Best Plot Hooks To Use For Space-Themed Campaigns In DND

Summary

• The Astral Sea and Wildspace make for fun backdrops for any space-themed Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
• Encounter mind flayers, futuristic weapons, and cosmic threats in space to rescue allies or thwart conspiracies.
• Join treasure hunts, fend off space pirates, and intercept enemy ships in airship adventures in Wildspace.

Adventures in the Astral Sea, Wildspace, and other extraplanar realms beyond can be some of the most fun locales to set an adventure in Dungeons & Dragons. Bursting with strange creatures, interesting potential for encounters, and unique locales, outer space adventures are highly unique and can inspire players to create some fascinating character builds.

But, how should you start a campaign or even a single adventure in the Astral Sea or outer space? If you’re not sure where to start, it can be tricky to get an adventure off the ground (so to speak). Here are some adventure hooks to use for outer space.

10

Strange Portal

Is That Thing Glowing?

One night, while the party rests and recuperates from a long adventure, a mysterious portal appears in the middle of their bastion or keep. The portal glows a sickly green, and players can hear commotion on the other side of it.

Should they choose to investigate and travel through the portal to the other side, the party will be magically transported to a strange and exotic planet in the middle of the Astral Sea. Once they do so, the portal closes behind them, leaving them only with whatever gear they’ve come through the portal with. Players will have to navigate the vast Astral Sea to get home.

9

The Mysterious Ship

UFOs In DND

Late at night, while the party travels across a vast countryside, someone in the party spots what looks like a shooting star. But, it’s strange, this shooting star seems to be flying very low to the ground. Within a few minutes, the party will soon discover that it’s not a shooting star at all.

A strange alien-like ship soars over the party’s head, landing just nearby past the treeline. Should the party investigate, they may come across a ship filled with githyanki, giffs, or other species known to travel the Astral Sea.

8

Abduction

Not Just For Cows Anymore

While traversing a dastardly dungeon, the party feels a strange rumbling underfoot. Or, is the rumbling coming from above? After they’ve completed their trek through the dungeon, the very ceiling of the structure is pried off from above them, revealing a flying ship with sails and wings.

Using telekinetic or psionic powers, the ship captures the party, transporting them off world and deep into the recesses of the Astral Sea. Players will have to commandeer the ship and force them to turn back around if they ever want to return to the Material Plane. Or, they can start new lives out in the Astral Sea; it’s their choice.

7

Treasure Planet

Like The Movie, Kind Of

In a bustling city on the Material Plane, known for its ability to travel into space using steampunk-like airships, word has spread like wildfire of a vast planet full of treasure, magical items, and gold beyond anybody’s wildest dreams. If players want to participate in this treasure hunt, they’ll have to move fast.

Renting, purchasing, or stealing an airship will be their first task, followed by needing to find a way to the mysterious planet filled with treasure. Should the party prove successful, they’ll return to the Material Plane richer than they ever dreamed, and able to potentially give up adventuring altogether if they desire.

6

Message From Another World

Take Us To Your Leader

Over the course of several nights, various members of the party are awakened in the dead of night by a strange, ethereal voice that calls to them. Though not manifesting physically, a message from another planet far into the Astral Sea seems to call to the players, beseeching them for aid.

Players may be left to wonder if this voice truly is benevolent, and if they should answer the call for help. Or, if perhaps the voice is actually a clever ruse, designed to lure the party into a trap on a planet they’ve never heard of. Whatever their course of action, you can have players either travel into the Astral Sea or bring these creatures to the players.

5

Mind Flayer Attacks

Doesn’t Get Anymore Classic

Mind flayers are well-known for being avid space travelers thanks to their iconic mind flayer ships. Because of this, using mind flayers as an antagonist for a space-bound campaign is a classic move for any Dungeons & Dragons campaign. For this adventure hook, have a group of mind flayers land their ships outside of a location near and dear to the players.

During their siege of this location, they capture an ally of the party’s, taking them off into space with them for some unknown purposes. Players will have to board a mind flayer ship before it leaves, following the creatures out into space in order to have any hope of rescuing their ally.

4

Unknown Weapons

Pew, Pew, Pew!

This adventure hook starts on the material plane, but may soon unveil a conspiracy of cosmic proportions. While the party is pursuing one adventure thread, drop in the detail that some of the enemies they’ve been fighting carry strange, futuristic-looking weapons that almost resemble laser blasters. From there, have the party encounter these enemies more and more until they one day cross paths directly.

In pursuing or following these creatures, the party discovers a hidden spaceport beneath the surface of a settlement, from which these creatures seem to be coming and going. If the party is ever going to thwart these creatures, they’ll have to use the spaceport to get into the Astral Sea and track down the source of these creatures in an attempt to understand their machinations.

3

Tourist Traps

The Moon’s Gotten So Touristy

The party hears tell of an eccentric noble offering trips to the Astral Sea on his private airship. Naturally, the party is curious, but also deeply suspicious. Should they choose to pursue this thread, you can either have the party purchase tickets on the airship or be hired by the noble to serve as armed guards during the voyage.

However, once the ship takes off, it’ll soon be boarded by space pirates! The party will need to take out the pirates, or negotiate with them in order to make sure they get back to the Material Plane safely, with all of the noble’s guests intact.

2

Solar Flares

Don’t Look Directly At It

A town that rests on a mountaintop reaches out to the party for aid. Strangely, the town has been getting bombarded by odd, but powerful energy flares that seem to be coming from the sun, or some other reach of space. The party will need to investigate further.

Once in town, they may soon discover that the flares are actually weapon fire from a far-off spaceship that’s heading for the Material Plane. The party will have to enlist the help of an airship captain, flying off into space to intercept the enemy ship that’s heading straight for them. This can prove for a great opportunity to use ship-on-ship space combat in your campaign.

1

The Meteorite

Heads Up!

One night, as the party rests out on the open road, a medium-sized meteorite soars over their heads, landing about 20 feet away. Should the party investigate, they may discover that this meteorite isn’t a meteorite at all, but actually, a small spaceship disguised to look like a meteorite. The alien creature inside asks the party for help back on their homeworld.

Should the party agree, the alien can transport the party to their homeworld, allowing them time to investigate the source of a mysterious plague that’s wreaking havoc on the alien’s homeworld. However, the party will soon learn that, should they fail their mission, the creature that brought them here in the first place won’t be able to send them back, leaving them stranded in the Astral Sea.