Ideas for Halloween Adventure

[Aeric]

For many years now, I have aspired to run a one-shot adventure on or near Halloween night. It seems that this year, I will finally get the opportunity! My weekly gaming group meets Monday nights, and our current DM has agreed to let me run my one-shot on the 30th.

Now all I need is an idea for an adventure!

Because of the group dynamics, I have decided to avoid anything serious or scary and go for some lighthearted Halloween fun, Tim Burton style. I'm thinking of having the players control d20 versions of classic monsters--Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstien, etc.--on a darkly whimsical quest...to do what?

The setting will be inspired by Burton's Halloween Town, so no matter what the adventure entails, it will still have a Halloween feel to it.

It has to be something that can start and end in a single night's playing.

So...any ideas?

 

[Stormborn]

Well, seems like the classic reverse dungeon is the way to go in this case. Have the PCs all be Junior versions of the classic monsters (no need for altering the stats, just tell them they are children and look like children) - a vampire, flesh golem, werewolf, ghost, swamp monster, and maybe a wizard/mad scientist (artificer from Eberron perhaps). While out trick or treating they hear a terrible noise and go to investigate, following a trail of destruction around the town and interacting with the populous (and maybe a few encounters - like avoiding one of their parents, getting away from "guard dog", not waking Mean Ol' Mr. Cthulhu, etc) and at some point are told, like by an older child or teen, that "Moster hunter's are loose in the town!" - aka the Boogey Men of Moster Kids. Turns out it is a bunch of wasted highschoolers from the next town over playing typical mean spirited halloween prnaks and the kids take it on themselves to scare them out of town. Give a reason, like a big town dance or party, why none of the adults have dealt with them.

 

[Bardsandsages]

Aeric,

I have two traditional one-shot games I run every year: Halloween and New Year's Eve. (gaming New Year's Eve gets progressively more hilarious as the alcohol consumption goes up...but everyone stays overnite and nobody is driving ). Halloween one-shots should be a traditon with any gaming group.

Stormborn,

What a great idea! I was actually in a bit in a quandry. I am running "Night of the Zombie Kobolds" at Ubercon at the end of the month, and I was going to just use the same module I wrote for my Halloween game. That is, until three of my gamers decided to attend Ubercon and then proceed to sign up for my game! So I might have to steal your idea now for Halloween.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

For many years now, I have aspired to run a one-shot adventure on or near Halloween night. It seems that this year, I will finally get the opportunity! My weekly gaming group meets Monday nights, and our current DM has agreed to let me run my one-shot on the 30th.

Now all I need is an idea for an adventure!

Because of the group dynamics, I have decided to avoid anything serious or scary and go for some lighthearted Halloween fun, Tim Burton style. I'm thinking of having the players control d20 versions of classic monsters--Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstien, etc.--on a darkly whimsical quest...to do what?

Well, you could pit them against Abbott and Costello!