Looking for inspiration for your next Dungeons & Dragons 5e campaign? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of 110 encounter ideas, all set in a city, that will challenge your players and keep them on the edge of their seats.
From street performers to vampire dens, there’s something for everyone in this list!
City D&D 5e Encounter Ideas
- Pickpocketing: A group of thieves attempts to pickpocket the party as they navigate a crowded street.
- Gang Violence: The party stumbles upon a gang fight and must decide whether to intervene or let it play out.
- City Watch: The party is stopped by a group of city watchmen who suspect them of a crime they didn’t commit.
- Assassination Attempt: The party is targeted by an assassin while dining at a local tavern.
- Thieves’ Guild: The party is recruited by a Thieves’ Guild to pull off a heist in a wealthy noble’s mansion.
- Magical Mishap: A mage’s experiment goes awry, causing magical chaos in the city.
- Tavern Brawl: The party gets caught up in a bar fight between rival factions at a popular tavern.
- Haunted House: The party is hired to investigate a spooky mansion in the city’s outskirts.
- Cult Conspiracy: The party uncovers a secret cult operating within the city’s highest echelons of power.
- Urban Wildlife: The party is stalked by a pack of wild beasts that have escaped from the city’s zoo.
- Street Performer: A street performer captures the attention of the party with an impressive display of acrobatics or magic.
- Smuggling Ring: The party is hired by a smuggling ring to transport illicit goods through the city’s sewers.
- Thieves’ Market: The party discovers a hidden marketplace where stolen goods are sold under the table.
- Blackmail: The party is blackmailed by a nefarious figure who has evidence of a dark secret they thought was buried.
- Cursed Object: The party unknowingly acquires a cursed object, leading to bizarre and dangerous consequences.
- Missing Person: The party is tasked with finding a missing person in the city’s seedy underbelly.
- Riot: The party finds themselves caught in the middle of a riot as tensions escalate between the citizens and the ruling authorities.
- Corrupt Officials: The party is framed for a crime they didn’t commit by corrupt officials with an agenda.
- Secret Society: The party uncovers a secret society that operates in the shadows of the city’s elite circles.
- Infiltration: The party is tasked with infiltrating a heavily guarded facility in the heart of the city.
- Illusionary Traps: The party encounters a series of illusionary traps and puzzles while navigating a magical maze in the city.
- Kidnapping: The party must rescue a kidnapped victim from the clutches of a ruthless kidnapper or group of kidnappers.
- Disease Outbreak: The party discovers that a deadly disease is spreading through the city and must find a cure before it’s too late.
- Ghostly Presence: The party encounters the ghost of a long-dead individual who seeks their help to uncover a buried truth.
- Political Intrigue: The party is drawn into a web of political intrigue and must navigate the complex web of alliances and betrayals to uncover the truth.
- Magical Artifact: The party is hired to retrieve a powerful secret object from a heavily guarded vault in the city’s most secure location.
- Sabotage: The party is hired to sabotage a rival faction’s efforts to win a lucrative contract or contract job.
- Heist: The party is recruited by a notorious thief to pull off a heist in the city’s most heavily guarded museum or bank.
- Undercover Operation: The party goes undercover to gather information on a rival faction or individual and must maintain their cover while collecting intel.
- Monster Infestation: The city is overrun by monsters, and the party must navigate the streets while battling ferocious beasts at every turn.
- Cult Ritual: The party stumbles upon a secret cult performing a ritual that could have disastrous consequences for the city.
- Art Heist: The party is hired to retrieve a stolen masterpiece from a wealthy collector’s mansion.
- Hostage Situation: The party must negotiate with a group of desperate criminals who have taken hostages in a busy part of the city.
- Rampaging Monster: A monster is loose in the city and causing chaos, and the party is the only one who can stop it.
- Corrupted Temple: The party discovers that a once-pure temple has been corrupted by an evil force and must cleanse it.
- Escape the City: The party must escape the city while being pursued by a powerful and relentless enemy.
- Grave Robbers: The party encounters a group of grave robbers who are looting the city’s cemetery for valuable artifacts.
- Arena Battle: The party is recruited to participate in a gladiator-style arena battle for the entertainment of the city’s elite.
- Betrayal: The party discovers that one of their own has betrayed them to a rival faction or enemy.
- Mysterious Stranger: The party is approached by a mysterious stranger who offers them a dangerous but lucrative job.
- Plague Doctor: The party encounters a strange doctor who claims to have a cure for the city’s latest plague, but at what cost?
- Cultists’ Lair: The party discovers a secret lair where a dangerous cult is planning a catastrophic attack on the city.
- Rival Adventurers: The party crosses paths with a group of rival adventurers who are after the same treasure or job.
- Doppelganger: The party encounters a doppelganger who is masquerading as one of their allies or a prominent figure in the city.
- Natural Disaster: The city is hit by a natural disaster, such as a flood or earthquake, and the party must navigate the chaos to survive.
- Assassins’ Guild: The party is targeted by a powerful assassins’ guild and must find a way to take them down before they strike again.
- Noble’s Ball: The party is invited to a lavish ball hosted by a powerful noble, but things take a dark turn when a murder occurs.
- Spy Ring: The party is recruited by a spy ring to gather information on a rival faction or foreign power.
- Duel: The party is challenged to a duel by a skilled swordsman who seeks to prove their superiority.
- Necromancer: The party discovers that a powerful necromancer is raising an undead army to conquer the city and must stop them before it’s too late.
- Sewer Adventure: The party navigates the city’s sewers to uncover a secret underground society or retrieve a valuable artifact.
- Racial Tension: The party becomes involved in a conflict between two different races or factions within the city.
- Haunted Streets: The party must navigate the city’s haunted streets, where ghosts and other supernatural entities roam.
- Inquisitors: The party is accused of heresy by a group of inquisitors who seek to root out all forms of magic and the supernatural.
- Love Triangle: The party becomes involved in a complicated love triangle that could have dangerous consequences for all involved.
- Auction House: The party must bid on valuable items at a high-stakes auction house while avoiding the schemes of rival bidders.
- Sabotage the City: The party is hired by a foreign power to sabotage the city’s infrastructure, and must decide whether to go through with it or not.
- Bandit Ambush: The party is ambushed by a group of bandits while traveling through the city’s outskirts.
- Time Traveler: The party encounters a time traveler who has accidentally ended up in the wrong era and needs their help to get back.
- Witch Hunt: The party is accused of witchcraft by a group of fearful villagers and must clear their name before being punished.
- Rebellion: The party joins a rebellion against a tyrannical ruler and must help overthrow their oppressive regime.
- Vampire Den: The party discovers a den of vampires who are preying on the city’s inhabitants and must put a stop to their reign of terror.
- Haunted Mansion: The party investigates a haunted mansion that is said to be cursed by a vengeful spirit.
- Dueling Wizards: The party becomes embroiled in a magical duel between two powerful wizards and must choose a side.
- Underground Fight Club: The party participates in an underground fight club, where the stakes are high, and the fights are brutal.
- Political Assassination: The party is hired to carry out a political assassination that could have far-reaching consequences for the city.
- Catacombs: The party explores the city’s ancient catacombs, where danger lurks around every corner.
- Infernal Cult: The party uncovers a secret cult that worships infernal powers and must stop their nefarious plans.
- Treasure Hunt: The party embarks on a treasure hunt throughout the city, following clues and solving puzzles to find the prize.
- Siren’s Song: The party is lured into a trap by a siren’s song and must find a way to break free before it’s too late.
- Demonic Possession: The party encounters a possessed individual who is wreaking havoc throughout the city and must find a way to exorcise the demon.
- Circus: The party attends a circus that has come to town but soon discovers that there is more to the performers than meets the eye.
- Murder Mystery: The party must solve a murder mystery that has the city on edge before the killer strikes again.
- Cultist Attack: The party is attacked by a group of fanatical cultists who believe they are doing the work of a powerful deity.
- Abandoned Warehouse: The party investigates an abandoned warehouse where a dangerous criminal operation is taking place.
- Golem Rampage: A golem has gone rogue and is causing chaos throughout the city, and the party must find a way to stop it.
- Underground Marketplace: The party discovers an underground marketplace where all manner of illegal goods are bought and sold.
- Curse of the Wererat: The party is cursed with lycanthropy and must find a way to break the curse before it transforms them into a wererat permanently.
- Political Debate: The party becomes embroiled in a heated political debate that could have far-reaching consequences for the city.
- Cultist Hideout: The party discovers a hidden cultist hideout and must infiltrate it to find out what they’re up to.
- Gnome Inventor: The party meets a quirky gnome inventor who has created a device that could change the course of history but needs their help to finish it.
- Hostile Takeover: The party is hired by a wealthy merchant to carry out a hostile takeover of a rival business.
- The Great Fire: The city is threatened by a massive fire, and the party must help evacuate citizens and stop the flames before they consume the entire city.
- Secret Auction: The party is invited to a secret auction where valuable and exotic items are up for sale to the highest bidder.
- Slumlord: The party uncovers a corrupt slumlord who is exploiting the city’s poorest citizens for his own gain.
- Dragon Attack: A dragon is attacking the city, and the party must find a way to defeat it before it causes too much damage.
- Festival: The party attends a grand festival held in honor of a local deity or important event but soon discovers that something sinister is afoot.
- Plundered Tomb: The party explores a tomb that has been plundered by grave robbers and must confront the thieves and reclaim the stolen treasures.
- Protection Racket: The party is hired by a group of merchants to protect them from a ruthless protection racket that is extorting them for money.
- City-State Diplomacy: The party is sent as ambassadors to negotiate with a powerful city-state but soon discovers that the negotiations may not be as peaceful as they had hoped.
- Cursed District: The party enters a cursed district of the city where strange and dangerous things happen and must find a way to break the curse.
- Gladiator Rebellion: The party becomes involved in a gladiator rebellion that seeks to overthrow the city’s oppressive ruler and gain freedom for all gladiators.
- Spy Games: The party becomes involved in a game of espionage and counter-espionage as rival spies try to gain the upper hand in a high-stakes political conflict.
- Royal Wedding: The party is invited to a grand royal wedding but soon discovers that something dark and dangerous is lurking in the shadows.
- The Collector: The party is hired by a wealthy collector to retrieve a rare and valuable artifact from a rival collector’s private collection.
- Dragon Cult: The party uncovers a dragon cult that seeks to bring about the return of a powerful dragon deity and must stop their plans before it’s too late.
- Wealthy Patron: The party is hired by a wealthy patron to retrieve a priceless family heirloom that has been stolen by a rival family.
- Lost City: The party discovers a lost city hidden beneath the streets of the modern city and must uncover its secrets and treasures.
- Pestilence: The city is struck by a deadly plague, and the party must find a way to stop the spread of the disease and find a cure.
- Masquerade Ball: The party attends a grand masquerade ball but soon discovers that someone is using the anonymity to carry out a sinister plan.
- Urban Legends: The party investigates a series of urban legends that are said to be haunting the city and discovers that they may be more than just stories.
- Mercenary Group: The party is hired by a powerful mercenary group to carry out a dangerous mission in exchange for a hefty reward.
- Bank Heist: The party is recruited by a master thief to pull off a daring bank heist, but soon discovers that not everything is as it seems.
- Dueling Arena: The party becomes involved in a series of high-stakes duels in a famous dueling arena, where reputation and honor are at stake.
- Underground Railroad: The party becomes involved in an underground railroad that is helping oppressed citizens escape from the city’s tyrannical rulers.
- Haunted Asylum: The party investigates a haunted asylum that is said to be cursed by the spirits of the patients who died there.
- City of Artisans: The party enters a city that is famous for its skilled artisans and craftsmen and must navigate the complex web of guilds and workshops to complete their mission.
- Ancient Ruins: The party discovers ancient ruins that are said to be cursed and must navigate traps and puzzles to uncover their secrets.
- Prophecy: The party learns of a prophecy that foretells of a great disaster that will befall the city and must find a way to prevent it from coming true.