I had a rogue in my party who rolled a Nat 1 on a lock - picking attempt. Not only did he fail to pick the lock, but the noise he made alerted the entire dungeon of guards. We had to fight our way out instead of sneaking through like we planned. It was a disaster at first, but it led to an epic battle that we still talk about. Nat 1s can really change the course of a DnD adventure in the most unexpected ways.
There was a ranger who rolled a Nat 1 when shooting an arrow at a dragon. The arrow flew in the completely wrong direction and hit a friendly NPC who was trying to help us. It caused a bit of chaos as we had to quickly explain to the NPC that it was an accident. It was really funny but also a bit embarrassing.
During a DND campaign, my character rolled a Nat 1 for a stealth check. I was trying to sneak past a group of guards. Instead of being quiet, my character tripped over their own feet and made a huge racket. The guards immediately noticed and started chasing me. My friends' characters had to quickly come up with a plan to either fight the guards or create a distraction so I could get away. It was so funny because it was supposed to be a simple sneaking mission but turned into a chaotic chase scene all because of that Nat 1.
One time in a DND game, I rolled a Nat 1 when trying to pick a lock. Instead of quietly unlocking the chest, my character ended up jamming the lock so badly that it set off a trap. There was a puff of smoke and a small explosion that singed my character's eyebrows. It was hilarious because it completely derailed our plan to sneakily loot the treasure.
One time in a DND game, our wizard cast a spell and rolled a nat one. Instead of hitting the enemy, the spell backfired and turned his own robes into a bright pink frilly mess. He was so embarrassed trying to fight while looking like a walking cotton candy.
There was a paladin in our DND game. He tried to smite an evil cultist and rolled a nat one. His smite missed completely and he accidentally hit a holy statue nearby, which then crumbled. The paladin was horrified as he thought he had committed a great sin. But the rest of us couldn't stop laughing at the absurdity of it all. This led to some interesting role - playing as he tried to atone for his 'accidental desecration'.
In a different RPG scenario, a fighter was in a duel against a powerful enemy. The odds were stacked against him. But then, he rolled a nat 20 for his attack. His sword strike was so powerful that it not only hit the enemy but also sent the enemy's weapon flying. This completely turned the tide of the battle and led to the fighter's victory. It was an amazing display of how a single nat 20 can change the whole course of a battle.
In another game, a wizard was casting a spell to levitate an important object during a battle. He rolled a nat 1. Instead of gently lifting the object, the spell backfired and sent the object flying into a nearby wall, shattering it. This not only cost them the use of the object but also alerted more enemies in the area. It was a total disaster but made for a really funny moment.
There was this great nat 20 story in a tabletop RPG. A cleric was trying to heal a critically wounded teammate. The situation was dire as the teammate was on the verge of death. The cleric rolled a nat 20 on the healing spell. The result was that the teammate was not only fully healed but also got a temporary boost to all their stats. It was a miraculous turn of events that gave the party new hope and energy to continue their adventure.
The 'Storm King's Thunder' is an excellent free DnD story. It has a huge scope with giants causing chaos across the land. The story has great opportunities for epic battles and heroic deeds. Additionally, there are many user - generated stories on DnD - related forums that are really good. They often bring fresh and unique ideas to the table, like a story I once read about a group of adventurers in a magical forest full of sentient plants.