Wildest Ideas for Future Storyline Adventures

[Jester David]

It’s a safe bet that there will be a pirate storyline in 2019.
And you can place money that at some point D&D will do a slavery focused storyline adventure based on that classic adventure. And eventually the gith vs mind flayer conflict will take center stage.
These are all pretty easy guesses for future storylines.

Then there are the wilder ideas. Expedition to Barrier Peaks. The Great Modron March.
Wackier, but still tied to the history and thus easier to sell.

But this makes me wonder about some of the truly wilder and crazier stories. New ideas that wxiuod be fun and would be hard for rookie DMs to tell, necessitating help from a WotC.
The stuff that would be awesome, but WotC simply doesn’t have the balls to attempt.
What are your ideas for big level 1-10+ mega 200+ page mega adventures?

 

[hawkeyefan]

Rod of Seven Parts, but each part is on a different plane.

One in Erelhei Cinlu on Oerth, one in the City of Brass, one on the Isle of Dread, one in Plague Mort in the Outlands, one in Barovia, one in Thay, and one in Sigil. Or some variation of that.

Pick seven memorable locations from D&D history and incorporate lots of notable NPCs like Iggwilv and Emirikol and so on.

 

[Mercurius]

I don't really have the pirate bug, so the pirate story arc doesn't excite me - unless it is Pirates in Space! aka Spelljammer, which I am hoping it is.

As for wild ideas, I like the idea of something truly cosmic, multi-planar, even involving 20th level and beyond. Maybe challenging the gods, or a god who takes control.

Or journey to the center of the earth, and the "uber-aboleth" that is draining the life force of the earth (goddess) herself.

Or the Abyss opens up and demons pour forth into the world.

Something apocalyptic!

The Tarrasque as a forerunner for an entire race of "kaiju" spilling into the world.

"Dark Sun Origins" - the campaign starts right after the world has been defiled.

Something involving artifacts - and plenty of them. Artifact Hunters! Kind of like high level Indiana Jones, but in a fantasy world (Greyhawk?).

 

[Ath'kethin]

I think a re-envisioning of the Night Below campaign from 2e, with an Indiana Jones type bent, could be cool. Hell, tie it in with the Rod of 7 Parts idea above or another major artifact hunt, and you can really Rock n' Roll.

 

[Older Beholder]

I think a Sea of the Fallen Stars book a little like SCAGs but with info on running a seafaring campaign (and a short adventure) would actually be OK.

Another anthology of adventures like Yawning Portal but for Planer adventures would cool. Like a 5e version of Well of World's / The infinite staircase.

 

[Bitbrain]

WORLD OF SAND AND FIRE
Dark Sun as a kinda-sorta John Carter of Mars adventure path.

Basically, the adventurers get accidentally dragged through a portal on Faerun to Athas, and fight their way out of a ruined temple swarming with humanoids and dragonish monsters loyal to a mysterious "Sorcerer-King".

After many adventures, levels, and NPC faction alliances, the adventurers learn that the accident which brought them to Athas was the work of a particular sorcerer-King who is trying to use the same magic (though on a much larger scale) to invade Faerun.

The adventurers now have to stop him/her before said King can enter Faerun and turn it into a similarly Magic-desolated wasteland.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Invading the Far Realm.

 

[Jester David]

The most gonzo idea I had that could be turned into a storyline is souls of the dead awaiting judgement, but being saved and given new bodies in order to fulfil some task threatening the planes. This requires these reborn adventurers to travel between realms, hunting down clues to whatever is stealing from the gods.

Basically the post-TPK adventure featuring dead PCs and also serving as a tour of the afterlife and much of the outer planes

 

[Parmandur]

Rod of Seven Parts, but each part is on a different plane.

One in Erelhei Cinlu on Oerth, one in the City of Brass, one on the Isle of Dread, one in Plague Mort in the Outlands, one in Barovia, one in Thay, and one in Sigil. Or some variation of that.

Pick seven memorable locations from D&D history and incorporate lots of notable NPCs like Iggwilv and Emirikol and so on.

I dunno if this fits the brief, I could see WotC actually doing this one.

Problem with trying to imagine what WotC wouldn't "have the balls" to do for me, is that probably means it's something I wouldn't be interested in: they have been quite bold in going gonzo, the things that would hold them back would probably be dark and nasty themes that don't work for a family audience, which isn't my jam.

For something pretty outre, I would have a campaign climax in a redo of FA2: Nightmare Keep. Since it is in Coromyr, maybe have that be the madcap end to a politically charged game of intrigue and war. I very much doubt that will get remade, but hey, Chris Perkins might be into it.

 

[SkidAce]

...

Or journey to the center of the earth, and the "uber-aboleth" that is draining the life force of the earth (goddess) herself.

...

Wow...

/yoink

/skitters off madly cackling