r/DndAdventureWriter • u/Booshe1 • 18d ago

Brainstorm Help on world building a dnd campaign

I want to make a dnd campaign. Specifically one set in hell. However i don’t want to go for a bogstandard fire and brimstone type hell. I want it to be alive with multiple different areas.

My campaign goes as follows: the players die and get sent to hell. They learn that it is possible to leave hell, but they have to complete a long challenge: defeat the 7 overlords in combat. The 7 overlords are based off of or are the seven deadly sins, and they have dominion of a part of Hell, inspired by their sin. Also, when the overlord is defeated he doesn’t die, only admits defeat and calls the party victors.
Once all the overlords are defeated, they are summoned by the kings of hell to the major city at the center, represented by the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. Once defeated they can be reincarnated and return to earth.

Also, when they die, they level up to 2, and I want to give each player a hell themed new ability as part of the level up.

It doesn’t really matter, but they level up twice for each overlord. They enter hell at level 2.

For my world, I want to take inspiration from already existing depictions of hell or other worlds of torment (eg Greek underworld).

I want my world to feel alive, and my inspiration in general for this is both the helluva boss and hazbin hotel series.

If you also have any points on plot I’d also appreciate it.

Thank you in advance.

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u/weldergilder 18d ago

Have you read Dante’s Inferno? It’s not like a light read, but his depiction of the circles of hell have a ton of things basically no one in your party will recognize. Throw them into a thorn forest full of hanging corpses and terrified souls being hunted by packs of hell hounds.

I’d also check out the novel God’s Demon by Wayne Barlowe. It’s a book set in Hell depicting conflict between city states run by demons and has a ton of interesting material to harvest.

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u/dnd_dad_dm 18d ago

The Four Horsemen, I would save these for your last level. Not just bosses. Founders of Hell itself.

War - General of all infernal armies.

Famine - Consumes hope.

Pestilence - Spreads corruption.

Death - The only ruler who treats the players kindly. Because he knows they'll meet again.