Every adventure begins with the plot hook. It's the reason your players band together. It's what drives the sense of adventure and moves the story forward. Without a great plot hook, your players have no reason to choose the road less traveled. 

Coming up with a great plot hook isn't always easy, though, so here are 5 plot hooks to help inspire you and get your adventure started! 

Art generated by AI. 

1. The Civil War

A brutal civil war has taken place between the capital city and its sister city for months. After a failed assault by the capital city, the citizens of the kingdom were awoken by an explosion in the night. As the early-morning sunlight began to rise, it was revealed that the capital city was nothing more than a smoldering crater.

 

2. The Disappearance

A storm rocked the continent for months. Kingdoms flooded, lightning caused wildfires, and crops began to shrivel. Finally, when the storm began to break, hope returned to the downtrodden. The first peek of blue sky was overwhelmed by a flash of white. It didn’t take long to discover all the rulers of the continent had inexplicably vanished.

 

3. The Guardian

A colossal rock creature stood watch over a small town for decades. Though it lay dormant, the citizens found comfort in its looming presence. However, as disappearances began to plague the town, cracks began forming along the creature’s arms. With the most recent disappearance, its eyes started to glow red.

4. The Rift

The city never was one for magic—its people were never born with the gift, and the population was scared of those that could wield it. Without warning, the ground began to shudder and buildings were shaken from their foundations. A rift opened in the center of town. From it spewed a steady stream of pure magic. The population was tainted, and now grapples from its effects.

 

5. The Rot

The rot went unnoticed at first—just a copse of dead trees here, or poorly-fertilized soil there. As time went on, the decay spread. Entire forests were turned to shriveled husks in a matter of weeks, and the soil burned up beneath crops. Panic is beginning to spread—there’s no telling just how far the rot will spread, or what can be done to stop it.