Scenario Tweaking - The Sewers

[+1_to_hit]

Hi folks,

So I'm thinking of running a campaign soon in the Forgotten Realms setting. My aim will be to run something that has political intrigue and character development alongside aspects of more traditional dungeon crawl. Somewhat of a balance between the two, starting at level one.

The first scenario idea that comes to mind is that the local Thieves Guild has been infiltrated by a number of Were-Rats. The Were-Rats have been using the city sewer network to steal items from the nobility and sell them on the black market in a nearby neighboring province. The intrigue aspect of this first scenario arrives from the fact that the Were-Rats are framing the Plumber's Guild, carrying tokens with their emblem around and framing them.

What I'm looking for is more ideas to flesh out this initial scenario and perhaps turn it into a more fully fledged campaign. Can you guys help or offer suggestions?

Cheers

+1

[Lorsa]

I think it sounds like a great idea in general!

I guess the easiest way to add layers to it and turn it into a campaign is if these were-rats were sent (or talked into) starting their operation by another organisation / other country. I don't know where you intended this to take place but in general blaming the Zhentarim always works? Or maybe the were-rat infestation is a plan by Thayans to make the city buy more magic items to deal with the problem. In any case, if you want this small idea to turn into something bigger the easiest is simply if there's something else behind it. A first step in a long plan to disrupt the city / kingdom and take over or something similair.

Of course, you don't have to let the players know of this plan this early on. There could be many small things happening throughout the city / kingdom and only when they piece it all together will they understand something bad is about to happen. Maybe the fact that the PC's stop all these problems was part of the plan all along to paint them out to be heroes and dismantle the general city watch to turn it all into the hands of independant adventurers because they obviously were much better?

I once had a player character through his actions of stopping various crimes and terrorism becoming the posterboy for the "evil" organisation that controlled the organisation he worked for in their plan to take over security where he lived. In Forgotten realms it would work something like: PC works for a mercernary company that is secretly controlled by X (let's say Zhentarim) without the PC's knowledge. The Zhentarim make sure to hire / convince / manipulate various elements into being disruptive. PC stops these elements. Planted political people at court makes a show of the PC being such a great upstanding citizen, his mercenary company both good and competent and the city would benefit from turning over law enforcement into their hands completely. Political reform goes through. Zhentarim now controls law enforcement (through the proxy mercenary company).

[+1_to_hit]

Hmmm, good ideas.

I hadn't thought about where to set the campaign yet, but had ideas that the PC's might want to travel around Faerun a little bit at least. Possibly have a secret entrance into Underdark in the sewers and involve some politics there too.

I'll bear your Zhentarim ideas in mind too, thank you.