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1d20 D&D Adventure Hooks from Movies

by Mike on 13 July 2020

Few movie plots work well for our D&D games, often for one big reason: the movie's story depends on how the characters act and we can't count on that in D&D. Instead, the movie plots that work well in D&D games are ones built upon a situation in which the characters choose their own course. Here's a list of 1d20 movies and situations that work well as the hook for a D&D adventure.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Find the thing before an evil larger force finds it first.
2. Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven. Defend a town from an overwhelming force.
3. Jaws. Hunt down a powerful beast.
4. The Hobbit. Rout a villain and restore a location to its rightful owner.
5. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. You and two other groups seek the same treasure.
6. Yojimbo. Defend a town from two different competing factions.
7. Oceans 11 / Inception. Break into a vault and steal something.
8. Apocalypse Now. Hunt down a former hero who became a cult fanatic.
9. Aliens. Find out what happened to a location that stopped responding.
10. The Thing. Uncover enemies among us.
11. Mad Max Fury Road. Rescue people from tyrannical villains.
12. Kill Bill. Hunt down a squad of master assassins.
13. Escape From New York. Rescue someone from a prison ruled by the inmates.
14. The Princess Bride. Save someone from a fixed marriage and bring them to their true love.
15. Saving Private Ryan. Recover a soldier behind enemy lines during a war.
16. Jurassic Park. Escape a park of monsters gone wild.
17. Star Wars / Rogue One. Acquire secret information and get it into the right hands.
18. Children of Men / Willow. Save a child from a world trying to destroy it.
19. Die Hard / Dredd. Escape from a building overtaken by villains.
20. The Warriors. Villains and heroes alike hunt you for a crime you didn't commit.

Inspiration

• Twitter discussion of best D&D movies
• 22 Panels that Always Work

Related Articles

• Seven Samurai, the Perfect D&D Adventure
• Build Resilient and Evolving Villainous Plots
• Running Wars, Big Battles, and Massive Combat in D&D

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