enbee75
2019-09-05, 03:23 PM
Hi,
I hoped to get a bit of advice and help for an adventure I'm making for the first session I'm running with a group of 4 semi-experienced players and 2 new at level 1. I'm hoping to start and end it within one 4 hour session. I had originally planned to run 'A Scream in the Night' which features a Modron serial murderer, but I've run exclusively pre-written scenarios before, so this time wanted to try my hand at creating something from scratch and much more in tune with the created characters, as we have already come up with 6 interesting ones!
The characters are a wizard who is a Halfling charlatan, who gets by with his 'magic show' - a set of cheap illusions (which may or may not have some real spells chucked in there - the spells are mostly necro based). He also has a halfling Rogue entertainer pal, who may also be performing / have some kind of con running. There's a half-orc fighter pirate/smuggler off from a recent job, an elf artificer, studious and determined, a gnome druid who had a forced studious upbringing but now is a bit of a tearaway wannabe adventurer defying her parents wishes, and a Human Fighter who's the more traditional - fight evil for the sake of the righteuous and just and become a famous adventurer!
I've thought of this general outline.
Aim - The PCs try to steal back a stolen item from a guild encampment for carnval/circus folk who consider PCs to be 'profiting on their turf'.
Starting scene - Fighter, Druid and Artificer are meeting the Adventurer's Guild recruiter who's interviewing them and evaluating their worthiness to join. Starts mentioning a trial - cue dungeon delve adventure hook (collect a monster part as proof perhaps) for future session, either that, or the recruiter leaves when carnival folk get rowdy and tells adventurers to come to guild when ready.
Meanwhile, the Half-orc smuggler/pirate is in the same tavern waiting on goods/payment for smuggling services. The buyer/seller never turns up (future hook to track them down) - if half-orc decides to check their known location - he finds it empty and returns to tavern.
The Rogue and Wizard are preparing for the stage show. Halfway through either of their sets - the guild of festival folks turns up (recognised by the rogue who has history) and start booing/throwing tomatoes etc. as they do not appreciate PCs performing on 'their turf'. Maybe a fight breaks out, or it gets role played to conclusion and they leave. Upon packing up their things for the night, one of the PCs realises something of theirs is missing (maybe even the wizxards spellbook) OR the tavern owner realises she's missing something of great value and tasks anybody in the tavern with help tracking it down - offers reward for PCs who may not care - i.e. Half-orc (unless I establish a business relationship between half-orc and tavern owner before... Or potentially the guild of festival folks could have stolen 'the goods').
Scene 2 - The adventurers realise (through clues/investigation) that it was the carnival folk. They track down their location, with some exploration, possibly with some encounter on the way. I could seed The Scream in the Night, by having the party stumble across some weird symbols drawn in blood, metal shavings etc.
Scene 3 - This is a combat/stealth mission to break into their guild encampment to find the item and retrieve it, including the possible Druid's interaction with circus/carnival animals (which are often abused in these scenarios) to join the adventurers and help them, culminating in a possible final combat with a thug and his bandits/mastiffs.
Any suggestions/advice for this appreciated! Thanks.
tl;dr trying to build an adventure in which the PCs retrieve a stolen item from a guild encampment of carnival folk
I hoped to get a bit of advice and help for an adventure I'm making for the first session I'm running with a group of 4 semi-experienced players and 2 new at level 1. I'm hoping to start and end it within one 4 hour session. I had originally planned to run 'A Scream in the Night' which features a Modron serial murderer, but I've run exclusively pre-written scenarios before, so this time wanted to try my hand at creating something from scratch and much more in tune with the created characters, as we have already come up with 6 interesting ones!
The characters are a wizard who is a Halfling charlatan, who gets by with his 'magic show' - a set of cheap illusions (which may or may not have some real spells chucked in there - the spells are mostly necro based). He also has a halfling Rogue entertainer pal, who may also be performing / have some kind of con running. There's a half-orc fighter pirate/smuggler off from a recent job, an elf artificer, studious and determined, a gnome druid who had a forced studious upbringing but now is a bit of a tearaway wannabe adventurer defying her parents wishes, and a Human Fighter who's the more traditional - fight evil for the sake of the righteuous and just and become a famous adventurer!
I've thought of this general outline.
Aim - The PCs try to steal back a stolen item from a guild encampment for carnval/circus folk who consider PCs to be 'profiting on their turf'.
Starting scene - Fighter, Druid and Artificer are meeting the Adventurer's Guild recruiter who's interviewing them and evaluating their worthiness to join. Starts mentioning a trial - cue dungeon delve adventure hook (collect a monster part as proof perhaps) for future session, either that, or the recruiter leaves when carnival folk get rowdy and tells adventurers to come to guild when ready.
Meanwhile, the Half-orc smuggler/pirate is in the same tavern waiting on goods/payment for smuggling services. The buyer/seller never turns up (future hook to track them down) - if half-orc decides to check their known location - he finds it empty and returns to tavern.
The Rogue and Wizard are preparing for the stage show. Halfway through either of their sets - the guild of festival folks turns up (recognised by the rogue who has history) and start booing/throwing tomatoes etc. as they do not appreciate PCs performing on 'their turf'. Maybe a fight breaks out, or it gets role played to conclusion and they leave. Upon packing up their things for the night, one of the PCs realises something of theirs is missing (maybe even the wizxards spellbook) OR the tavern owner realises she's missing something of great value and tasks anybody in the tavern with help tracking it down - offers reward for PCs who may not care - i.e. Half-orc (unless I establish a business relationship between half-orc and tavern owner before... Or potentially the guild of festival folks could have stolen 'the goods').
Scene 2 - The adventurers realise (through clues/investigation) that it was the carnival folk. They track down their location, with some exploration, possibly with some encounter on the way. I could seed The Scream in the Night, by having the party stumble across some weird symbols drawn in blood, metal shavings etc.
Scene 3 - This is a combat/stealth mission to break into their guild encampment to find the item and retrieve it, including the possible Druid's interaction with circus/carnival animals (which are often abused in these scenarios) to join the adventurers and help them, culminating in a possible final combat with a thug and his bandits/mastiffs.
Any suggestions/advice for this appreciated! Thanks.
tl;dr trying to build an adventure in which the PCs retrieve a stolen item from a guild encampment of carnival folk