Need a plot

[SumDumMuffin]

I am playtesting a homebrew soon and I need an overarching tabletop rpg plot that for the players is largely competitive yet ultimately cooperative. I need a plot excuse for why the players are fighting NPC's as well as each other but don't want to permanently kill each other and they always end up at the same encounters.

The setting has yet to be determined but right now it's looking like wizards in generic fantasy land. I can tailor it to make sense with whatever plot happens.

I have two plots I think of best is a horribly very curved school course. As in, the best person in the class gets the A, no matter what their actual performance was. Perhaps the players are all in Not-Hogwarts and they're blasting test dummies or running an obstacle course, and the first person to the end gets the most points. The problem I see with that though is that there's no incentive to work with all the other players.

The other idea is that the players are wizards trying to keep magical artifacts out of evil hands. They all have something to lose if the bad guys keep the artifact, but the players can fight each other for the bonuses provided by it.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. :)

[bjoern]

I am playtesting a homebrew soon and I need an overarching tabletop rpg plot that for the players is largely competitive yet ultimately cooperative. I need a plot excuse for why the players are fighting NPC's as well as each other but don't want to permanently kill each other and they always end up at the same encounters.

The setting has yet to be determined but right now it's looking like wizards in generic fantasy land. I can tailor it to make sense with whatever plot happens.

I have two plots I think of best is a horribly very curved school course. As in, the best person in the class gets the A, no matter what their actual performance was. Perhaps the players are all in Not-Hogwarts and they're blasting test dummies or running an obstacle course, and the first person to the end gets the most points. The problem I see with that though is that there's no incentive to work with all the other players.

The other idea is that the players are wizards trying to keep magical artifacts out of evil hands. They all have something to lose if the bad guys keep the artifact, but the players can fight each other for the bonuses provided by it.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. :)

Definitely need to have them chase a Not-Golden bug thing on a broom while they are at Not-Hogwarts.

[Demidos]

Training for the equivalent of Seal team ___

Have to overthrow an evil overlord in a city (you should Totally read Kaveman26's city campaign.)

Any campaign hook that ends with the words "for profit".

[Elana]

I... I think of best is a horribly very curved school course. As in, the best person in the class gets the A, no matter what their actual performance was. Perhaps the players are all in Not-Hogwarts and they're blasting test dummies or running an obstacle course, and the first person to the end gets the most points. The problem I see with that though is that there's no incentive to work with all the other players....

Just don't grade them individually.
Give them grades according to the worst member of the assigned teams.

Now they do have to help each other, or their own grades will suffer