The Legend of Drakukula

With Halloween just around the corner it's a perfect time to play a themed dungeon. I've always enjoyed theme dungeons. They are usually short and sweet and tend to be really silly. Tongue and cheek is a good way to lighten up a serious campaign.

I've been working on this dungeon for awhile now and I don't want to give it all away before I run my players through it, as some of them read this blog. But here is the adventure hook section of the dungeon. Just to give you all a bit of a teaser.

Adventure Hook
I love a party
Major Quest (500 XP)
The adventurers are a band of ragtag troublemakers who enjoy crashing high end parties for the food and the gossip. They heard about the party through the grapevine and couldn’t resist attending. The adventurers attend this party without adventuring gear, including armor and weapons.

A party isn’t a party until someone crashes it. You and your friends have become known throughout the city as the most notorious crashers of the elite soirees. After bribing a doorman and sneaking through the kitchen, you stroll into Lord Samdean Winchester’s grand ballroom, dressed in your best formal attire and ready for a night of drinking, dancing, and if luck is with you, creating more than one sordid social faux pas for the gentry to gossip about.

The Historian
Major Quest (500 XP)
Researchers at the local university, the adventurers learned that a rare book about vampires resides within the library of Lord Winchester. They convince Lord Winchester to let them look at it, but he insists that they attend his party first. Little do they know that they won't need the book.

The affair may not be your cup of tea, but there is no denying that Lord Samdean Winchester throws a spectacular gala. Rumors reached you and your colleagues that Lord Winchester possessed the journal of one of the vampires of legend: Drakukula. Little is known about this vampire save that he has a penchant for blond women and he idolized Count Straud of Ravenloft when he was alive. Access to his journal would be the scholarly discovery of a lifetime. If you have to sit through a party to get to the book, then so be it.

Good Ole Tavern
Minor Quest (300 XP)
Sometimes the way in is just to have the shady guy at the bar let you in. It's not as creative, but it certainly gets the job done. If the characters don't fit into a set of backgrounds that would allow them to do the above hooks, this one is good for all ages.

Dusty taverns are always good places to seek out adventure. You and your companions are enjoying a drink and a game of Three Dragon Ante while waiting for the opportunity to go kill some monsters when a hooded figure sits at the table with you. "You look like stalwart adventurers." The hooded man says. "I have an adventure for you. Take these party invitations and be at the mansion of Lord Samdean Winchester tonight. There's going to be a show that you won't want to miss." Without waiting for explanation, he stands to leave. "Oh," he says as he walks away, "dress nice".

More of the adventure to come...

Until next time...