Best Adventure Hooks To Use For A Ball In DND

Summary

• Attend a ball with a mysterious invitation to discover the sender and get the reward for being best dressed.
• Use a ball as a backdrop for a heist adventure, requiring preparation, stealth, and an escape plan.
• Navigate a gala where the hostess aims to brainwash powerful adventurers to protect her elegant lifestyle.

There comes a time in every adventure where it’s time to put down your swords and shields and hit up a ball in Dungeons & Dragons. Balls and parties can make for a really compelling and exciting backdrop in any adventure, allowing for both interesting roleplay scenarios and combat encounters.

As a Dungeon Master, if you’re looking to bring your table to a ball, but aren’t sure where to start, you’ll need a gripping and alluring adventure hook to get your party interested in attending. Here are a handful of intriguing adventure hooks for you to use for a ball.

10

The Mysterious Invitation

Return To Sender

While visiting a storied metropolis famous for its lavish galas, the party receives a mysterious invitation to attend a ball honoring the upcoming equinox. However, upon examining the invitation, the table discovers that while the invitation is addressed to them, there is no sender ascribed to the invite.

In order to find out who’s behind the invitation, the party will have to attend the equinox gala, sussing out among the hosts who may have sent the invitation, and for what reason. For greater incentive to attend, have the invitation offer a reward for being best dressed.

9

The Heist

We’re Putting Together A Team

Galas and balls make for great backdrops for heist adventures. If the party is meant to be looking for a specific item, or even extracting a special NPC from a location, have this mission take place at a ball.

In order to achieve their goal, the party will have to prepare diligently for the event, making sure they have the right attire, understand where the item or NPC in question is located, and figure out an escape route once they’ve found their mark. For added stakes, have the gala in question be heavily attended by city guards.

8

Hostess With The Mostess

The Woman Of The Hour

Host NPCs make for great social interaction and roleplay, especially during balls. For this adventure hook, inform the party that the hostess of a grand soirée being thrown in town is eager to make the acquaintance of powerful adventuring parties. All adventurers worth their mettle must attend.

Should the party choose to attend, the hostess will fawn over them incessantly. As the party continues, reveal that the hostess in question wants to imprison powerful adventuring parties in her home, using them as brainwashed private mercenaries to protect their elegant lifestyle.

7

An Interrogation

Come Here Often?

Sometimes, talking things out is best. If the party’s been trying to make contact with an important NPC, but hasn’t been successful yet, inform the group that this NPC will be in attendance at an elegant gala at the end of the week. This is the party’s best chance to get some one-on-one time with them, and interrogate them.

This sets up interesting stakes. First, the party must find a way to gain access to the event in question. Second, they must casually interrogate their suspect, not letting on their actual intentions. This adventure hook tests the party’s roleplay skills, forcing them to think outside the box.

6

The Perfect Distraction

Party Foul

Backdrops like elegant balls can serve as great distractions for a party to achieve their actual goal. For this adventure hook, assume the party’s goal is to gain access to a heavily guarded section of a fortress or castle.

Though the area is usually watched at all times, the gala in question will force most of the guards to the center of the structure, leaving the area in question exposed. Have players pose as either party guests or servants, waiting on the ball’s guests, and encourage them to use the distraction to find entry to a usually guarded area, granting them unprecedented access.

5

Antagonist, Meet Protagonist

Lay Down Your Arms

While roleplaying your big bad is important for any Dungeons & Dragons campaign, sometimes, you don’t always get the chance. Oftentimes, the party may just choose to fight without talking to their antagonist, meaning they’ll miss out on some key roleplay opportunities.

However, if the party runs into their primary antagonist during a ball or gala, they may be forced not to attack. If the party is interested in talking to their antagonist more directly, without fighting, inform them that this NPC may be in attendance at a city-wide ball later in the week. Or, you can have their attendance be a surprise if you wish.

4

Poison Buffet

Does The Punch Taste Odd To You?

Sometimes, a party can actually be a clever ruse for a villain’s machinations. For this adventure hook, assume that the group is attending a party that is filled with some of the most important adventurers and royalty in the world. As the night wears on, have the party notice that many guests are falling ill.

The party may soon discover that someone has poisoned the food and drink at the gala, leaving several guests on death’s door. The adventuring party must find out who is responsible, and seek out an antidote to save the day.

3

Before Midnight

Fairy Godmother Not Required

There’s nothing like a classic Cinderella-esque time limit to help encourage your party to stay on the move. This adventure hook can be grafted onto any ongoing goal the party is trying to achieve. Inform the group that, in order to achieve their goal, they’ll have to attend a ball, which ends promptly at midnight.

Then, once the party gets going, set a real-world timer for your table, informing them that they have until the timer runs out (when midnight comes around in-game), to accomplish their task. Otherwise, the goal they’re trying to achieve will slip from their grasp.

2

Negotiation

We Need Pizzas In Here

Galas are often attended by important individuals. That makes them a great location for an adventure involving a hostage crisis. For this hook, have the party attend a ball, only to become part of a hostage crisis when a nefarious cult takes over the soirée.

Unfortunately, the party may realize that they had to check their weapons at the door, meaning they’ll have to use their brains to end the hostage crisis and negotiate their way out. Or, they can use whatever magic they have at their disposal to try to thwart the cult before they threaten to kill any hostages.

1

No Way Out

Or Is There?

For this adventure hook, set the ball or gala on a seaside castle, resting atop a bluff. Halfway through the party, a tidal wave crashes into the castle and cliff, flooding the interior. The structure is severely damaged, blocking normal exits, and turning entire rooms on their heads.

The party must find an unconventional way to escape the castle, leading their fellow guests on a race against time. Similarly to the midnight escapade hook, you can also set a real-world timer to inform the party when the rising floodwaters will drown them and the guests.