D&D Motif Index by Theme

D&D Motif Index by Theme


This list is not complete, and may never be. If you wish to contribute, leave a comment with a motif and its theme.

Motif: A common and recognizable element in story-telling.

  • Adventure Goals (Also Villainous Plots)
    1. Capture Individual
    2. Capture Territory
    3. Defend Location
    4. Destabilize Faction
    5. Destroy Object
    6. Escort Individual
    7. Gather Components
    8. Gather Intelligence
    9. Kill Creature
    10. Map Area
    11. Reach Location
    12. Recover Item
    13. Rescue Individual / Creature
    14. Secure Alliance
    15. Solve Mystery
    16. Steal Valuables
    17. Sway Opinion
    18. Win Competition
  • Curses
    1. Ability Removal
    2. Aging - Rapid
    3. Banishment
    4. Haunted
    5. Immortality - Unable to Die
    6. Inconvenient Compulsions
    7. Lycanthropy
    8. Mutation
    9. Nightmares - Unable to Rest
    10. Sentient Undeath
    11. Vampirism
    12. Wandering - Endless
  • Death - Means Of
    1. Assassination
    2. Asphyxiation
    3. Blood Loss
    4. Chemical Overdose
    5. Crushed
    6. Decapitation
    7. Dehydration
    8. Drowning
    9. Eaten
    10. Execution - Legal
    11. Falling
    12. Illness
    13. Incineration
    14. Magical Accident / Experimentation
    15. Monster - Other than Eaten
    16. Murdered
    17. Old Age
    18. Petrification
    19. Poisoned
    20. Starvation
  • Environments - Artificial
    1. Aqueduct
    2. Bridge
    3. Castle
    4. Dungeon
    5. Farm
    6. Garden
    7. Graveyard
    8. Hovel
    9. Inn
    10. Keep
    11. Laboratory
    12. Library
    13. Mansion
    14. Palace
    15. Road
    16. Shrine
    17. Temple
    18. Vault
    19. Village
    20. Vineyard
  • Environments - Natural
    1. Badlands
    2. Canyon
    3. Cavern
    4. Coast
    5. Craters
    6. Desert
    7. Forest
    8. Grasslands
    9. Hills
    10. Island
    11. Jungle
    12. Lake
    13. Mountains
    14. Ocean
    15. Plateau
    16. River
    17. Savanah
    18. Shrubland
    19. Swamp
    20. Tundra
  • Environments - Weird
    1. Deadlands
    2. Fae Grove
    3. Fungal Forest
    4. Holy Ground
    5. Ley Line
    6. Planar Border
    7. Rotting Giant
    8. Unholy Ground
    9. Underworld
    10. World Tree
  • Factions
    1. Assassins' Guild
    2. Bandits
    3. Barbarians
    4. Circus - Traveling
    5. Crime Ring
    6. Cult
    7. Druid Circle
    8. Dwarves
    9. Elves
    10. Empire
    11. Fighters' Guild
    12. Kingdom
    13. Knightly Order
    14. Monastic Order
    15. Nomadic Tribe
    16. Orc Clan
    17. Priestly Order
    18. Wizardly Council
  • Gods - by Domain
    1. Air
    2. Art
    3. Balance
    4. City
    5. Creation
    6. Death
    7. Destruction
    8. Dreams
    9. Family
    10. Fate
    11. Fire
    12. Frost
    13. Healing
    14. Indulgence
    15. Industry
    16. Justice
    17. Knowledge
    18. Liberty
    19. Light
    20. Love
    21. Luck
    22. Magic
    23. Mercy
    24. Might
    25. Moon
    26. Music
    27. Nature
    28. Oaths
    29. Passion
    30. Shadow
    31. Stars
    32. Stone
    33. Storms
    34. Sun
    35. Time
    36. Travelers
    37. Trickery
    38. Truth
    39. War
    40. Water
  • Magic
    1. Abjuration - Warding
    2. Conjuration - Summoning
    3. Divination - Learning Secrets
    4. Elemental
    5. Enchantment - Imbuing magical effects to the mundane
    6. Enchantment - Altering the mind or will of a creature
    7. Evocation - Creating Magical Effects
    8. Illusion
    9. Necromancy - Controlling the Dead
    10. Sorcery - Innate Magical Ability
    11. Transmutation
    12. Wizardry - Learned Magical Ability
  • Motives
    1. Ambition
    2. Disgust
    3. Duty
    4. Envy
    5. Glory
    6. Greed
    7. Immortality
    8. Justice
    9. Knowledge
    10. Legacy
    11. Liberty
    12. Loyalty
    13. Love
    14. Peace
    15. Redemption
    16. Restoration
    17. Survival
    18. Transcendence
    19. Unity
    20. Vengeance
  • Objects
    1. Armor
    2. Amulet
    3. Book
    4. Cloak
    5. Creature
    6. Creature Part - Unicorn Horn, Troll's Blood, Etc.
    7. Crown
    8. Holy Relic
    9. Key
    10. Map
    11. Orb
    12. Portal
    13. Resource
    14. Ring
    15. Source of Power
    16. Shield
    17. Staff / Wand
    18. Tool - Hammer, Paintbrush, Pen, Etc.
    19. Weapon, Mundane - Axe, Bow, Hammer, Spear, Sword, Etc.
    20. Weapon, Powerful - Nuke, Missile, Etc.
  • Planes
    1. Astral
    2. Chaos
    3. Elemental (Fire, Water, Earth, Air)
    4. Ethereal
    5. Fae
    6. Heavens
    7. Hells
    8. Material
    9. Order
    10. Shadow
    11. Demiplane
    12. Cthulonic Abyss
  • Races - Fantastical
    1. Beastfolk (Bird, Fox, Lion, Lizard, Minotaur, Fish, Etc.)
    2. Centaur
    3. Dwarves
    4. Dragons
    5. Elves
    6. Fairies
    7. Gnomes
    8. Goblins
    9. Halfling
    10. Half-X (Angel, Devil, Elf, Giant, Orc, Etc.)
    11. Humans
    12. Insectoids
    13. Kobolds
    14. Living Armor
    15. Merfolk
    16. Orcs
    17. Plasmoids
    18. Satyr
    19. Shifters
    20. Undead
  • Villains
    1. Aliens
    2. Crime Boss
    3. Death Knight
    4. Demigod
    5. Demon
    6. Devil
    7. Dragon
    8. Evil God
    9. Lich
    10. Machine
    11. Monster - Sentient
    12. Necromancer
    13. Politician
    14. Prophet
    15. Spirit - Bound to Artifact
    16. Vampire
    17. Warlord
    18. Witch
    19. Wizard
    20. Zealot

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