D&D 5E Adventure ideas wanted (L4-7ish)

[Gilladian]

Adventure ideas wanted!

Quick, quick! My PCs just decided to do something I wasn't really expecting, and now are rebuilding a castle (Cragmaw from the Phandalin Starter Set). It is located north of the settled kingdom, in wilderness inhabited only by orcs and goblins, the wild woodsfolk (think semi-nomadic forest hunters, mostly human or half-orc, very secretive, with animal totems and a trace of lycanthropy), and lots of ancient ruins from a 400 years-gone collapsed empire. A good bit further north is a huge, magically blasted area that I am working on, creating ruined cities and such for them to explore when they are just a bit higher level. For now, I have nothing in particular in mind.

Any ideas of good adventures I could slip into the region? I know that SOMEWHERE there's a dragon lair, populated by two or three young to young-adult dragons of several colors (dragons in my campaign world don't breed "true to color" but rather the color reflects the breath weapon and then the nature of the beast), siblings who may still lair together or nearby each other but are not happy living together. I don't want to focus solely on them, though.

If you can think of any good adventures I could easily slot in, or have any suggestions for clever ideas, I'd be thrilled to hear them.

 

[Dross]

Something that comes quickly to mind is supply problems
Maybe try to get the nomads onside and not attack caravans coming through or help remove the goblins etc. Talking to the dragons may be a but much now.
Use some of the ruins nearby as source material, which would require checking said ruins out.
and unless they have definitely cleared out Cragmaw another search may be in order

 

[Gilladian]

I'm thinking maybe they'll find a trapdoor buried in the rubble under one of the collapsed towers of Cragmaw. A mini dungeon would be a nice change of pace. Supply line problems with the woods folk are a certainty, too. And maybe the goblins are still lairing nearby...

Any highly favorite ruins exploration adventures, anyone?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

You could adapt DL1 Dragonlance adventure maybe - ruins, dragon's, replace draconians with whatever monsters you fancy?

 

[ExploderWizard]

If the PCs are rebuilding Cragmaw, there are certainly other interested parties in that endeavor:

- The nobles who rule the region. Is it policy that anyone can just build a military fortress and claim it as their own? Won't they as the legitimate rulers of the area, want to own the fortress or at least get sworn fealty from the occupying characters?

- The humanoids in the region may certainly want a fully operational battle station! They may be led by someone who is clever enough to allow the PCs to do all the hard work, then come and take it!

- Dragon cultists in the area might be looking for a new base of operations. A fully cleared and repaired Cragmaw castle will fit the bill nicely thank you.


Runnin things. It ain't all gravy kid.

 

[DiFier]

Who built the castle in the first place? Are there decendents of the original family/owners once they are done returning it to its glory they may return wanting it back.

Why was the castle built there in the first place? Is there an abandoned city around the castle? What resources are around the castle? Perhaps there was a mine nearby.

They could find a treasure map in the adandonded castle.

 

[the Jester]

I'm thinking maybe they'll find a trapdoor buried in the rubble under one of the collapsed towers of Cragmaw. A mini dungeon would be a nice change of pace. Supply line problems with the woods folk are a certainty, too. And maybe the goblins are still lairing nearby...

Any highly favorite ruins exploration adventures, anyone?

Dwellers in the Forbidden City is a perfect ruined-city exploration adventure, with cool monsters and factions and big areas just waiting for the pcs to check them out. It's pretty much a sandbox, which not everyone likes, but I frickin' love sandbox adventures.

 

[Gilladian]

Yeah, I love sandboxes. I'll grab that module from my stash and see what I can steal from it. I've already got a bit of idea for the woodsfolk - found a "necromantic cult has taken prisoners and is making zombies" adventure that I can use to send the party on when they try to negotiate with the Woodsfolk. Now I need a small dungeon for under their castle... and then I can start teasing them with ruins to explore. Eventually they'll end up here: http://vishteercampaign.pbworks.com/w/page/90749414/Umade's Barrens

 

[LapBandit]

First of all, how do they intend to rebuild the castle? How long do they imagine it will take? I believe a keep costs 25,000 gold to build and usually depends on taxation of the locals to fund it. Are they going to adventure their way to the gold? How do they convince the engineers and stone masons to pass through the Neverwinter Wood (a fey, haunted place in the minds of most people) where people KNOW there are goblins/hobgoblins/bugbears/ogres on top of ego-centric race supremacist elves that DO NOT WANT outsiders in their forest? Also, why are they rebuilding a castle in the middle of the woods with no road to/from? How will they recruit the necessary people to help run the castle and the surroundings?

My suggestion is to transition them to Princes of the Apocalypse and have them come back to find that the elves have taken their stronghold as their own.

 

[JEB]

Never mind, nothing to add, sorry.