Masquerade balls are a feature of civilised urban life, and eventually the PCs may be invited to attend such a prestigious event. Perhaps they are invited to secretly meet a new patron or to stymie some plot of these attending the event or alternatively their adventure may start unexpectedly during such an event. Masquerade balls are excellent excuses for role-playing and offer an excellent change of pace to a typical adventure.
However, designing all the guests and their costumes would take more time than even the most diligent GM has at his disposal. That’s where Campaign Events: Masquerade Ball comes in. Presenting copious notes on masks, costumes and guests along with hooks, opportunities and complications it takes the hassle out of running a masquerade ball and lets the GM concentrate on the important details of the campaign!
Sample: 10 Mundane Masks
- An elegant lion mask, complete with full mane.
- A bright feathered bird mask with a curved beak, which covers the wearer’s nose.
- A smooth brown eye mask, it includes two horns that curve back over the wearer’s head.
- A dark shroud with a deep hood, pulled low over the wearer’s face.
- Stylized crow mask, like that of a plague doctor. An herbal aroma emanates from the beak.
- An eye mask of delicate, pale green lace.
- This white mask is covered in pattered gold spirals around the wearer’s eyes.
- An ornately carved wooden handle supports this plain, black mask.
- A half-face mask painted in a black and white diamond pattern.
- These oversized glasses have thick black frames and lenses that distort the face behind them.
Sample: 10 Magical Masks
- A crocodile mask with jaws that snap.
- A collection of autumn leaves covering the entire head save the eyeholes. Live slugs inhabit it.
- A faint green mist obscures the wearer’s face.
- A semi sheer fabric covers the wearer’s face, but the wearer can see through it easily.
- An elaborate wig; tendrils of hair writhe around the wearer’s face, obscuring it.
- A realistic red dragon mask, which periodically emits smoke through its nostrils.
- A third eye painted on the forehead, which occasionally blinks.
- A complicated collection of metal gears spin and move around, alternately obscuring and revealing the face.
- An inverted fishbowl, filled with water and fish.
- A lifelike (perhaps too lifelike) werewolf mask.
6 Hooks, Complications & Opportunities
- A courier rushes in with a message for the guest of honour, who leaves immediately. This creates a stir among the other guests.
- A noble fleeing an arranged marriage seeks the PCs’ assistance. He is hoping the ball will provide enough cover for them to spirit him away to safety.
- A person who appears to be wearing a monster mask, asks for help lifting a terrible curse. Of course, it transpires an angry druid using a reincarnation spell trapped the person in this body. Normally, the person cannot be seen out in public and has used the ball as a chance to get help.
- The planned entertainment fails to appear and the ball’s host asks the PCs for help finding a replacement.
- A minor noble instigates a brawl at the bar. It is all a cover to damage a rival’s much more impressive costume (about which he is insanely jealous).
- The local watch recruits the PCs to help solve a crime committed by one of the guests.
Praise for Campaign Events: Masquerade Ball
“As a dressing-toolkit, this is pretty much the apex of what can ask from a pdf on the subject matter and it is a great buy.”
–Endzeitgeist (five stars)
“There’s enough content here for a game master to prepare an elaborate masquerade ball in a fraction of the time it might normally take. Campaign Events: Masquerade Ball makes me want to find a way to work a masked ball into my next session!”
–TriangularRoom (five stars)
“In summation, I’m giving this DM Resource a *5* Star Rating. I honestly haven’t had such a unique and entertaining tabletop event as this Masquerade Ball … in at least a decade. I’m thankful for play-aids like this that help take me outside of my DM’ing Comfort Zone and help enable me to experience more alternative ways of thrilling & challenging both my players and myself.”
–Crai (five stars)
“A very useful resource.”
–Megan Robertson (four stars)
A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible GM’s Resource by Kat Evans
Released 16 July 2015; Pages 10
PDF ($2.45) d20pfsrd, DriveThruRPG, Paizo, RPGNow, Warehouse 23 or sign up to Raging Swan’s Patreon campaign before 12 July and get it for $2!
Download a Free Sample Masquerade Ball Sample
A System Neutral Edition GM’s Resource by Kat Evans
Released 1 February 2016; Pages 10
PDF ($2.45) DriveThruRPG, RPGNow
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