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Need original Quest Ideas.

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Sun, 10/25/2009 - 21:15
Redcap
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Joined: 07/26/2008

I am currently refining a game of mine in which I need random quests and room events so that every time a player plays, the game feels slightly different. The game will take place entirely within a dungeon/castle setting where magical creatures, monsters, and evil villians try to prevent the hero from asscending three floors to the top of the tower in order to destroy an evil magical artifact. That asscension aalone is the main quest, that when accomplished will result in the completion of the game; however, every new room a character enters I want to be able to pull a card that gives a unique twist to a room, and once per floor have a larger quest they must accomplish in order to go up to the next floor.

I am just looking for a torrent of ideas, if they don't fit my game there still might be elements I can take or get inspiration from so feel free just spouting off any ideas you may have.

Some Ideas I have for room events:
-Magic Soaked room: The room is full of old magic which embeds itself into the first player who enters the room, giving them +1 to magic.
-Darkness: There is a magical darkness in the room that can not be pentetrated by magic, torch, or any other means: -5 to all rolls.
-Magical Doors: Leaving this particluar room the player must roll. A roll of 1 will transport the player back to the beginning room, A roll of 2-5 will transport the player to the opposite door in the room, and a roll of 6 will allow the player to move on.
-Magical Forge: Players Can add a +1 modifier to any of their items in this room.
-Spawning pool: Once a turn a monster is spawned from the spawning pool.
-Zombies!: When a player is three spaces from the door, 4 zombies spawn sorrunding the hero.
...etc

Some ideas I have for larger quests:
-Escort:The player must escort a princess to the exit. If she dies then the player loses the game. If she wins they get a magical artifact and level up.
-Possessed: One player is possessed and must work to kill other players. Players must destroy three small ruins across the board in order to free their friend from being possessed.
-Dragon Egg: Some evil monks are trying to hatch a dragon, kill the egg before it hatches...

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Mon, 10/26/2009 - 17:18
#1
auvillebw
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Joined: 10/12/2008
Some ideas

I'm not an AD&D type gamer, but I've read a lot of R. A. Salvatore and similair type authors, and wasted some time playing Diablo. My mechanics may be off a bit but I'll throw some suggestions out.

Vary the big boss gaurding/possesing the aritifact. Make the big boss variable through a card draw or some other mechanic. One time it's a dragon that's eating the villagers, another time it's a wizard that's out of control, etc... Once the big boss is decided, then that dictates the kind of fortress that you're entering into. The boss card could have a decoding matrix on it to so that it supports a generic playing deck. So say for illustration that a player draws a generic room card that is a level 2 trap. If this were the wizard's tower, then the wizard card matrix could list exactly what that trap is or provide a list of possible traps that are decided by a dice roll. A dragon is not a wizard, so it would set a different kind of trap in its lair as defined by the dragon boss card.

A variable boss type of system could work for stage level bosses as well. You could even pull the bosses out of the same card pool and use the level of the dungeon as a multiplier for boss level: i.e. a wizard found in the first level is a level 1 wizard with base effects while a wizard found on the third level is a level 3 wizard with triple effects. This would allow players and tension to build as the game progressed.

Vary the side missions. I like playing Risk with mission cards because there's not just one way to win, and a player can still win even if an opponent has a bigger/stronger empire. In this sense, players could be joining up together to tackle the big boss, but may have separate missions/side tasks that gain them VPs. Players may draw cards that give them the task of assassinating a wizard in the tower, killing a dragon, retrieving some artifact, etc... If there's a mechanic for leaving and reentering the dungeon, then players could update/aquire new missions throughout gameplay (though I guess you could come up with lots of other ways to update quests or embed them within the dungeon).

If the players are heros, then you could track mission VPs with a fame counter. The overall game winner could be the player with the most fame when the artifact is destroyed/retrieved/etc... You'd just have to assign fame proportionately to the events that you want players focused on: probably a lot on destroying the big boss/capturing the artifact, somewhat less on stage level goals/bosses, some for individual pop-up monsters and side quests, some for achievements/artifact ownership (card draws), and maybe some negative counters for failures/curses/etc...

Are players in a party together or are they separate? You could make a limited number of player cards that are drawn at random: wizard, thief, warrior, monk, etc... The dungeon could be built/reset at random with choke/entry points specific to different types of characters. This would mean that not all players could advance through the tower along the same path(s), but they could share some common areas. You could even use this to determine starting locations; there may be a main entrance to the tower with gaurds that a fighter could get through (warrior, paladin, ranger, etc...), a magic door that a mage, cleric, or wizard could use, a secret entrace through a drain or cave that a thief may use, etc... some fighters (like a paladin) may have limited magic and could use some magic doors, some magic users may be able to fight there way through a group of monsters (like a monk). You could make it so players could choose to group up into one party, but then may be forced to separate after entering the tower. The random set-up of the tower itself could force this choice or provide for a group effort all the way to the top. Or you could allow a group to progress together based upon having just one player in the group capable of passing (unlocking) a door. This could make for two game versions using the same board and mechanics (a race between individuals in the same dungeon or a party type attack on the dungeon).

You could have players build parties after the tower is set up based on a point system. This could mean buying individuals, upgrades, and items; all worth a set point value (like WH40K). A bigger party would mean lower level characters and items while a smaller party could be more elite. It may be more advantageous to have an elite force against a dragon boss (pack more punch and absorb more damage), while a larger force may be better against a wizard (more targets to spread magic effects against). You could combine parties, throughout the game or let players trade individuals or act as mercenaries.

If you were going to separate the players, you could allow for the players to modify the dungeon. This could prevent/hamper another player from just walking through a cleaned out level (unless there's a monster generator). You could have wizard summon something, a thief lay a trap, a palidan cast a ward, or have a necromancer raise all the monsters killed in a room, etc... You could even allow for players to bypass rooms by having a wizard cast a sleeping spell so that you just walk right through without a fight... then you might even let the wizard cast a rage spell so that whomever stumbles into the room next (after the monsters wake up) finds it full of stronger enemies.

I probably could go on, but that's at least a start of a torrent.

-Ben

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Tue, 10/27/2009 - 02:39
#2
gogoapoxy
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Joined: 09/23/2009
hmmm

Here's some thoughts on some of your ideas:

---------------------------------------------
-Darkness: There is a magical darkness in the room that can not be pentetrated by magic, torch, or any other means: -5 to all rolls.

>>> -5 seems to be really harsh, unless you're rolling 3+ dice

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-Magical Doors: Leaving this particluar room the player must roll. A roll of 1 will transport the player back to the beginning room, A roll of 2-5 will transport the player to the opposite door in the room, and a roll of 6 will allow the player to move on.

>>> The odds are, it is better to go to a door on the opposite side of the one you really want to go, there is a 1/3 chance that you will not go through the door you want. Perhaps adding a few more options would help, for instance -
1: start of room
2: opposite door
3:take damage and move back a space
4: teleport to a random room (need to figure out a mechanic for teleporting)
5: teleport another player to your location,
6: nothing happens, walk through the door

--------------------
-Zombies!: When a player is three spaces from the door, 4 zombies spawn surrunding the hero.

>>>I personally don't like to remember things like counting how many spaces away I am to spawn zombies. I would be more likely to "forget" this than remember it. Instead, make it something like, each movement spawns 1 zombie. So 2 players moving 4 times in a room brings about 8 zombies.

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larger quests:
-Escort:The player must escort a princess to the exit. If she dies then the player loses the game. If she wins they get a magical artifact and level up.

>>>Escorts are always a pain, the players shouldn't lose the game because a dumb princess doesn't know how to avoid danger. If you want to keep this, and penalize the players, make them lose a morale, confidence, or some other stat point, or even an item.

---------------------------------------
-Possessed: One player is possessed and must work to kill other players. Players must destroy three small ruins across the board in order to free their friend from being possessed.

>>>This is tricky, you have to make the player WANT to kill the other players. Since I'm assuming this is a co-op adventure there's no reason this player would use all his skill to defeat his team. If this is to go on, I'd suggest making it where there is a reward for killing his former team, and if he kills them all that player wins the game.

-----------------------------------------
-Dragon Egg: Some evil monks are trying to hatch a dragon, kill the egg before it hatches...

>>> Meh

==============================
As for my own ideas....

room events
-------------------------
- trap door: Goes to the floor below
- poison room: Each turn there is the possibility of taking damage/dying
- fountain of health/youth: Able to restore health/morale/etc.
- ceiling closing in (think Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom): Time limit to get to the other side, blocks the path behind
- Noise trap (if a player in the room makes any sound "spikes" come out of the floor/ceiling/walls (from the movie Cube): The player(s) in the room may not speak while in the room or all players in the room take damage (evasion skill check?)
- razor wire trap (again, from Cube, also similar to the laser trap in Resident Evil movie): Possibility to take damage while in the room (evasion check?)
- Worms: the room has worm holes...giant...worm holes. They come out of the holes and attack
- Illusion: The room appears to be a desert. It's hot, really hot. Morale/health loss per turn in the room
- Magnetic storm: all metal objects that are equipped are lost
- Power surge: strength +1, health -1

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Quests

- Gates of Hell: Gates of Hell spawn in 3 random locations. Each of these must be defeated before the artifact can be destroyed
- Treasure Horde: There must be 10,000gold worth of items placed in the room before continuing
- Monster Hunter: You must capture a monster that has more strength or intellect than you.
- Lost and Found: A key appears at the entrance. Return there to get it, then bring it back
- Dragon Eggs (alternative to yours): There are 5 dragon eggs spawned in the dungeon/castle, destroy them to continue
- Dragon Eggs (alt 2): There are 5 dragon eggs held captive, return them to Dragon mother to continue
- Revenge: A Ghost demands you avenge his death. Kill 5 monsters within 2 rooms
- Sleeping Spell: A sleeping spell has been cast on the dungeon. Movement is reduced by 3, strength is reduced by 4, Intellect is reduced by 5. The next magic creature (i.e. magic user) that is defeated ends the spell.

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Tue, 10/27/2009 - 20:49
#3
Redcap
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Joined: 07/26/2008
- trap door: Goes to the

- trap door: Goes to the floor below
>>Like it

- poison room: Each turn there is the possibility of taking damage/dying
>>Really like it

- fountain of health/youth: Able to restore health/morale/etc.
>>(Already implemented)

- ceiling closing in (think Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom): Time limit to get to the other side, blocks the path behind >>Thought about this one already, only problem is it has to eventually go back up, so will play with this one.

- Noise trap (if a player in the room makes any sound "spikes" come out of the floor/ceiling/walls (from the movie Cube): The player(s) in the room may not speak while in the room or all players in the room take damage (evasion skill check?)
>>Tricky implementation, but has potential

- razor wire trap (again, from Cube, also similar to the laser trap in Resident Evil movie): Possibility to take damage while in the room (evasion check?)
>>Similiar trap already implemented.

- Worms: the room has worm holes...giant...worm holes. They come out of the holes and attack
>>meh

- Illusion: The room appears to be a desert. It's hot, really hot. Morale/health loss per turn in the room
>>Really like it, might tweak it so that there is an illusion creator in the room that can be destroyed, and have different types of illusions like snow, jungle, space...

- Magnetic storm: all metal objects that are equipped are lost
>>Like it

- Power surge: strength +1, health -1
>>Like it

------------------------
Quests

- Gates of Hell: Gates of Hell spawn in 3 random locations. Each of these must be defeated before the artifact can be destroyed
>>Have something similiar, destroy three targets to get something.

- Treasure Horde: There must be 10,000gold worth of items placed in the room before continuing
>>Really like it, really really really like it.

- Monster Hunter: You must capture a monster that has more strength or intellect than you.
>>Could play with this but as it stands most of the monsters exceed characters in either strength or intelligence and the twist on the game is group work and group attacks, so I can play around with this.

- Lost and Found: A key appears at the entrance. Return there to get it, then bring it back
>>Like it

- Dragon Eggs (alternative to yours): There are 5 dragon eggs spawned in the dungeon/castle, destroy them to continue
>>Like it.

- Dragon Eggs (alt 2): There are 5 dragon eggs held captive, return them to Dragon mother to continue
>>Like it

- Revenge: A Ghost demands you avenge his death. Kill 5 monsters within 2 rooms
>>Like it, interesting twist to make the ghost the creature you are working for.

- Sleeping Spell: A sleeping spell has been cast on the dungeon. Movement is reduced by 3, strength is reduced by 4, Intellect is reduced by 5. The next magic creature (i.e. magic user) that is defeated ends the spell.
>>Something similar already implemented.

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Wed, 10/28/2009 - 01:46
#4
simons
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Joined: 12/28/2008
Torrent of ideas

Missions:
Here is a random question, are you always the good guy? If yes, ignore some of these ideas...
-Assassinate someone (either a good guy, or an enemy general)
-Kidnap a princess
-Kill a necromancer who is controlling an army of undead
-Kill a witch who is cursing the king
-Open the gates to the keep from the inside
-Proving yourself by killing something
-Monster hunter (king pays you bring back the heads of, say, wereworlves, either 50 gold/head, or requires 10)

Rooms:
-Ninjas attack
-Trickster (possibly plays games with you or tries to outsmart you)
-Demon possesses one of your characters
-Cursed items, or otherwise cursed characters
-Door to the other world (allows some of your characters to come back to life, also your characters may die, or you get attacked by ghosts)
-hydra, blob, or some other creature that makes 2 when you kill it
-creature with a vendetta (you kill it, and it will come back and haunt you, maybe has 9 lives)
-Fireball trap
-2 doors, one that it unguarded, one that has a knight guarding it who will battle to the death
-Meeting with an seer, who you can pay to look ahead at future rooms
-Meeting with a tradesman, or someone who sells/trades weapons or other equipment
-Illusionary monsters (some real, some not)
-Time warp (a character disappears, only to come back later)
-Puzzle trap: if you do the wrong thing, you get zapped
-Battle a summoner, who calls monsters unless you kill her first

That's all that comes to mind for now. Hope that helps!

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