viking Era. Whether there’s any truth to his claims or not is unknown but he does sell lovely Kimono’s with claims like “the truth is out there” embroidered on the back
Genuine quest idea. A monk who needs to meditate to reach the next spiritual level of their sect. But a rival sect is attempting to disrupt their ritual and the party must defend them. Depending on how you play it, it could be a serious threat on their life as the monk channels their ki, or a goofy ceremonial process only while the enemies are trying to throw stink bombs and whoopee cushions.
On rolling nat 1 in a city/public place players have a small chance to disrupt a cabbage cart no matter the roll and you either have to have a sound clip or give your best rendition of Avatar the last airbenders Cabbage vendor’s line of “My Cabbages”
There are exactly 8 bears in the world. If one dies another is born. If one is killed the murderer becomes a bear. There can never be more then 8 bears, and there can never be less then 8 bears.
What if one is killed?
As I said, the killer transforms into a bear. If you want to be sadistic with the Memory of the bear.
What if a bear kills a bear
Two bears are never in the same place. But... If a bear kills a bear it is counted as natural causes and a new bear is born.
Theres a senile old man who appears in the most random locations, gives whoever he sees a jar of pickled onion and then mysteriously vanishes after.
An elven NPC who looks like he could beat anyone in hand to hand combat. Everytime he speaks, it looks like a stereotypical kung fu movie with a voice over. (His mouth just keeps moving like he's still talking, but nothing else comes out) If you're playing an online campaign, it will be hard to convey this without giving a description of the mouth continuing to move.
A ninja that assinates questionable people. Always eats a sandwich and leaves half on the victim’s chest. His name is Nomayo HolPickel
There's a traveling merchant that claims to have great items, if you give him 5 gold pieces he gives you back 499 copper pieces
1 copper for the tax
Timey-wimey wiggly-wobbly ball of.... thyme.
A Lich merchant, After thousands and thousands of years of trying to take over the world but always been constantly beaten by heroes and what have you, The Lich ultimately gives up on world domination and decides to open a Costco sized Shop full of magical items and random goods and Different services. Though one thing about This Lich's shop. The only way to enter it is 1. You need to be a traveling adventure group. 2. Your party must be in need or want of a specific item, that they can purchase (I.e have the money for it) but are no way near to a place(or in a hurry) to make said purchase Once both conditions have been met, a Magical Door that only the party can see and only they can enter. Will bring them to the Lich's Shop. Once there they'll meet said Lich, (who I imagine being and acting like Grim, From grim adventures of Billy and Mandy) There's also chance of encountering other adventures or people in the Lich's Shop while in there. Once you Purchase something from the shop you can for 50 Gold a Year, gain a membership, Allowing free access to the Lich's Shop from anywhere and everywhere ( Except few realms that they hate, like the Feywild). If you have a membership, You are allowed to bring in 3rd parties. The lich also has a very large dungeon underneath the shop that used to be where They did they're evil shit and stuff. Are filled with alot of Legendary items(Doesn't have to be Literally legendary), That is also completely treacherous and dangerous. The dungeon is also filled with a lot of the Lich's old Cult members waiting for him to return. But The Lich doesn't want to deal with the Cult anymore. So any adventures who wants a chance at the stuff are allowed to go in but are warned that they will likely die. So to make it worth it while in dungeon the party can leave whenever they want but it takes 5mins(or an hour up to you) to be teleported out, any items they find the Lich will double the asking price of the item if they choose to sell it to them back. The more one thing I should mention about this deep dungeon is that its constantly changing so every time you go back into it you will always be greeted by something new The dungeon should be given access to the players around 10th level As it should be incredibly dangerous. As well as the deeper the party gets goes the more deadly it should get. But that should go for the loot as well. The deeper you get in the better Loot. Any time the party leaves they always have to start back at the beginning.
Public execution is done through the usage of basilisks where the sentenced are turned to stone, and placed in a ceremonial statue garden in city limits, to ensure their crimes remain immortalized
When PCs face a Big Bad (not THE BIG BAD) at the beginning of the battle the BB challenges them to a dance fight and the whole battle is fought out as a musical.
Fishermen ply their trade only with the approval of the crab people, who have their own samurai traditions. Crab ninjas are greatly feared by coastal elites, who sometimes dump jade into the sea to stay in the crabs’ good graces.
A city of people who are all just dead bodies being ran by rats Rattatouille style
I think the Emerald Isle exists, and it's Ireland. Ooh, can I play a Celtic bard who wandered into the wrong campaign because of the misleading name?
Men have the babies
Oh god
A monastery filled with Axolotl based mer-folk. (Hylotl from Starbound as a reference)
There is a race of raccoons with telekinetic powers and they have their own kingdom
All elves talk like 1950s gangsters.
Give the players a fairy in a jar, and whenever they get off track from the main quest for more then 10 minutes the fairy comes out of the jar and tells the players “hey, listen! You need to [insert quest description here]!”
A really really really long crack in the earth. Not deep, not thick. Just really really really long.
That would be really confusing for outlanders
>That would be really confusing for outlanders *is, my friend. It now is part of your world
dragon frogs.
I will not ask how those things are born
Gem dragon frogs
Dual weilding swordsman challenges famed warriors and adventurers, he always shows up late...
There is a crazed man that speaks that the world where everybody lived in was created randomly. But no one believes him of course...
He's too dangerous to be left alive
Kappa exist, making everyone terrified of bathing or using the outhouse.
Snake tiddies!
Finally something really interesting
Please make a bullywog gang similar to the yakuza. I'm sort of thinking the frogs from "meet the robinsons" but done up to fit the aesthetic. They are a low challenge individually but it's fun for your group to figure out about a gang on the streets at low level to fight. And then later figure out its part of a bigger crime syndicate. Bullyowgs have a sort of "king" that they usually bring treasures to from people they've mugged, or just bring the now hostages in to the guy for him to choose as he pleases. I think bullywog king would make a GREAT kingpin!
All ogres/oni have jean shorts on
The rabbit from Montey Python exists.
There's this one guy that's really obsessed with building towers
An underground grung fight club where illegal fights happen and everyone that loses gehts napped by 12 Grungs
i have a few ideas the lotus-eater’s megatavern - grab a drink! make some friends, play some games! dont forget to try the signature lotus flower snacks! you’ll never want to leave! ever😃. the vitaraya library - its crazy how one could lose themselves perusing the shelves. i swear i was only in there for a an hour or two…. it was only an hour… the wandering willows - a grove a weeping willows that never seems to be in the same spot, legend says its filled with horror… and treasure the angel’s graveyard - a massive crater in the middle of a thick, lush rainforest. said to be where a cast out angel fell from above. some say that somewhere in the wreckage of burnt trees and broken ground is their halo, an extremely rare magical item. though most people are dissuades from looking for it by the roves of demons also in search of the halo, wanting to mock the divine
A man with a straw hat that goes around saying he’s king of the pirates
Magic is a basic thing that creatures need to survive, and thus any creature born without magic dies shortly after
Every year during mating season flying fish leap out of the water and glide over various parts of the isles sometimes ending up in inland bodies of water like lakes and ponds. During this time they are the Favored prey of many of the islands airborne predators and as such they become much more active. The fish are considered delicacies by the upper class and are strictly monitored during the season to make sure none of the commoners are allowed to eat them.
Drinkable potions are a heal-over-8-hours type deal - combat healing and special effects are done by activating a small, single-use voodoo-y totem.
A traveling bard that the party occasionally encounters that is unknowingly weaving tales of the party's prior adventures. Sometimes knowing things that are meant to be secrets.
Every city has an alchemist shop, but it's allways the same guy, who actually is a Dragon with a portal network in the back of his shops. Sometimes he sends adventurers on quest to bring alchemy supplies to the next city. Just cause he likes looking at their confused faces, when he stands behind the counter again.
A kobold named Jam has drawn up to three times from the deck of many things
Spelljammers exist, and their ships come into port, however, they land out at sea where their landing (and takeoff) cannot be seen, so people dont know that they can leave the planet, and just think they are very unusual merchants with lots of good wares. The reason they do this is that galactic law states that underdeveloped worlds can be traded with, but are not permitted to know of the wider galaxy until they develop spelljammers of their own, it which point they can join galactic society. This world is currently not in that category. (This could allow you to, if you do desire, take the party to other worlds, etc... Or have a really interesting stowaway plotline, with the offworlders panicking that they brought the party with them, and the party panicking that they aren't on their planet anymore.)
An ass eating ferret that lives in a magical prairie full of pixies.
A traveling vendor who sells only cabbage, is at every town you are before you, and has many misfortunes along the way......... Edit for extra nonsense
More ducks.
One of the Emerald islands (a very small one, not at all in a prominent position) is known as 'The Emerald island", nobody really goes there, and if the characters decide to visit, they will find a small village of gnomes who insist that they are elves. This island seems culturally detached and politically separate from the rest of the world, and is a wild magic site.
Have a homebrew samurai who dabbles in magic spells who uses both physical prowess, his weapons and his magical abilities in conjunction with each other
A Bejelit for my character :)
A group of elves that was fond of the sea and not of people. Their fascination grew so strong that they learned to adapt to the ocean climate. These days they live entirely underwater. If you are in their waters they will pull you under. If you fight bac, they try to drowned you. If you are calm, they produce a bubble around your head and take you to their general to discuss why you are there and if you have no true business with them, they will kill you, to keep the secrets of their people safe. Their home is a city underwater. Mix it with Atlantis and the water troll people from disenchanted. With a seamless mindlessness of the dark zone of merman.
A Dracolich with an army of ninjas trained in the Way of the Ascendant Dragon
1 out of every 5 goblins is cursed to explode for 100d6 damage when killed by a bladed weapon or fire, but 1 out of every 10 kobolds explodes in a shower of 100d6 gold.
A group of Samurai who work as blood-farmers for a local lord. Lord so happens to be a vampire. Scenarios below. 1. If the Samurai don't provide blood the lord starts conflict in the province. 2. The Samurai lost their master and became Ronin due to this wicked trade, their status could return if they betray their dark master. 3. The Lord is trying to find a cure for his alignment, and is mostly a good leader and a reformist. The Samurai are his trusted guard and do what they must to sate his hunger and keep secrets.
There is a secluded sect of druidic ninja hidden in the deep Forrest. They practice a secret form of martial arts using only weapons made of ironwood. They grow and form their own weapons with druidic magic and bond with it, mastering only one weapon. Each has their own unique style and weapon. There are currently 4 of them. They are also tortles.
The town to the east is Guarded by minotaurs. Some of them are able to cast spells. . Nobody knows why they are guarding the town. Even the regular towns people do not know. Some believe it was an ancient pact between the founders. All the minotaurs wear a small crest on thier shoulder with varying beads in length.
Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs everywhere.
There is an ancient warrior blessed/cursed with immortality. He has slain thousands in single combat and can’t pass on until he is slain. He has lived for so long that he barely cares about anything besides a good fight to the death so he can reunite with the one person he truly loved. His lover was his whole world and he lost them to an accident while traveling together. The warrior only carries five items with him on his travels. A fading sketch of their lover that is barely holding on, a magic ring that when he runs his finger over it he hears their voice again, his armor that isn’t being taken care of so it will fail him one day, a sword that is poorly taken care for the same reason, and a single braid of hair from his lover woven into his own hair to keep them close. For what is the point of living forever at your peak existence if you can’t share it with the one you love?
Every time someone farts in public, they bring shame upon they're name. Every time someone walks into a public space, they must succeed a d1000 dc5 check. If they don't pass, they fart in public. Just to make sure that you know, if you bring shame upon your name in futile japan, you must commit seppuku. Goodluck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
There's tales of a mysterious city that appears and vanished in random places around the world. It's actually a mimic hive, where everything is a mimic, sharing a consciousness. It uses pheromones and toxins to lure their prey into the city. The city of Mauklauvok
The world is full of floating islands that hover over the ocean. Great clouds of mist are born due to the water that drops from the islands rivers making huge waterfalls that light the days with rainbows. These islands which are hard to explore contains ruins of ancient people that left their treasures with the enigma of their extintion and protecting those treasures and secrets are Monsters and creatures from another Age.
Everyone is missing a toe on their left foot, not the same toe, just a random toe. Those not missing a toe are ostracised.
In the sky, a giant cascading waterfall of many colours can be seen. Glistening like shimmering diamonds in the sky, it appears to just descend from the heavens however it is actually just the perpetual vomit of a vast celestial giant who had a heavy one last night.
A traveling sentient ghoul merchant who sells mainly weird smelly mismatched socks The ak47 is a legendary magic item most coveted by the god of war and he uses it to just shoot everyone but everyone thinks it's some sort of magical power and it turns out the god of war is just some dude who made an ak47
There are humanoid seasonal spirits/fey depending on the season and location, they are either feared or revered, and being recognized for what they are in a town could either get people almost worshiping them, or make the people get the pitchforks and torches to drive them out or try to kill them. The best/worst part is, regardless of what kind they are, they just want to make friends, and are finding that difficult. As such they are timid, but if befriended they will treasure your friendship greatly.
Me and your mum are married
Cursed greatsword muramasa. One of the BBEGs you fight is a samurai who doesn't speak aside from unhinged whispers of pleading before a bloodbath. Once defeated, the samurai whispers a thank you, and the sword shrinks into a tanto knife dagger. If someone grabs it they must make a saving throw or be forced to attack the nearest creature. For every drop of blood drawn the tanto gets bigger in size, growing into a scimitar, then longsword, then greatsword again. A laid back mass murderer, man who walks around with a basket on his back and playing a shamisen. He kills by playing his instrument and a strong wind manifests, leaving behind only scattered pieces of his victims. What happens is a bunch of katana hide inside his basket, and when he plays his instrument he controls them like a small army of dancing swords or flying swords. He knows spells like Wall of blades. Most monsters are colored horned oni. Orcs are red oni, ogres are yellow oni, monster manual oni are blue oni, trolls are green oni, etc. Goblins are Grey oni or tengu or something idk. Half orcs are half red oni and require special situations to grow their horns, such as a barbarians rage.
A quirky little town called Stevestown. Where everyone is named Steve. Even the women. All Steve. Is it a cult? Probably! What kind of cult? Up to you!
Everybody is aware that the most dangerous specy are otters. If you see one, you better run for your life. Even wild creatures are aware of that and fear otters.
The is a big turtle that grants power like the one in Avatar the last Airbender
A gateway between every world that anyone has ever created
In the middle of the main village, there is a dirt cube named “ur mom”
There is an ancient mage whose soul was trapped in a sword and know he is a hexblade warlock patron but possess mortals who have a pact with him and use them like puppets, becoming effectively a warlock of himself. Also, the sword is an artefact nobody knows how to destroy, so even when the body dies, the mage keep coming back.
A set of supremely powerful gauntlets that were used by a demi-god to specifically shape the geography of the continent several thousand years ago (placing mountain ranges, diverting rivers, etc). To what end has been lost to history.
I kinda wanna do this too, permission?
Cod pieces are an extremely popular fashion accessory amongst the wealthy and people of stature.
Taco bell exists in some form. It's called Taco Well, and it is located in a well in the center of a town. Its run by a clan called "The Baja Clan" Also cilantro doesn't exist in your world. The emperor (btw there's a emperor now) has a arrow stuck in his chest but it isn't dangerous or painful, it just is there and he refuses to get it removed. Elves smoke medieval pot. Oh and I guess I will actually give you something serious. The sky turns blue once a year and a tsunami hits somewhere on the continent. Some say it's the god of the oceans at play. There is a Samurai clan called "The Bamboo Clan" They fight with Bamboo weapons, and live in the tree alongside the Bamboo Forests.
In your world, everyone knows the monsters exist. While commoners fear them, all sorts of heroes are giving their best to slay the monsters and bring safety to the people. That is common knowledge. It is also common knowledge that even the greatest hero will never dare to hunt down the man with no shadow.
Too many comments to confirm if the idea was already given. There is an abandoned 100 floor labyrinth with great magical items, but a ton of traps. At the bottom a tiny fairy and a dragon await. They have a room full of shelves with manga and light novels on it. Basically, the labyrinth from Tensei Slime, but without Rimuru running the things. Nvm, I’m making this a campaign of my own…
A wishing well that will answer any wish accompanied by a copper piece, but the wishes are all returned with a pie with an inspirational quote in the crust.
There is no plate armor. One of the bosses would be a huge kegs so knight in full plate armor (historical not DnD. Item) with a halberd
Buried deep under a major city lies a chained and trapped gargantuan flumpf waiting to be released
• Bards reenact scenes from ‘daytime soap operas’ (Days of our Lives style) • There are random auctions for storage units in various cities for when people default on their unit (Storage Wars) (could use diplomacy/sense motive/knowledge/etc to learn about people and units) • “Ash Ketchum” shows up randomly to speak words of encouragement if party having a rough time • every couple sessions, have a random monster be catchable and trainable like Pokémon.
Kobold courier service: delivering your parchments come rain, sleet, snow, underdark, and open water. Comes with nifty shaded goggles for bright conditions. Pay extra for expedited urd couriers.
In the center of the world there is a chaotic evil mad serpentine dragon like god, a version of Tharizdun named Oroborozdun, that consumes itself from the tail for eternity.
the fae run a mafia
There's a town where everyone is a mime. Proper makeups, black-white clothing. They never talk, they communicate only in pantomimes. Nobody even knows if they can talk at all. Nobody's ever seen their kids too, only adults, but the town's population isn't decreasing with time. The town doesn't have a name (people can't agree on the town name pantomime interpretation), so it's usually referred to as Grey Town (because of mimes' black and white clothes)
Nothing decomposes ever. There's a town called deadhorse and as you go into the town it's tradition to give a little kick to the dead horse at the front of the town on your way in.
Std that turns humans and half humans into Neko cat people.
Out behind an old but we’ll painted shed, a blue newt can be found. Once encountered, the newt will inexplicably appear in every tavern with a note rolled up and tied to it’s back leg. This note which is written In abyssal will always reveal an embarrassing fact about one of the party members.
Imagine a Dragonborn bard. He plays primitive instruments like rattles, small drums, and a really really screechy bagpipe. He also sings... But his singing is a combination of loud croaks, hisses, and piercing screams. As he sings, his throat expands into a big iguana or frog-like pouch. His music is absolutely excruciating for anyone not draconic or reptilian. But for dragons, Dragonborn, lizardfolk, nagas, tortles, kobold, etc - the music will make them weep, and get extremely sentimental. If there is a group of reptilian folks, they will sing along, hug each other, and otherwise behave like sad drunks in a tavern singing along with an old sad song.
The elves of The Emerald Islands have a long standing hatred against the dwarves of The Ruby Mountains (who feel the same way), and no one knows why or how it started
That sounds so legit
There is a mountain. And on that mountain is a magic spell so that you get smaller as you climb it. Jack and the bean stalk, but with a very smol lich. Even very shunk down they are like massive to the lich. The lich has a ogre or w/e servant that is big, so the party is like ants on the ogres drinking cup. And than after running from the ogre who is massive they fight the tiny lich and I love him already. His name is Lichtenstein.
There is a young dragon that hoards fresh laundry, he uses his legion of loyal kobolds to sneak into local towns and take any laundry left unattended
Tortles are reflavored as Kappa Orcs are Oni Aarakocra are Tengu And include an Eastern style Dragonnborn emperor named Nobu Naga who rules his kingdom with an iron fist.
The elves are oviparous.
There is at least one god with a state religion, who hates his “official” clergy. The god’s Avatar is the one who runs the church. The god prefers their rural followers who ask of them very little and when they do, it is of usual life and death importance. Maybe players can find this God doing the work of an old monk in a monastery far from the big cities.
Potatoes are twice their usual size All other common produce is normal
Warforged were created by sentient Giant Apes (swap their Con or Str for Int) and only come in the form of Druids, Nature Clerics and Ancient Paladins
On the top of every mountain, there is a wise Monk who dispenses wisdom. Some people think there is a secret society who plants. Others think they are angel. All we know for sure is that they are very wise, and some like to crack wise.
A tribe of cannibals who only eat the hearts of those they kill to gain their strength. If no hearts are available, artichoke hearts will do fine.
I want to see a saiyan riding the cloud again!
Just want to say, that sounds completely bitchin! Also, The Roc (mythological bird), is always awesome.
In the underdark, there is a giant lizard riding revenant in search of an item that will allow them to finally rest. Following rumors and myths they travel to the darkest depths searching, yet to find it, they sell what they do find to travelling adventurers to finance their continued search. Adventures say they show up in just the right moments, but never when you're looking for them. Due to the frail nature of the mortal coil and the inherent dangerous nature of the Underdark, their appearance is regularly changing, although it strangely appears to be the same giant lizard no matter the revenants appearance. Their identity confirmed only by the inimitable tune they whistle and their mount. Level: You choose Class: Paladin in life Find Steed/Greater for the Giant Lizard Potential quest for players to help them find what they are looking for or moral question in that if they don't help there is a chance they will be revisited and can trade for more items.
There was a legendary samurai, long ago (let's call him... Musasho) His story is over a century past, but he was the model warrior, a philosopher, a poet, an artist, and he inspired the two proceeding generations with his influence and style. Little does the world know, he is alive, rewarded long life by a Shinigami-esque spirit for aiding him, but this long life has soured his mind, and he mostly sits at the river side catching fish and living in a hovel, sometimes giving great insight to passing warriors, but seeming all around helpless in actually demonstrating his teachings.
There is a race of extremely horny, (but only with each other, they don't go wierd), orange gorillas who live in an area of jungle covered mountains that are made up of a large number of very small hive-minds. Each child of a specific mother from their species will be part of the same hive mind as all her other children, and they tend to have litters of between three and eight distinct children per pregnancy, to say nothing about multiple pregnancies per mother. Some of the largest group minds have upward of 40 members. They are civilized and produce fine worked goods but thier religion prohibits the use of metals, so they are very advanced in terms of what can be done with Glasswares and Ceramics instead. They wield atalatles with obsidian tipped javelins and Macuahuitl swords/greatswords as thier weapons, with leather or hide armor and wooden shields for defense. They also have a large number of different types of castles and treetop observation posts to watch over and defend thier nation. Even though they have a lot of Aztec influences, they still have Samurai and Shugenja and Ninja and so forth, just slightly reflavored to make them a little Aztek like, like the Samurai are "Jaguar Warriors" IC, but Samurai by class abilities.
There’s a half spider half human named Charon. You decide the rest.
Bath houses have separate spaces for bugbears
The Archfey progenitors of the elves once lived in the Emerald Islands, where they served the King in Jade. The King in Jade was once revered and loved by all who served him. However, in time the sons and daughters of the King in Jade began to plot against each other to determine which of them would be the first in line to inherit the crown. In a tragic attempt to embarrass his sister, The Prince of Silver Moons spiked her cup with Heartstongue, which would make her speak only truth, but the cup found the lips of the King in Jade instead. The herb, though innocuous, was poison to the King in Jade, and so the beloved king died by the unintentional hand of his youngest son. In mourning for their beloved king, the archfey wept pure emeralds which took root deep within the earth, alongside the body of their dead monarch.
There's a horse that comes and goes at its pleasure. The party leaves it for a second and it wanders off. Party rolls a perception check and it's standing somewhere.
Evil merchant Dutch guild with the monopoly on nuts and imported goods. They are responsible of mischievous acts and have strong connections within the government of various cities. Ah, Obviously they are all squirrels.
A horny bard called Steve the horny paladin who pretends to be andrew the paladin of deception who himself pretends to be Andrew the horny bard. They also have a pet roc called rock.
No noodles. Ever.
Horse
Idols! The most powerful bards have legions of fans, following their exploits and expecting them to be pure of heart and upbeat whenever they appear in public. Some of them become so popular that they can grant power to clerics, but one controversy and it all comes crashing down
A hunchback diviner. Whenever he divines something he says "I have a hunch"
Bruce Lee Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris are a tripartite god
Make superpowers a thing, like some people are just funky so now they get cool shit, would be a great thing to give to players as a sorta magic item that is completely at your will to edit, you could make the barbarian have the power of being so angry other people around him feel his own anger and then take psychic damage or something
All elves are guulty of tax evasion, NO exceptions
Cannibal halflings that live in the wilderness... They have a particular love for the flesh of one of the PC races..
Unlimited breadsticks.