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Erom
2011-01-19, 03:32 PM
Hey Playground! Quick scenario design question for you. My players have been avoiding combat for several sessions now (through good decision making, good skill challenge rolls, and a dash of good roll-playing). That's awesome, but they LIKE combat so I thought it was about time I threw a random encounter in their faces on the way to their next objective. Only problem is, they're not in a very good spot story-wise for a random encounter! They're at one side of a large, civilized city, heading to the opposite side of the city to meet someone. My thought was some sort of big, tough creature could get loose in the marketplace on the way or something, but I couldn't think of a creature tough enough to be a good fight, exotic enough to be interesting, but not so wild or exotic that it would strain belief to have it in the city.

Any ideas? Don't worry about stats, I can do that. The system is 4e, but it doesn't really matter.

Waker
2011-01-19, 03:41 PM
Not sure what levels your characters are but there are a few ways you could work combat into a city setting.
-Go with the crazy exotic creature you want. It turns out to be the escaped pet of a nobleman, or a wizards guardian, or a runaway circus attraction.
-What self-respecting city wouldn't include a thieves guild?
-Have the party witness an event that they could intervene in. A corrupt city guard beating a peasant? They won't stand for that!
-Someone accidentally dug into the cities catacombs, unleashing undead buried in the cities depths.

And so on, it's really just a question of how tough your party is and how much backstory you feel like writing for the encounter.

LizardfolkLich
2011-01-19, 03:45 PM
Have you thought of trying to incorporate blood sports? Bear baiting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting) is just one example of a long list. Maybe a dire or otherwise vicious bear escaped into the city?

gbprime
2011-01-19, 03:46 PM
I like the crazed circus animals getting out. But add a twist. Someone has fed them drugged food before letting them out so they go loco. They're designed to be a distraction for the local authorities so the culprits can do something criminal while everyone is distracted. Could be a robbery, an assassination, a kidnapping...

Rampaging monsters on the one side and a noblewoman screaming about her kidnapped daughter on the other. Result... a crazy, moving, swashbuckling action sequence that splits the party and provides an adventure hook. :smallbiggrin:

Vladislav
2011-01-19, 03:50 PM
A smuggler is transporting a bunch of exotic animals, shrunk by Reduce Animal. The one who provided the spell claimed it'll last all day, but lied. Naturally, the duration expires in the worst moment possible, and it falls to the PCs to save the day. Panic! Dinosaurs! Film at 11!

Pokonic
2011-01-19, 03:59 PM
Perhapes a enslaved efreeti excapes from his lamp/staff whatever and plans on killing the traders and civilions around him, or perhapes some rare, powerfull exotic beast, such as a reflufed troll to have scales and a beak, is loose in the market?

Waker
2011-01-19, 04:07 PM
I like the crazed circus animals getting out. But add a twist. Someone has fed them drugged food before letting them out so they go loco. They're designed to be a distraction for the local authorities so the culprits can do something criminal while everyone is distracted. Could be a robbery, an assassination, a kidnapping...

Rampaging monsters on the one side and a noblewoman screaming about her kidnapped daughter on the other. Result... a crazy, moving, swashbuckling action sequence that splits the party and provides an adventure hook.
I rather like the idea of using this as a feint. The bigger and weirder the monster, the more the party will believe it was the real deal.

fratar11
2011-01-19, 04:18 PM
Snake charmer's snakes ran away and are going right towards the party!

dgnslyr
2011-01-19, 06:24 PM
They walk past a less... polite part of town.

I've even got a random encounter table! (http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/03/05/great-moments-in-gyg.html#previouspost)