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Connect with 3orcs! If you enjoy what I’m building with the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy , check out more detailed articles, NPC writeups, custom artwork, and maps at the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy website ! I also host deep dive discussions on the 3orcs YouTube channel , and there's exclusive bonus material for members over on Patreon . Adventure on, friends — and beware the dark trails. 🚩 Quick Links: Visit: Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy Website Watch: 3orcs YouTube Channel Support: Join the 3orcs Patreon
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Bringing Greyhawk to Life: Side Quests and Story in Hommlet for Temple of Elemental Evil DND Campaign

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By 3orcs | A DM's Perspective on Creating a Living World in Verbobonc

When I first started building my Temple of Elemental Evil campaign, I didn’t just want to run the module—I wanted to bring the World of Greyhawk to life. I wanted villages that felt alive, not just as a backdrop for battles, but as places where characters could belong. Over time, that ambition led to the creation of the Hommlet Campaign Guide: Main Plotline and Side Quests, a resource designed to expand the scope of T1: Village of Hommlet into a full-on narrative engine for your campaign.

This post is a personal look at how that project came to be, and why I believe it will help new and veteran DMs transform the classic Temple of Elemental Evil into something unforgettable.

The Missing Link Between Plot and Place

If you've read the T1 module by Gary Gygax, you know that Hommlet is more than a village—it's the staging point for an epic battle against evil cults. But in many campaigns, it risks becoming a pit stop. That's where my work began. I wanted to flesh out every shopkeeper, every militia patrol, and every hushed rumor overheard in the Inn of the Welcome Wench.

The result is the Hommlet Campaign Guide, a layered quest guide that:

  • Introduces a main plotline that builds slowly into the discovery of the Temple's Second Rising

  • Offers a collection of localized side quests that reveal village life and daily tensions

  • Connects adventurer actions to wider political consequences across the Viscounty of Verbobonc

You can read the full guide and see the artwork that brings it to life on the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576 CY website.

From Bandits to Cults: A Narrative that Builds

The campaign kicks off with a simple encounter on the road—an ambush by bandits with deeper connections. From there, depending on which NPCs the adventurers speak with first, they can uncover layers of intrigue and hidden dangers that lead directly to:

  • The infiltration of the Moathouse

  • The confrontation with Lareth the Beautiful

  • A deeper investigation into Demien Trevil’s farm

  • Raids on Elemental outposts like the Sacred Stone Monastery and Riverguard Keep

  • And ultimately, the Fall of Nulb, the final step before entering the Temple proper

Each quest is a chance for your players to earn trust, grow influence, and uncover the truth behind the elemental cults. These aren’t just encounters—they’re milestones in the lives of their characters and the world they shape.

Real Villages, Real Stakes

As I expanded the campaign, I realized something important: the world matters just as much as the dungeon.

Thanks to this work, I’ve now brought several villages to life that didn’t exist in the original module:

  • Sheernobb, a gnome-led thorp holding the line against raiding hill giants

  • Ostverk, a forest estate caught in political tension between Verbobonc and Celene

  • Twilight Falls, a misty riverside village where cult rumors spread like wildfire

  • Nigb's Rest, a peaceful crossroads town masking old secrets

  • And of course, Hommlet and Nulb, reimagined with deep detail and character motivation

These villages aren't just quest hubs—they breathe. They have bakers, tailors, patrol captains, festivals, rivalries, agriculture, and industries that reflect their place in the region. When players stop for a drink or visit a blacksmith, I want them to feel like this village exists whether they’re there or not.

A Resource for Players Too

If you’re a player preparing a character for this version of Temple of Elemental Evil, I highly recommend talking to your DM about how your background connects to Hommlet or one of the surrounding villages. Are you a former militia scout? A runaway acolyte of the Church of St. Cuthbert? Maybe your family disappeared during the first rising of the Temple and you’re looking for answers. These local connections make your character part of the world—and that makes your story mean more.

Why This Matters to DMs

If you’re a DM reading this and wondering “Is it worth expanding beyond the module?”—my answer is an enthusiastic yes.

Creating this guide has:

  • Helped me track quests and narrative arcs with consistency

  • Inspired me to build more meaningful NPCs with realistic goals and relationships

  • Given me a way to scale the campaign naturally to level 5+ before hitting the Temple itself

  • Made my players genuinely care about villagers, farms, festivals, and politics

  • Turned my Temple of Elemental Evil campaign into a Greyhawk world campaign

 

Dive Deeper Into the World of Verbobonc

If you’re curious to learn more, I invite you to:

  • Visit the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576 CY for full quest writeups, NPC art, and village maps

  • Watch my deep dives on the 3orcs YouTube Channel, where I explore NPC building, cult organization, and politics of Verbobonc

  • Download the Hommlet Campaign Guide: Main Plotline and Side Quests as a free resource for your table

Let’s turn Temple of Elemental Evil from a dungeon crawl into a living, breathing story.

Thanks for reading—see you on the road to Hommlet.
—3orcs

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