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Cilvyn
2009-02-17, 10:16 AM
Hello people,

I'm working on an adventure, and was thinking if you guys could help me by comming up with some ideas or hints.

My idea was that the whole adventure is taking place in one big city torn appart by thieves guilds. The guild are led by the aristocraty. The dukes ow whatever they are rule the city. As council they coöperate but underground they do everything possible to gain more power and oppose eachother.

The city is divided in nine parts, each part is under control of one of the council members. They have their own taxes, law system and so on, but the whole council also rule the city as a whole. It happens all the time that other families (of the council members, it works a bit liek the mob or as I said thieves guilds) raid the city parts controlled by other council members to gain more mony to get higer influence in the council. Others again work together so none of them will ever get to much power. There is a total balance of power, but meanwhile they undermine eachothers efforts. They cannot declare open war to eachoter because the council will prosecute the one who strarted. So balance is the mayor situation in the city.

The party consists of 5 PC's 3 of them used to be part of a family who just was prosecuted by the council. The other two are part of another house wich gives the three others a chance: or being hunt down and murdered , or joining the other house in their war against the others. So they are depended to eachother.

I already have though out the social aspect of the city. But nothing about a plot or plot hooks concerning the houses and so on.

Maybe you guys have more aspect or situations or even plot ideas!

Thanx,

Cil

bosssmiley
2009-02-17, 10:42 AM
Your city is run by an oligarchy of nine Thieves Guilds and you have no plot ideas?
You are beyond any help we can offer you I'm afraid. :smallwink:

...

All joking aside. Pick any crime thriller you've ever read/seen/vaguely heard of from The Godfather and The Maltese Falcon through to Death to Smoochy or Throw Momma From The Train. Rip it off and D&D-ify it. Play.

Look up modern/urban games like "Shadowrun" and "Cyberpunk" for inspiration. Present the players with no-win scenarios, "damned-if-you-do; damned-if-you-don't" situations, and offers they can't refuse. Then, if all else fails, have someone spray the room with fireballs ('pologies to Raymond Chandler).

PS: Handy hint. There is never a total balance of power. Never. Someone is always unhappy with the status quo.

JeminiZero
2009-02-17, 10:53 AM
Well, the PCs serve one faction and struggle against others, so thats easy enough. Initially, they are simply assigned jobs by the house. The PCs will start off with run off the mill jobs, during which the new house members will be assessed for ability and loyalty (possibly by the present house members). They start with low level stuff (simple theft, smuggling, guard duty, bounty hunting wanted criminals) before proceeding up the risk chain (assassination, infiltration/spying, subterfuge).

Once they have earned the House's trust, then the real jobs (and real trouble) start coming (it never made sense to me that some guild rookies would be sent to retrieve world-shattering artifacts). They are given some degree of autonomy, and access to the House's resources, possibly including gophers of their own.

At this point, they would also have started earning the interest of other houses who will either try and win over/blackmail the more capable/less loyal members, or send ninja death squads to rub them off at night.

In a constant state of quiet war, the houses will not only undermine one another, they will also try and setup one another. After all, if 2 houses fight, the others (and possibly 1 in particular) stands to profit. Have the PC's house be the target of such a setup, and it is up to the PCs to try and uncover the truth.

Aside from that, you could use the warring houses background to pull off a Romeo and Juliet plot.

Cilvyn
2009-02-17, 11:03 AM
Well ofcorse i got some plot ideas but, i would like to make it as variated as possible. And i can do that with your ideas. Then i make my own building on yours and so on.

I ofcors had in mind to have assasin quests and so on. The romeo and jullia aspect is great i will think about how i can fit that in the storyline. Maybe one of the chars can be romeo? that would be more perfect. After all it turns about the PCs:)

Thanx, if there are more thoughts im very interrested!

Cil

Cilvyn
2009-02-17, 03:40 PM
The houses have all their own speciality. Like one has a lot of asassins wich can be hired to complete assasination on other houses by other houses. The dwarf house makes juwels and stuff to sell to the civillians. Undergound they make weapons and sell them.

There are 9 Houses:
example Names i could probably use:
Mihran Uthorin Arkaneth Caetani Pavlenishvili Tyndall


House of Crescenzo
Races:
Shadar Kai, Tiefling
Classes:
Warlocks, clerics en rogues

Wat doet de guild
They train asassins sell poison,

Allies and enemies.
Enemies: dwarf/dragonborn en Evile Humans 1.
Allies: Halfling/Human


Dragonborn/Dwarf
Races:
Dragonborn, Dwarf
Classes:
warlord, fighter,paladin cleric

what do they do
make juwels and sell weapons underground.

Allies and enemies.
Enemies: Tiefling/shadar kai en Human 1
Allies: Dwarves, Human 2

Dwarf
Human 1
Races
Human
Classes
Wizard, Warlock, rogue
What do they do:
sell magic, books scrolls, potions and so on. And imbue weapons.
Enemies: human 3, shadarkai/Tiefling
Allies: Dwarf/dragonborn. Halfling 1

OTHER HOUSES:
Human 2
Human 3
Human/Halfling
Halfling 1
Halfling 2

You guys have other suggestions for the other houses. And then only what they do. They all play a part in the whole situation.

Thanx Cil.