From Fairy Tales to Fäng

by | Mar 18, 2025 | Blog, Fun With Fang | 0 comments

Fairy tales have endured for centuries because they capture the weird, the wondrous, and the wicked—all essential ingredients for a memorable tabletop adventure. Twisted forests, scheming tricksters, magical objects, and perilous trials? These are the hallmarks of both classic folklore and great dungeon crawls.

For the Fun with Fäng Adventure Jam, you can draw from fairy tales to shape your own adventure, whether by remixing an old story, stealing a structure, or just borrowing a single eerie detail to set the tone. Here are some classic tales that are ripe for adaptation.

The Grimm Path to Adventure

The Brothers Grimm collected some of the most famous fairy tales in existence, many of which already feel like dungeon-delving narratives.

  • The Twelve Dancing Princesses – Every night, twelve princesses vanish, only to return exhausted by morning. The king offers a reward to anyone who uncovers their secret.
    • Adventure Hook: The players must track the princesses through a series of hidden, magical tunnels—dodging enchantments, outsmarting a sinister underworld court, and uncovering the truth behind their endless dance.
  • The Elves and the Shoemaker – A struggling shoemaker wakes to find his work completed by unseen hands.
    • Adventure Hook: A town’s artisans are inexplicably producing masterpieces overnight—but at a terrible cost. Who, or what, is at work in the dead of night?
  • The Golden Bird – A prince must steal a golden bird, but each clue leads to another, more dangerous task.
    • Adventure Hook: A noble wants a rare, mythical creature retrieved from an IKEA-esque, labyrinthine castle. Every wrong move awakens another deadly guardian.
  • The Juniper Tree – A stepmother murders her stepson, but his soul lingers in the form of a singing bird.
    • Adventure Hook: A town is haunted by a cryptic, singing bird. It perches above the mayor’s house, whispering accusations of an old murder. Is it a spirit seeking revenge or something far worse?
  • The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids – A wolf tricks its way into a home by disguising its voice and appearance.
    • Adventure Hook: A small village’s children have vanished. Witnesses claim their parents led them away, but the parents swear it wasn’t them. Someone—or something—is wearing familiar faces.

Hans Christian Andersen’s Strange and Surreal Worlds

Andersen’s fairy tales are full of tragic heroes, eerie transformations, and cruel twists of fate, perfect for stories with a darker, magical tone.

  • The Snow Queen – A boy is kidnapped by the Snow Queen, and his best friend must journey across bizarre landscapes to save him.
    • Adventure Hook: A child has vanished, leaving behind a frozen footprint and a single glass-like tear. The players must follow the trail into a realm of icy castles, living snow, and endless riddles.
  • The Red Shoes – A cursed pair of shoes forces a girl to dance forever.
    • Adventure Hook: A merchant offers a pair of legendary enchanted boots—but those who wear them never stop moving. The only way to remove them is through an ancient, long-forgotten ritual.
  • The Emperor’s New Clothes – A vain ruler is tricked into wearing “invisible” clothes.
    • Adventure Hook: The king has been cursed—or so he believes—because no one can see his grand new armor. He’s begun executing those who “mock” him. The players must unravel the illusion before an entire city falls under his paranoia.
  • The Wild Swans – A girl must endure a painful trial to break a spell that transformed her brothers into swans.
    • Adventure Hook: A noble family has disappeared, leaving behind only a flock of restless swans. One swan, desperate and frantic, tries to speak, but only unfinished words escape its beak.
  • The Tinderbox – A soldier gains a magical box that summons three monstrous dogs to do his bidding.
    • Adventure Hook: A powerful noble wields a mystical artifact that commands terrifying beasts. He’s promised the players great riches to retrieve more creatures for his collection—but at what cost?

Making Fairy Tales Your Own

Fairy tales are full of golden hooks—those perfect little details that stick in the imagination. As you build your adventure for the Fun with Fäng Adventure Jam, you don’t need to retell the story exactly. Instead, consider:

  • What if a side character became the focus? (What if Little Red Riding Hood was the real villain?)
  • What if the setting shifted? (What if The Frog Prince took place in the far northern reaches and was instead had a seal?)
  • What if the story’s “happy” ending had consequences? (What if Cinderella’s enchanted glass slipper became a cursed relic passed through generations?)

Twist them, flip them, or just steal a single unsettling image—fairy tales are made for adventure.

Bring your own fairy tale-inspired story to the Fun with Fäng Adventure Jam and start your adventure today!