Every D&D town should have a notice board.

It does not need to be complicated. It can be a warped wooden sign outside the tavern, a stone wall covered in wax-sealed requests, a guildhall job ledger, or a messy collection of papers nailed to a post near the market square.

The important thing is what it does for your campaign.

A notice board gives the players options. It makes a town feel alive. It gives you a place to drop side quests, rumors, missing-person notices, monster bounties, festival announcements, odd jobs, faction requests, and clues that point back toward the main adventure.

Best of all, it is one of the easiest tools a Dungeon Master can use when the players ask, “So what is there to do here?”

Below are 50 D&D notice board quests you can drop into almost any campaign.

Why Use a Notice Board in D&D?

A notice board is useful because it gives players clear choices without forcing them down one path.

Instead of having an NPC walk up and say, “Please help me,” the players get to browse the town’s problems and decide what sounds interesting. That small difference can make the adventure feel more player-driven.

Notice boards are especially useful when:

• The party enters a new town
• You need a side quest between major story beats
• The players want to earn gold
• You want to foreshadow a larger threat
• The session needs a quick adventure hook
• The party needs a reason to explore nearby locations
• You want to introduce local factions, NPCs, or villains

A good notice board quest does not need to be long. Many of the best ones can be resolved in a single scene, a short investigation, or one combat encounter with a twist.

How to Make Notice Board Quests More Interesting

The weakest notice board quests are simple chores.

“Kill five wolves.”

“Find my missing ring.”

“Clear rats from the cellar.”

Those can work, but they become much better when you add one extra detail.

Instead of wolves, maybe they are starving because something worse drove them from the forest.

Instead of a missing ring, maybe the ring keeps returning to its owner’s bedside no matter how many times it is thrown away.

Instead of rats in the cellar, maybe the “rats” are tiny masked fey stealing crumbs for a starving child in the Feywild.

A strong notice board quest usually has four parts:

1. The posting: What the public request says.
2. The truth: What is actually going on.
3. The complication: What makes the job harder than expected.
4. The reward: Gold, favors, information, items, or reputation.

You do not need all four every time, but having them in mind will make even a simple job feel like part of a living world.

A Simple Notice Board Template

Use this format when creating your own job board quests:

## Job Title

**Posted By:**  
**Reward:**  
**The Notice Says:**  
**What Is Really Happening:**  
**Complication:**  
**Possible Outcome:**  

This gives you enough structure to improvise without over-preparing.

Now let’s get to the quest hooks.

50 D&D Notice Board Quests

Village and Small-Town Notice Board Quests

1. Rats in the Cellar

Posted By: The owner of the local inn Reward: 10 gp and a free night’s stay

The innkeeper claims there are rats in the cellar. The noises are real, but the “rats” are actually a group of kobolds digging a tunnel beneath the town.

The kobolds are not attacking yet. They are looking for an old smuggler’s cache hidden under the inn. If the party handles the situation carefully, they may discover that the cache contains a map to a larger dungeon.

2. Missing Chickens

Posted By: A furious farmer Reward: 5 gp and fresh eggs for a week

Something has been stealing chickens at night.

The obvious suspect is a fox, but the tracks lead to a hungry owlbear cub hiding in the woods. Its mother is dead, and the cub is dangerous but not evil.

The party can kill it, relocate it, calm it with magic, or find someone willing to care for it.

3. The Well Has Gone Bad

Posted By: The village elder Reward: 25 gp and the gratitude of the town

The village well water has turned black and foul.

The source is not poison, but a restless spirit buried beneath the old well. The spirit belonged to a traveler who was murdered years ago and hidden there.

The party must uncover the crime, confront the murderer or their descendants, and put the spirit to rest.

4. Help Wanted: Strong Backs Needed

Posted By: A local miller Reward: 2 gp per worker

The miller needs help moving heavy sacks of grain before a storm hits.

This looks like a simple roleplay job, but during the work the party discovers that several sacks contain weapons, stolen goods, or smuggled spell components.

The miller may be guilty, blackmailed, or completely unaware.

5. Missing Dog

Posted By: A young child Reward: “All my saved copper pieces”

A child’s dog has gone missing near the edge of the forest.

The dog is alive and guarding an injured dryad, lost pixie, or wounded scout. When the party finds it, they also discover that something dangerous is moving through the woods.

This is a good hook for introducing a larger forest threat.

6. The Scarecrow Moved

Posted By: Three nervous farmers Reward: 15 gp

The farmers swear a scarecrow has been moving between fields at night.

The scarecrow is animated, but it is not attacking people. It is trying to protect the fields from something worse: ghouls, twig blights, or a cursed scarecrow maker hiding in an abandoned barn.

The party may have to decide whether to destroy the scarecrow or help it finish its grim duty.

7. Lost Wedding Ring

Posted By: A soon-to-be groom Reward: 20 gp

A wedding ring was lost near the riverbank.

The ring has been taken by a curious nixie, goblin child, talking fish, or mud mephit. The creature does not understand its importance and may be willing to trade it for something strange.

This works well as a light social encounter instead of a combat quest.

8. Noises in the Old Chapel

Posted By: The village priest Reward: Healing services and 30 gp

Strange noises have been heard in the abandoned chapel.

Inside, the party finds signs of a secret meeting. Cultists, smugglers, desperate villagers, or monster hunters have been using the chapel after dark.

The twist works best if the group is not purely evil. Maybe they are hiding someone, preparing for a threat, or trying to complete a dangerous ritual for good reasons.

9. The Baker’s Oven Is Haunted

Posted By: The town baker Reward: Fresh bread for a month and 10 gp

The baker’s oven lights itself at night and burns strange symbols into the bread.

The cause is a fire mephit, minor hearth spirit, cursed baking stone, or message from a dead relative. The symbols may point to a hidden treasure, a forgotten crime, or an approaching disaster.

This is a good low-combat mystery for a small town.

10. Wolves at the Fence

Posted By: Several local shepherds Reward: 40 gp

Wolves have been approaching the village fence every night.

They are not attacking. They are fleeing something deeper in the woods. The party can fight the wolves, but the real adventure begins when they discover what scared them.

Possible threats include a werewolf, corrupted treant, green hag, undead hunter, or displaced monster.

Road and Wilderness Notice Board Quests

11. Caravan Guards Needed

Posted By: A merchant caravan Reward: 20 gp per day

A caravan needs guards for a dangerous road.

The expected bandit attack happens, but the bandits are desperate refugees, former guards, or people trying to stop the merchant from transporting something dangerous.

This quest becomes more interesting when the party has to decide whether the employer deserves protection.

12. Bridge Out

Posted By: The road warden Reward: 50 gp

A bridge on the main trade road has collapsed.

The party can help repair it, escort travelers around it, or investigate why it fell. The bridge may have been sabotaged by bandits, damaged by a river monster, or destroyed by villagers trying to keep something out.

This is an easy way to create a travel obstacle with choices.

13. Missing Road Crew

Posted By: The local baron’s steward Reward: 75 gp

A crew sent to clear a landslide has not returned.

The workers are trapped in a cave exposed by the landslide. Unfortunately, the cave also contains stirges, giant spiders, undead miners, or a sealed chamber that should not have been opened.

The party must decide whether to focus on rescue, exploration, or escape.

14. The Singing Stones

Posted By: A traveling scholar Reward: 50 gp for an escort and notes

A scholar wants protection while studying strange stones that sing at sunset.

The stones are part of an old warding circle. Their song is weakening because one stone has been stolen, cracked, or corrupted.

If the party does nothing, something sealed beneath the hill may awaken.

15. Bounty: The Red-Tooth Boar

Posted By: Local hunters Reward: 60 gp and the boar’s tusks

A massive boar has been injuring hunters and destroying fences.

The boar is magically enraged by an arrow lodged in its hide, a druidic curse, or a parasite. Killing it solves the immediate problem, but healing or calming it may reveal the real villain.

This is a simple monster hunt with a moral option.

16. Lanterns on the Moor

Posted By: The town guard Reward: 35 gp

Strange lights have appeared on the moor, and travelers who follow them vanish.

The lights may be will-o’-wisps, smugglers using lantern signals, ghostly warnings, or fey leading people away from a worse danger.

Use this when you want a creepy wilderness mystery.

17. The Roadside Shrine

Posted By: A local temple Reward: 25 gp and a minor blessing

A roadside shrine has been vandalized.

The culprit appears to be bandits, but the shrine was damaged from the inside. Something trapped within it is trying to get out.

The party might need to repair the seal, negotiate with the spirit, or find out why the shrine was built in the first place.

18. Strange Tracks by the River

Posted By: A fisherman Reward: 20 gp and a boat ride

Large tracks have appeared by the river, but no one recognizes them.

The tracks belong to a crocodile, troll, giant lizard, elemental creature, or disguised wagon. Following them leads to a hidden lair, smuggler camp, or wounded monster.

This is a flexible hook that can fit almost any party level.

19. Escort the Pilgrims

Posted By: A group of pilgrims Reward: 30 gp and temple contacts

Pilgrims need protection on the road to a sacred site.

The danger is not just monsters. One pilgrim is being followed, one is carrying a cursed relic, or one is secretly not a pilgrim at all.

This is a good quest when you want roleplay during travel.

20. The Tree with Iron Leaves

Posted By: A local herbalist Reward: 40 gp

A tree deep in the forest has grown iron leaves overnight.

The tree marks the place where a magical weapon was buried, a druid died, or a portal opened. Collecting the leaves may attract fey, druids, constructs, or treasure hunters.

This can become a strange magical side quest or a clue to ancient history.

City and Town Notice Board Quests

21. Pickpocket Problem

Posted By: The city watch Reward: 25 gp per thief captured

Pickpockets are targeting market-goers.

The thieves are children working for a criminal gang, a cursed victim who cannot stop stealing, or trained ravens carrying coins to a rooftop nest.

The party can solve the problem with investigation, stealth, negotiation, or intimidation.

22. Missing Apprentice

Posted By: A local wizard Reward: 100 gp

A wizard’s apprentice has disappeared.

The apprentice did not run away. They accidentally activated a magic item, entered a pocket dimension, swapped bodies with a familiar, or got trapped inside a mirror.

This is a great notice board quest for a magical city or arcane district.

23. Wanted: Rooftop Trespasser

Posted By: The city watch Reward: 50 gp

Someone has been running across rooftops at night.

The trespasser may be a thief, vigilante, werecat, spy, frightened noble, or messenger avoiding assassins. The chase can become the best part of the quest.

This hook works especially well if your players enjoy urban action scenes.

24. The Statue Is Crying

Posted By: The temple district Reward: 75 gp

A statue in the public square has begun crying red tears.

Possible explanations include a divine omen, a hidden pipe, a curse, a trapped soul, or a clever fraud. Several factions may have different reasons for wanting the truth hidden.

Use this when you want a city mystery with social pressure.

25. Rats in the Sewers, Again

Posted By: The sanitation guild Reward: 40 gp

The city needs someone to clear monsters from the sewers.

The job starts with rats but quickly reveals something larger: a thieves’ tunnel, cult hideout, otyugh lair, wererat family, or underground shrine.

This is a classic for a reason. It gives the party an easy way into the city’s hidden underworld.

26. Stolen Signet Ring

Posted By: A noble house Reward: 150 gp

A noble signet ring has been stolen.

The ring could be used to forge documents, open a sealed vault, claim inheritance, or frame a rival. The thief may be a servant, a lover, a political enemy, or the noble themselves.

This hook is useful when you want a small job that can lead into political intrigue.

27. Actors Needed Immediately

Posted By: A local theater Reward: 10 gp and free admission

A theater troupe needs emergency performers for tonight’s show.

The show is interrupted by a real ghost, a jealous rival, a magical costume, or an assassin hiding in the audience. Players who enjoy roleplay will have a lot of fun with this one.

Let the characters perform badly or brilliantly. Either way, something should go wrong.

28. Reward for Lost Cat

Posted By: A wealthy widow Reward: 25 gp

A noblewoman’s cat has vanished.

The cat is not ordinary. It may be a familiar, awakened animal, polymorphed person, spy, or tiny fiend. Finding it may reveal secrets the owner did not want exposed.

This is a simple job that can turn into comedy, horror, or intrigue.

29. The Clocktower Stopped

Posted By: The clockmaker’s guild Reward: 80 gp

The city clocktower stopped at midnight and will not move.

Inside, the party finds signs of sabotage, time magic, nesting monsters, or a dead guild member. Each hour the clock remains stopped, strange effects spread through the surrounding district.

This can be a fun magical investigation with escalating consequences.

30. Wanted: Masked Duelist

Posted By: The city watch Reward: 100 gp

A masked duelist has been challenging nobles and officers to nonlethal duels.

The duelist is exposing corruption, avenging a family, or being magically compelled. The city watch wants them stopped, but the people may quietly support them.

This is a good hook when you want a morally complicated “wanted poster.”

Tavern, Social, and Downtime Notice Board Quests

31. Drinking Contest Tonight

Posted By: The tavern owner Reward: Prize purse of 30 gp

A tavern is hosting a drinking contest, and the owner wants extra security.

The party can enter, guard the event, or investigate cheating. A rival tavern may sabotage the drinks, a contestant may be cursed, or one barrel may contain a strange alchemical brew.

This is perfect for a lighter session between dangerous adventures.

32. Bard Needed for a Private Party

Posted By: An anonymous patron Reward: 75 gp

A noble wants entertainment for a private gathering.

The party arrives to discover the event is a secret meeting, masked ball, criminal auction, or political trap. Even non-bards can be hired as guards, servers, or “atmosphere.”

This is a great excuse to get adventurers into a place they normally could not enter.

33. Arm Wrestling Champion Wanted

Posted By: The Broken Tankard Tavern Reward: 20 gp and free drinks

The local champion has become unbeatable.

The champion is secretly using a magic bracelet, receiving strength from a patron, or slowly transforming into something monstrous. The party can expose the trick, beat the champion, or help them before it is too late.

This is a quick tavern encounter that can become a real quest.

34. Looking for Dice Players

Posted By: “Honest” Halvar Reward: Variable winnings

A gambler is looking for new players.

The game is not fair, but the cheater is not necessarily the villain. They may be trying to win enough money to pay off a dangerous debt.

The party can gamble, catch the cheat, help them, or get pulled into the debt collector’s problem.

35. Missing Minstrel

Posted By: A traveling performance troupe Reward: 50 gp

A minstrel vanished after performing a song no one recognized.

The song may be magical, forbidden, or part of an old ritual. Anyone who remembers the final verse begins dreaming of the same ruined tower.

This is a strong hook if you want to turn a tavern scene into an adventure.

Monster and Bounty Notice Board Quests

36. Goblins on the Old Road

Posted By: The merchant guild Reward: 75 gp

Goblins have been attacking travelers on the old road.

The goblins are defending territory, fleeing a stronger monster, or following a new leader with unusual intelligence. The party can fight them, negotiate with them, or discover who armed them.

A simple goblin quest becomes much better when the goblins have a reason.

37. Reward for the Cave Bear

Posted By: Local trappers Reward: 50 gp

A cave bear has taken over a trapping route.

The bear is guarding something: cubs, a wounded druid, a corpse, an ancient doorway, or a cursed object. The party may realize the bear is not the real problem.

This is a good wilderness bounty for low-level characters.

38. Something in the Cornfield

Posted By: Several farmers Reward: 40 gp

Something is moving through the corn at night.

Possible threats include scarecrows, ankhegs, giant insects, a hidden cult, or a frightened monster using the field for cover. The tall corn makes the encounter more tense because visibility is limited.

Use rustling sounds, moving shadows, and broken stalks before the creature appears.

39. Harpy on the Cliffs

Posted By: The fishing guild Reward: 100 gp

A harpy has been luring fishers toward the rocks.

The harpy may be evil, lonely, cursed, or protecting eggs from sailors who unknowingly built too close to her nest. The party can fight, bargain, or relocate the threat.

This hook works well near coastal towns or mountain passes.

40. Graveyard Watch Needed

Posted By: The temple keeper Reward: 60 gp

The temple needs guards for the graveyard after several graves were disturbed.

The culprit could be undead, necromancers, desperate relatives, corpse thieves, or a ghoul that only eats criminals. The party may uncover a larger problem beneath the cemetery.

This is a classic horror-flavored notice board quest.

41. Troll Toll

Posted By: The road warden Reward: 120 gp

A troll has started charging travelers to cross a bridge.

The troll is dangerous, but surprisingly organized. Someone taught it to demand coins instead of eating people. That someone may be using the troll as a distraction.

The party can kill the troll, negotiate a better arrangement, or follow the money.

42. The White Stag

Posted By: A noble hunter Reward: 200 gp

A noble offers a reward for anyone who can lead them to a legendary white stag.

The stag is sacred to local druids, a fey creature, or the guardian of a hidden grove. Helping the noble may anger the forest. Protecting the stag may make an enemy of the noble.

This is a good hook when you want the party to choose sides.

43. Spiders in the Mine

Posted By: The miners’ guild Reward: 100 gp plus hazard pay

Giant spiders have infested a mine.

The spiders moved in after miners broke into an old chamber. The chamber contains a sealed relic, cursed vein of ore, sleeping monster, or lost dwarven shrine.

The quest can start as pest control and become a dungeon crawl.

44. The Beast with No Tracks

Posted By: A frightened village council Reward: 150 gp

Livestock are being killed, but no tracks are ever found.

The culprit might fly, teleport, burrow, or be invisible. It could be a phase spider, ghostly predator, imp, drake, or someone using magic to fake monster attacks.

This is a good hook for players who enjoy investigation before combat.

45. Bounty: The Bone Collector

Posted By: The city watch Reward: 250 gp

A figure known as the Bone Collector has been stealing bones from graves, butcher shops, and battlefields.

The Bone Collector may be a necromancer, construct, hag servant, desperate healer, or scholar trying to reconstruct an ancient creature.

The notice board makes this look like a simple bounty, but the truth can be much stranger.

Magical and Strange Notice Board Quests

46. Wanted: Someone Who Can Read This

Posted By: Unknown Reward: “Payment upon understanding”

A notice appears on the board written in a language no one remembers posting.

The message changes depending on who reads it. It may be a plea from the future, a trapped wizard, a sentient spell, or a warning from another plane.

This is a great hook when you want to introduce mystery without an obvious quest giver.

47. The Same Notice Every Morning

Posted By: No one knows Reward: None listed

Every morning, the same notice reappears no matter how many times it is removed.

It says: “Do not open the blue door.”

The town has no known blue door, but the party starts seeing one in dreams, reflections, paintings, or alleyways. Eventually, they find it.

What is behind it is up to you.

48. Curse Removal Needed

Posted By: A desperate merchant Reward: 100 gp and a rare item

A merchant asks for help removing a curse from their wagon.

The wagon follows them everywhere. If destroyed, it returns at dawn. If abandoned, it appears outside their room the next morning.

The wagon may contain a trapped spirit, stolen treasure, cursed passenger, or portal to somewhere dangerous.

49. Reward for Capturing a Shadow

Posted By: A local wizard Reward: 150 gp

A wizard wants someone to capture their escaped shadow.

The shadow is acting out the wizard’s hidden desires. It has been sneaking into places the wizard secretly wants to go, stealing things the wizard envies, or frightening people the wizard resents.

This can be funny, creepy, or tragic depending on the tone of your campaign.

50. The Notice Names the Party

Posted By: Unknown Reward: “You already accepted”

A notice appears with the party’s names on it.

It claims they agreed to complete a job they do not remember accepting. The job may involve delivering a sealed box, meeting a stranger at midnight, returning a stolen relic, or preventing a death that has not happened yet.

This is a strong hook for pulling the characters into a strange magical mystery.

Rewards for Notice Board Quests

Gold is fine, but not every notice board quest needs to pay in coins.

Some of the best rewards are practical, social, or story-based. Consider offering:

• Free lodging
• Healing services
• A local guide
• A favor from a noble
• Access to a restricted location
• A discount at a shop
• A minor magic item
• A rumor about the main quest
• A map to a hidden location
• A letter of introduction
• A rescued NPC who becomes an ally
• Reputation in the town

For low-level parties, even a small reward can matter. For higher-level parties, the reward should often be information, access, or influence rather than simple gold.

How to Tie Notice Board Quests Into Your Main Campaign

Notice board quests are most useful when they do more than fill time.

You can use them to quietly support the larger campaign by connecting small local problems to bigger threats.

For example:

• The goblins on the road were armed by the villain’s agents.
• The missing apprentice found a symbol connected to the main cult.
• The haunted well reveals a murder tied to a noble family.
• The strange tracks by the river belong to a monster displaced by the villain’s army.
• The stolen signet ring is being used to forge orders for enemy troops.

The players do not need to know the connection right away. In fact, it is often better if they discover it later.

A simple notice board quest can become foreshadowing if you leave behind one clue.

How Many Notices Should You Put on the Board?

Do not give the players all 50 options at once.

That sounds fun in theory, but it can slow the session down.

Instead, put three to five notices on the board at a time.

A good mix might include:

• One combat quest
• One mystery
• One social or roleplay quest
• One strange magical problem
• One notice connected to the main campaign

This gives the players meaningful choice without overwhelming them.

Example Notice Board

Here is a simple notice board you could drop into a village tonight:

NOTICE BOARD

1. Missing Chickens
Farmer Berrin seeks help finding what has been taking livestock from the north field. Reward: 5 gp and fresh eggs.

2. Graveyard Watch Needed
The temple requires brave souls to watch the cemetery after sundown. Reward: 60 gp.

3. Caravan Guards Needed
The Silver Road Trading Company seeks guards for a three-day journey east. Reward: 20 gp per day.

4. The Well Has Gone Bad
The village elder requests aid investigating the old well. Reward: 25 gp.

5. Reward for Lost Cat
Lady Merrowyn’s beloved cat has gone missing. Reward: 25 gp.

You do not need to prepare all five in detail. Prepare the one or two that interest you most, then improvise the rest if the players surprise you.

Final Thoughts

A notice board is one of the simplest ways to make a D&D town feel useful, alive, and full of adventure.

It gives the players choices. It gives the DM flexibility. It creates an easy place to introduce side quests, rumors, local problems, and clues that point toward bigger dangers.

The key is to make each posting feel like more than a chore.

Give it a twist. Give it a person who cares. Give it a consequence if ignored. Give it a reward that feels connected to the world.

Then let the players decide what kind of trouble they want to get into next.