In issue 32 of d12 Monthly, I created a list of goals based on the classes listed in the Old School Essentials (OSE) advanced player’s guide. I did this with the help of Pete Lawson, whose idea this was originally.
I covered off the standard races-as-class in that issue, but didn’t have room for the more exotic ones. That’s what this post is all about.
I present you with class-based goals for Drow, Duergar, Gnomes, and Svirfniblins. There are six for each race, so feel free to roll randomly, or choose from those below.
Adventure Goals for Drow
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- Slave Revolt: Motivated by a strong sense of justice, your good-aligned Drow character seeks to eliminate the vile practice of enslaving others within Drow society.
- Surface Alliance: Driven by a desire to bridge the gap between the Underdark and the surface world, your character aims to establish peaceful alliances with surface-dwelling races.
- Outcast Refuge: Compassion for fellow outcasts within Drow society motivates your character to offer protection and support to those shunned by their own kind. Your goal is to create a sanctuary where outcasts can find refuge.
- Seeking Lore: In a quest to defy the Drow stereotype of embracing darkness, your character seeks ancient knowledge and forgotten lore that promotes light, goodness, and benevolence.
- Cooperation: Driven by a commitment to peace and unity, your character endeavours to facilitate understanding and cooperation between Drow and other subterranean races.
- Artistic Heritage: In an effort to showcase the beauty and creativity of the Drow people, your character strives to rediscover and revive the lost artistic heritage of the Drow.
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Adventure Goals for Duergar
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- Reclaim Ancestral Home: Seek to reclaim a lost clanhold, after having lost your ancestral homes to orcs, dragons, or other threats.
- Building an Alliance: Forging an alliance with the surface world, working to establish trade and cultural exchange, to bridge the gap, proving that some Duergar can be valuable allies.
- Uncover Secrets: Uncover the secrets of their dark history, seeking to uncover the truth about their past and find a way to cleanse their society of evil influences.
- Redemption: Redeem the soul of a fallen ancestor, seeking to find a way to break the curse that has afflicted their race.
- Racial Harmony: Build a bridge between the different dwarven subraces by working to work through differences between these subraces.
- A Search for a New Home: Find a new home for their people (be it a small village or an entire clan), where they can live in peace and prosperity.
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Adventure Goals for Gnomes
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- Uncover the Secrets of Gnomish Inventions: Motivated by a deep curiosity and affinity for tinkering, your gnome character seeks to uncover the secrets behind gnomish inventions.
- Establish a Gnomish Cultural Archive: Recognizing the importance of preserving gnomish traditions and knowledge, your character aims to establish a comprehensive cultural archive.
- Forge Alliances with Fey Creatures: Intrigued by the connection between gnomes and the wilderness, your character seeks to forge alliances with fey creatures.
- Create a Gnomish Utopia: Inspired by dreams of a perfect gnome society, your character aspires to create a gnome utopia.
- Master Illusionary Arts: With a natural aptitude for illusion magic, your gnome character aims to master the art of creating illusions.
- Protect Gnomish Homelands from Mining Exploitation: Concerned about the impact of mining on gnomish homelands, your character takes on the responsibility of protecting these precious environments from exploitation.
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Adventure Goals for Svirfniblins
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- Ruined Undercity: An elder recounts legends of a lost undercity rumoured to hold incredible treasures and powerful magic.
- Mushroom Mine Mayhem: Spores from a mutated fungus are driving nearby creatures mad. You’re tasked to navigate the infested caverns and eradicate the source.
- Cistern Calamity: The main water source for your clan has dried up. Explore submerged tunnels and forgotten aqueducts to uncover the cause and restore the lifeblood of your people.
- Drow Infiltration: Whispers tell of a Drow plot to enslave your clan. Infiltrate their underground city using disguise and subterfuge, gather intel, and disrupt their plans before they come to fruition.
- Lost Tunnel: An ancient map reveals a passage leading to a forgotten civilization. Delve into the treacherous, lightless tunnels, using your shadowsight to uncover its secrets and treasures (and dangers).
- Cave Crawler Calamity: A monstrous cave crawler terrorises the underdark, disrupting trade routes and threatening your clan’s safety. Lead a hunting party deep into its lair, using strategic ambushes and pinpoint accuracy to take it down.
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Final Thoughts
Reading these over again, you could easily use them for adventure ideas, or even whole campaign ideas if you wanted to.
There would a whole bunch of fun if everyone played the same race, and set off on a race-driven adventure.
While You’re Here…
Since 2021 I have been publishing d12 Monthly, a monthly zine, which has a ton of articles for any edition of Dungeons and Dragons.
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