So while reading a newsletter, I found a list of NPC and plot hooks for D&D inspired by Transformers, and realized that you could get plot hooks like that from just about any TV show or movie, so I decided to make a list of my own, from Digimon: Digital Monsters. You'll find ideas from the first four series here; bonus points if you can list where each number came from, and from which series!
1. An enemy of the party traps them into performing meaningless, tedious tasks to distract them from their duty - perhaps by using some form of obligation the party has incurred.
2. Some service the party has ordered is only available in another form of currency; what's worse, the party didn't find this out until after the service has already been given.
3. The party must gather totems of ancient warriors, and by using them, gain new spells and abilities.
4. An evil wizard attempts to take over the world by using ominous obelisks to amplify and broadcast his mind-control spell, which makes all living things become Chaotic Evil and hostile to the party.
5. Powerful villains embark upon a reign of terror from within a stronghold at the top of a magically-created mountain.
6. A party member’s rival is convinced that the only way to become stronger is to slay that party member.
7. A cherished friend of the party dies, and the party must embark on a great quest to the place where he can be resurrected.
8. Each party member must quest for a talisman that represents a good trait they embody in order to gain new strength (perhaps a prestige class).
9. The party must confront a monster that can only be slain by the positive energy of a child’s dreams.
10. A powerful master vampire moves in to the party’s hometown in search of the subject of a prophecy - specifically, the prophecy of how to slay him.
11. The party finds convenient shelter for the night - a mansion laid out with good food and warm beds - but there is no one in sight. It could be an enemy trap, where everything is an illusion.
12. The party encounters a magician who works for the enemy, but has a heart of gold and wishes for only one person’s safety - a confused and abused little girl who has grown up to become the enemy’s most trusted lieutenant.
13. The enemy’s recurring henchman is a bratty, incompetent imp who provides comic relief, but is ultimately much more dangerous than he seems.
14. A demon forms a special bond with a pair of human children, and switches to the party’s side at a crucial moment. He can then become a recurring character, attempting redemption, or sacrifice himself for the greater good.
15. A beast tamer sees her companion animal as only a method for getting stronger, and competes in arena fights for a title - but her companion cares deeply for her, and wishes to be seen as more than simply a tool of war.
16. The party needs a special magical ability to defeat the enemy, but can only gain it through a friend’s sacrifice.
17. The enemy’s lieutenant has a powerful connection to a party member’s backstory - a destined companion or long-lost relative, brainwashed and coerced into service by the enemy.
18. The enemy is a fallen angel, corrupted by an as-of-yet unknown greater evil, an archdemon prince of incredible power.
19. A former enemy, defeated by the party, turns out to be not-so-different from the heroes that defeated them, and returns to ask to join the group. Will the party be able to forgive his past crimes?
20. Perhaps the same universe as 15, a world where humans fight with companion monsters against dangerous foes, for power, glory, and sometimes, as a sport.
21. The group, or a single party member, is offered the chance to undo the series of events that set them on the path of adventure, and appear to be brought back in time to the point before they set off into the world. Perhaps they are given a different form or appearance, to prevent damage to the timeline if they should meet themselves in the past.
22. The party has been transported to an alternate plane of existence, and must solve a puzzle in order to get back home; a wrong solution, and they could never return to the prime material plane, or could return in different bodies.
23. A powerful golem, created by magic, rebels against his creators and begins searching for a purpose in life.
24. A demon plants dark seeds into children, turning them into geniuses and giving them extraordinary powers, but can control them at will, and will harvest their souls when the seeds mature.
25. An innocuous creature that assists/follows/joins the party turns out to be an angel in disguise.
26. The party is assisted/followed by a stodgy chronicler who has inherited an ancient Book of Heroes; it holds useful information, but is often obscure and difficult to decipher.
27. The enemies are the remains of an ancient band of Heroes, seduced to evil by a smooth-tongued demon.
28. A potential ally of the party is a young paladin, whose holy mount is not a horse but a legendary dog-like beast with powers over lightning.
29. The party is instructed to climb a holy mountain to receive training at the top; much to their surprise, they get there and find that the ‘legendary master’ who resides there is a tiny pixie!
30. A recurring enemy for the party is a pair of knights of the evil empire - one who is effeminate, suave, and uses magic and a fast rapier, and the other who is powerful, masculine, and fights with a heavy broadsword.
