What campaign archetypes (e.g. defeat the dungeon boss, rescue the princess, heist) exist that can work in a really short campaign, ideally a one-shot?

Interested in stuff that can be used for any system, but suggestions for cool game-specific campaigns that can be generalised are also welcome.

  • Dunstabzugshaubitze@feddit.org
    7·
    3 days ago
    • pcs were kidnapped/tricked into a dangerous place to be sacrificed/experimented on/turned into pie, they have four hours to escape before Elvis McEvil is finished preparing whatever.
    • a long lost ruin/dungeon/secret lab has been discovered, because a metorite impact/a flood/an earthquake and Elvis McEvil is allready looting the place to obtain the blade of world ending/dna samples of a killer virus/an army of mutated chihuahuas
    • townspeople keep disapearing, they are kidnapped by a cult/mad scientists/crazy bakers and are used by Elvis McEvil to further his evil plans.
    • Every full moon an evil sorcerer/a cartel boss/a giant squirrel demands people to be sacrificed/lots of money/hazel nuts otherwise a portal to hell will be opened/the townhall will be bombed/the giant squirrel gets sad. the demands can not be met and tonight is full moon.
    • there is cool shit in a secret hidden labyrinth underneath the cathedral.
    • the evil under the cathedral/the university/the cemetery is about to escape, because whoever imprisoned it can’t complete the necessary ritual/keep a highly advanced sentintent computer system running/did not have enough hazel nuts to keep a giant squirrel happy which is now rampaging through the graveyard.the pcs must enable the keeper to do his job, do the job themselves.