Homebrewing a DND campaign is a rough gig. Not only are you in charge of creating interesting stories and characters, but you also have a whole world to fill with charming NPCs, quaint shops, and seasonal events. Crafting seasonal events can be exceptionally difficult. If you’re looking to create an extra special encounter for your players this month, you must resist the urge to dump Fantasy Thanksgiving into your world. Your campaign deserves better!
Pressed for time or ideas? Grab your most trusted dice set, throw another log on the fire, and let fate decide where you go! Each scenario below is crafted to fit into a D&D homebrewed campaign or become a stand-alone dungeons and dragons adventure with a bit of elbow grease. If you use any of the scenarios below, be sure to let us know how it went in the comments section.
Happy rolling!
—1—
While wandering the marketplace, the party hears an Elvish woman sporting a pumpkin dress thunderously advertising for Ol’ Boozy’s Alewerks. For the next 2 nights, Ol’ Boozy’s is hosting a special tasting of their new brews. For 5 gold, attendees will be allowed to sample five seasonal brews and purchase micro kegs of their favorite drinks at a discounted rate! The beverages on tap are The Pumpkin King’s Revenge, Satyr’s Sanctum Spiced Ale, Hops and Robbers Pale Ale, Manic Minotaur Mead, and The Raven Queen’s Delight.
Throughout the night, meat pies, cheesy loaves of bread, and hearty stews are offered for consumption. Hidden inside some pies are small wooden figures of a pumpkin-headed man with “Old Boozy” stamped on the bottom. Any guest lucky enough to find one (and not swallow it whole via a failed DC 10 perception check) wins a large keg of their favorite brew!
—2—
The party finds a young halfling boy sobbing in the street. He uses a well-worn, blue scarf to clean up his tears as he looks desperately around corners, in barrels, and any odd place he can fit. Upon speaking to him, the party learns that he’s lost his favorite toy—a plush Yeti his father gave him before going away to war. He clutches a soft tuft of white fur in one hand, which is the only clue he has to his prized possessions’ whereabouts.
Following the trail of clues—which includes large footprints, more tufts of fur, upturned barrels of food, and testimony from various NPCs about a “large white monster” prowling the streets—leads the party to a Yeti’s den. A concerned Yeti mother has mistakenly confused the boy’s toy with a Yeti child. She’s non-threatening and will happily return the purloined plush. She even took the time to clumsily mend and clean up the poor thing.
If the party chooses to engage the Yeti, they will only find a non-magical necklace on the corpse in the shape of a broken heart. During the fight, the young boy will run away into the mountains, no longer interested in recovering his lost toy.
—3—
While perusing The Curious Cockatrice, a store which specializes in the strange and arcane, the party finds an ornate snowglobe. Inside the globe is a two-storied snow capped cabin. A wreath of evergreen boughs hangs on the cherry red door, and it appears that warm light is softly flickering in the windows. The cabin is nestled alongside snow-covered pines and a couple cheery snowmen. The globe itself rests atop a lovingly carved wooden base which depicts an enchanting mountain scene. On a successful DC 12 perception check, players will notice a small wisp of smoke rising from the chimney.
Upon shaking the globe, anyone touching it will be safely transported to the cabin. Inside, they will find all sorts of treats magically prepared for them, a warm fire, a library, and enough space to comfortably house 6 people. If guests try to leave the area, they will encounter a magical barrier that prevents them from moving more than 2 miles away from the cabin in any direction.
After 12 hours, guests are transported back to their original location, well-rested. An inscription on the bottom reads, “For Rose. Place this globe in freshly fallen snow overnight to return to our hearth by morning.”
— 4 —
A provincial town is hosting their annual Fes-STEW-val! Everyone in town and the surrounding farms brings meats or vegetables to add to the gigantic communal pot.
While waiting for the stew to cook, there are plenty of festivities for players to distract themselves with. Tests of might, such as the “Farm vs. Town” Tug-of-War, will reward players with 1 minor magical item. Players who wish to busk can find plenty of opportunities to perform for adoring crowds for coin. Dexterous folk can try their luck running through the corn maze, as the fastest participant wins the top prize of 25 gold. A local brewery is offering plenty of warm toddies and whiskey. An abandoned house has been converted into the Haunted House of Screams and is currently seeking extra actors to hire.
To participate, each player must purchase or procure an ingredient to add to the stew. Ask players to roll a nature or survival check to determine the quality of the ingredients they bring. Anything below a 5 is rotten, poisonous, or an inedible object. Rolls from 5 to 10 are of questionable quality. They might taste a bit funny—or be an odd addition—but they won’t outright kill anyone. Rolling 10 -19 results in a good quality ingredient, with higher rolls tasting fresher than lower ones. A 20 and above produces a legendary quality addition—something so lovely, it cancels out any roll lower than a 5!
If players roll well, eating the stew results in 1 D8 temporary hit points until their next long rest, and a warm fuzzy feeling. After everyone has had their fill, leftovers are bottled and each player may purchase 1 bottle for 5 silver.
Too many bad ingredients will cause horrifyingly vivid hallucinations on a failed DC13 constitution saving throw.
Brittany Lindstrom is a mixed media illustrator out of ye olde Boise, Idaho. Under the banner of Spice & Rose, Lindstrom is oftentimes left dreaming of deep dungeon dives while chained to her studio. On the rare occasion that she's let out, you can find her presenting panels on art and Artist Alley at conventions all around the Intermountain West. She has a deep love for playing randomized characters.