I had the idea of running my players through classic fables from history with my own personal devious twists. We went from Red Riding Hood, through Snow White, into Hansel and Gretel. All while keeping campaign continuity one led to another to another. So seamless. However we've taken a small two week break for work related reasons. My players itching for more fables. They love the idea and find it a blast to run through familiar yet different stories all wrapped up in a nice 4e shell (flour). I have been reading through many different books trying to gain inspiration. Aesop's, Arabian Nights, Grimm's, all sorts of books. I am just wondering if the community at large would like to help me out with some ideas. Maybe state the Fable, or story from history, and then a little spin or two if you'd like. A couple ideas I had were to run through perhaps a Jack and the Beanstalk type adventure.
What I am thinking is each story/fable be a one shot adventure. Just something episodic in flavor.
My examples:
Red Riding hood, mysterious werewolf attacking town, PCs escort little girl to grandma's house, turns out girl and grandma are the werewolves.
Snow White, girl finds party's camp in the forest at night, being hunted by a mad ranger, girl is heir to kingdom, girl's step mother is being influenced by a demon trapped in a magical mirror found deep within the family castle who can only be released by coating the mirror with the girl's blood.
Hansel and Gretel, the party, on the way to a wizard's tower for another reason, meets two twenty something adventurers who tell them they are tracking down a witch who destroyed their village when they were younger, in reality they are crazy witch hunters who are traveling the lands to hunt and kill all arcane casters they find.
What are your ideas if you would like to share any? It's very much a fun nostalgia kind of adventure, very rewarding as a DM to see the player's reactions of the way you've changed and added to the fable, as well as getting to play through it. Just post your ideas, I bet there are plenty untapped awesome ideas out there. Thanks and happy DMing.
Happy Gaming
There are three challenges that Ofilia has to complete to prove she is still a princess.
First she has to go deep beneath the roots of a giant decaying tree in the woods to feed a magic stone to the monstrous frog that has been killing the tree.
Secondly she has to use magic chalk (maybe a ritual?) to open a door to the lair of a legendary man eater who keeps his eyes in slits in the palms of his hands. She needs a magical dagger from his vault, but eating the magically enchanted food from the monster's table wakes him up. Maybe a series of will saves followed by a boss attack?
Then she has to escape through the labyrinth in the woods, where a dark satyr waits for her and the dagger. Little does she know that the satyr is up to something.
So that's an idea.
........OR!
Ever heard of "One tin soldier"?
It's a good old song. It can easily be turned creepy.
Here are the lyrics.
Show
Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They'd have it for their very own.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom,
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches buried there."
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Now the valley cried with anger,
"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
And they killed the mountain-people,
So they won their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They'd have it for their very own.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom,
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches buried there."
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Now the valley cried with anger,
"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
And they killed the mountain-people,
So they won their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.
Or the Myth of Persephone and Demeter?