Best Plot Hooks To Use For A Dungeon Crawl In DND

Summary

• An eccentric noble offers the party a job testing out their keep’s security apparatus, only to reveal a deadly truth.
• Place key treasures inside a devious dungeon to motivate adventurers.
• Inadvertently trap players in various dungeon structures, forcing them to find a way out.

Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned, classic dungeon crawl in Dungeons & Dragons? If you’ve never played a dungeon crawl, or run a dungeon crawl as a DM, this adventure type typically involves the party delving into a long-forgotten ruin, labyrinth, or castle and exploring every last nook and cranny, hacking and slashing their way through.

Successful parties will find tons of great loot, and some formidable foes to boot. But, how can you get your party invested? What are some of the best ways to hook your table? Here are the best adventure hooks to use for a dungeon crawl.

10

The Eccentric Noble

Money Can’t Buy Happiness

The next time the party enters a large, sprawling urban center, have them be approached by an eccentric noble or merchant. The noble asks them if they’re available for a job; they’ve recently constructed a large keep to hoard their wealth and need adventuring parties to test the security systems. Should the party accept, they may find out they took on more than they bargained for.

Once inside the keep, the party will begin to see statues of adventuring parties everywhere. Slowly but surely, reveal to your table that these are the living statues of previous adventuring parties who have been hired to serve this noble, and that rarely anybody actually gets out alive against their security system.

9

Treasure Abound

Think Cave Of Wonders

A classic way to hook adventurers into pursuing a dungeon crawl is by placing a tantalizing treasure at the center of it. If the party needs a certain powerful magic item, armor, or potion, place the item at the center of a deviously designed dungeon, and inform the party of the dungeon’s whereabouts.

For extra incentive, you can explain to the party that, without this key item, they will likely be unable to achieve their greater aims. You can also entice them by promising them that more treasure can be found throughout the dungeon beyond just the key item they need.

8

Pitfall

An Unexpected Trap

Sometimes, the best dungeon is the dungeon you didn’t even know you entered. If the party is traveling through a dense forest or a series of ancient ruins, have them inadvertently activate a pitfall trap, sending them plummeting into a deep, dark cave.

From there, slowly but surely reveal to the party that they have found themselves in an ancient dungeon, inhabited by creatures waiting in the dark for hundreds of years, looking for something to eat. If the party wants to survive, they’re going to have to find a way out.

7

Free The Hostage

Get In, Get Out

If you choose to cosmetically design a dungeon like a prison, keep, or other fortresses, you can place a valuable NPC or even a fellow party member at the center of it, thus incentivizing the party to navigate the dungeon and rescue their ally. For this hook, assume that word of a likable NPC ally of the party’s has gone missing and needs to be found.

From there, you can drop clues as to their whereabouts, eventually leading the party to a massive prison tower or similar structure. Now, the party must find a way inside the formidable fortress, rescue their ally, and escape, all while trying not to get caught.

6

Race Against The Clock

Tick, Tock

Dungeon crawls can sometimes make for a slow-paced game session. But, this doesn’t have to be the case. Consider employing either an in-game time limit or an above-board timer to your dungeon crawl session for a sense of added stakes.

For example, if the party finds themselves in a dungeon that’s actively flooding, or crumbling around them, the group will be forced to navigate the dungeon as quickly as possible, seeking an escape while collecting as much loot as they can. Reveal this timer midway through the adventure, allowing players to get somewhat of a sense of the layout of the dungeon without the added stress of a timer.

5

The Tournament

Feelin’ Lucky?

A world-famous mercenary guild is looking for adventurers to recruit. However, any interested parties must first pass a difficult test: navigating a gauntlet of challenges laid out in an intricate dungeon. The catch? They’ll have to race against other adventuring parties.

Having your table navigate a complex dungeon, knowing all the while that other NPC-based adventuring parties are racing to complete the same challenges adds stakes and can make for some fun party-on-party combat encounters within the dungeon. Plus, this is a more lighthearted way to approach dungeon crawls if you’re looking for something less tonally heavy.

4

Stalked Prey

Did You Hear Something?

Players hear tell of a nearby dungeon that houses fabulous treasures and wealth beyond their wildest dreams. Once inside, however, some members of the party with high passive perceptions might begin to think they hear things, either footsteps or heavy breathing. They may soon discover that they’re not alone in this dungeon.

For this hook, use either a Minotaur or Invisible Stalkers to hunt the party down while they navigate the dungeon. Having a dastardly creature hunting them down adds a prey-predator-like set of stakes to the adventure, and can create some very ominous moments throughout the session.

3

Nature’s Folly

Did That Tree Just…Move?

Just because the party is exploring a dungeon doesn’t mean they have to be underground, or even inside. For this adventure, have the party travel through a dense forest or mountain range. As the party tries to leave the area, explain to them that, for some reason, they can’t seem to find the treeline.

Instead of breaking up the dungeon into rooms, break the forest up into sections, with moving trees creating barriers and walls that the party must navigate around. This can create a fun biome for the party to explore that is sure to be unique, as opposed to traveling through the same typical dungeon rooms most DMs employ.

2

The Curse

And We’re Going Towards It?

A nearby set of villages is being afflicted by a plague that seems to be emanating from a nearby ruin. Townsfolk used to visit the ruin as a shrine to their deities, but recently, anyone who offered prayers at the site returned ill.

The party is hired by local officials to explore the ruin and seek out the cause of this contagion. For added stakes and drama, have the party make Constitution saving throws the longer they’re inside the dungeon, slowly increasing the DC each time. The party may realize they have to contend with ill group members as they traverse the dungeon and try to complete their mission.

1

The Lockdown

No Way Out

This unique dungeon crawl hook requires that the adventuring party be in a large settlement, preferably a sprawling metropolis. One night, as the party is living it up at the local tavern, the city is placed under lockdown by a mysterious criminal syndicate. The gates of the city are sealed, and there is no way out.

Furthermore, guards for the criminal syndicate have been posted all over town, preventing access to certain areas. Treat the entire city like a dungeon, in which players can enter some areas and must avoid others, creatively using rooftops, stores, houses, and more to navigate the once-open city.