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View Full Version : DM Help Adventures in a large flea market



Lord Il Palazzo
2015-11-03, 02:38 PM
If you're in a game where your characters are about to attend the Giant Space Flea, please don't read this. Thanks.

I'm running a game right now and need some help brainstorming for an upcoming session. The system isn't important but the setting could be described as early/mid-20th century urban fantasy where magic is open but usually at pretty low levels (some enchanted items here and there and a fair number of civilians with a cantrip-level spell or two).

The party has tracked an NPC merchant they suspect is up to no good to a massive flea market where he is setting up shop. They caught up to him the night before the market opened, just as a pair of bounty hunters also tracking the merchant caught up to him. After a fairly tense stand-off-y session of negotiations, the PCs now suspect that there's more to what's going on than they had realized and want to meet with the person who hired the bounty hunters for more information. The hunters won't leave without the merchant and the merchant isn't going to write off the table he's rented so they whole bunch of them, party, merchant and hunters are sticking around for the flea market.

The party doesn't have a lot in the way of individual goals during the flea market besides keeping an eye on the merchant and the bounty hunters. There's one hard to find item that a party member has backstory reasons to be interested in that I'm going to have be present at the market, but I'm trying to find ways to add interest and adventure to the event besides just watching the merchant and bounty hunters to make sure there's no funny business (and possibly create a distraction to allow some room for funny business.)

Also, how can I add the backstory item (kind of a discontinued magi-tech circuit board) to this market without basically just giving it to the player? I want getting it to be more interesting than just making a few information gathering checks to find it and bartering checks to get a price he can afford.

Geddy2112
2015-11-03, 03:15 PM
ways to add interest and adventure to the event besides just watching the merchant and bounty hunters to make sure there's no funny business (and possibly create a distraction to allow some room for funny business.)
Well, perhaps the merchant is going to try and leave early, or the bounty hunters will make a move?

Other than that, what is the merchant selling? Anything unusual or rare is going to attract unusual and rare customers. Then there are all of your standard yard sale/flea market types. The moneychanger scammer, lookey loos, the tire kicker, the haggle to the nth degree, the lowballer, the "give me the detailed history of this random piece of nonsense", and the thief. Then you have guards, locals, nobles, and celebrities.

What about the neighbor booths? I go to trade shows for work, and the most important thing about day 1 is meeting the booths nearby, particularly if they are competition. Often times they are not, and we can swap stories, share our candy, etc etc. What if the merchant to the left is selling something eldritch and bizzare? What if the person three across on the left is the most attractive elf the party has ever seen? What happens when the booth at the end of the row has their animals all escape and cause havoc? Who watches the booth when the merchant goes to eat? Who watches the merchant then?


Also, how can I add the backstory item (kind of a discontinued magi-tech circuit board) to this market without basically just giving it to the player? I want getting it to be more interesting than just making a few information gathering checks to find it and bartering checks to get a price he can afford.
Don't make it about checks, make it about interaction. If it is a rare item, people will probably be talking about it, and asking around will likely find the person selling it or things like it. Also, who is the merchant that has it? Why do they have it? Do they even know what it is? Do they know what it is worth? Did somebody find it in their grandparent's attic, or is it being sold under the table as a black market item by a mafia style organization? Maybe the seller is somehow linked to the merchant?

These are just ideas, of course.

Lord Il Palazzo
2015-11-04, 10:10 AM
The merchant is potion maker and antiques dealer, but has an unscrupulous opportunistic streak so he's willing to buy/sell practically anything he can turn a profit on. Most of his potions are simple things like curatives and remedies but he can make most anything; the PCs have reason to believe that he has an invisibility potion he might be planning to use to escape. Having him linked to the device the PC wants to buy is an interesting thought that I hadn't had before.

Thanks for the insight, having never manned a booth at any sort of market/trade show, the insight from that point of view is much appreciated.

goto124
2015-11-04, 10:51 AM
Step 1: Find the invisibility potion. Now, where is it... can't seem to see it...

Geddy2112
2015-11-04, 10:55 AM
The merchant is potion maker and antiques dealer, but has an unscrupulous opportunistic streak so he's willing to buy/sell practically anything he can turn a profit on. Most of his potions are simple things like curatives and remedies but he can make most anything; the PCs have reason to believe that he has an invisibility potion he might be planning to use to escape. Having him linked to the device the PC wants to buy is an interesting thought that I hadn't had before.

Thanks for the insight, having never manned a booth at any sort of market/trade show, the insight from that point of view is much appreciated.

If he is opportunistic enough, he might accept contraband/stolen goods/ mysterious swag if he thinks he could make a profit. Also, he might get special orders for exotic potions. As a player, I often ask the magic crafting NPC's to make stuff, and as an alchemist/caster making person I often get asked.

The party should also be prepared for long periods of boredom and low traffic in their booth area-normally when you talk to your booth neighbors and see what they sell and do. Exchange cards etc etc. Also, be ready for at least one person who shows up at the booth, talks for hours, and buys nothing. There is always one of those...

Fri
2015-11-08, 06:40 AM
Well, I guess this is kinda late response, but in case you still need it.

There's one thing that must happen in a large market.

Chase scene. Have a chase scene. Flip a fruit cart or two. If there are other bigger buildings around, have a rooftop chase.

It must happen.

goto124
2015-11-08, 08:46 AM
Flip a fruit cart or two.

Why fruit? (http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8ko3dHPqL1qd9kcuo2_500.gif)