Quick and Interesting City-Based Encounters/Side Missions for a Reduced Group Size

[RickAsWritten]

Hello friends,

I had four of my seven players cancel last minute before tonight's game. Now I am left scrambling to come up with some interesting side missions for the remaining group of three. I don't want to advance the main plot without the full complement. Ideas welcome.

Relevant Info:

Three Level 4 Characters

Gnome Arcane Trickster Rogue
Half-Elf Divine Soul Sorcerer
Gnome Forge Cleric/War Wizard

The setting is Eberron-esque. If you smashed the Forgotten Realms and Eberron together. Very early in the magical-industrial revolution.

If you need any more info please ask.

Thanks,

RickAsWritten

[Man_Over_Game]

There's a major rat problem going around, including reports of glowing rat packs at night. Further investigation shows that the "glowing" rats are actually Brain Rats, which are a psionic/magical hivemind of rodent that are capable of casting spells.

The rats are mutating due to a couple of mages in the poor district that accidentally became wererats. They were experimenting with spell creation to escape their poverty and become rich and famous, but instead ended up conjuring and afflicting themselves with a extraplanar disease. They go insane and attack the players at the slightest hint of being detained.

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The Warforged designed to protect the city are not following their directives correctly, and they're disappearing. Turns out, the Artificer in charge of programming them has highjacked them using a special device he created, and is forming a small army under the city. After programming many of them, it was found out that the loophole to control them was intentionally implemented into the machines, and he was to be arrested for his crimes. Unfortunately, most of the brute force of the local law enforcement is under his control.

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A Spelljammer needs a mercenary crew to protect them while they make a round-trip. They're transporting some VIPs and some exotic materials. The Spelljammer will get attacked by pirates and various creatures in the Astral Plane.

[RickAsWritten]

There's a major rat problem...

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The Warforged...

Thanks Man_.

I think I'll make use of the Warforged one, but maybe make it be the debut of a new automated guard unit and have things go haywire as the Warforged have somehow gained that spark of sentience and are fighting back against their programming. The players have only been in the major city for one session, and I haven't really introduced them to any Warforged yet. It could spawn off into an investigation into how the Warforged gained sentience...interesting...

The rat one seems like a job listed on the bounty board so I'll leave that an option. I do love me some Cranium Rats.

[Unoriginal]

The PCs are invited to a party celebrating the local mage college getting a very rare and historically significant magic item. Of course, the festivities are when trying to steal it has the most chances of succeeding, as there is a large influx of unfamiliar people in the college, and many factions have planned to get it...