Troll Lord Games

In two weeks time I am running my next session of New Dawn of the West and I have no idea for an adventure.

So far the adventures have all involved hills, goblins, bandits, weird magical evils and furthering little story lines that will mean more later.

This will be their first time in a small urban centre, the city of Ardens.

It is a small city (only about 5,000 inhabitants or so) with no Mage's Guild or anything like that.

Any ideas? They are levels 1 and 2 still.
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Someone gets killed mysteriously in a tavern, near one of the PC's. Then some random helpful person points to one of the PC's and says "I saw them do it!"

Then adjudicate according to the actions of your players.
The story comes in with the 'why' of the circumstances.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

That's a good idea... gives me something to think about.

"The Warriors did it! They shot Sirus!"
Any one else got any urban adventure ideas?
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Or, there's the "Artful Dodger" angle. Some clever thief has lifted something from the party they found on their last adventures. It may not have seemed important, but its the key too....
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

AslanC wrote:
They shot Sirus!"

Then you could sell a whole bunch of t-shirst proclaiming... "Who shot Sirus!"*

* I am probably showing my age here.
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That is SIR! to you!

For future reference, you may want to track down a copy of Gary Gygax's "Insidiae." It's out of print, but you should be able to find it online. It's filled with tons of ideas for developing adventures.

What are the factions, nationalities, gangs, organizations, secret or semi-secret brotherhoods, etc. in the area? Who covets that city as a new addition to their empire, or seeks vengeance against it (or it's rulers, or some inhabitant) for past wrongs?

There was also a thread on adventure ideas in the Open Discussion forum a few weeks back that had a lot of good things to mine.
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"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

Well let me break it down like this.

Adventure 1 they met Zarrik, an evil cleric of a demon religion. He will be the "big bad" for the first part of the campaign.

Adventure 2 they fought a Dark Druid, which is part of the 2nd half of the story, something involving entropy and decay that will come to prominence later in the campaign.

Adventure 3 they fought a Lightning Knight, cursed by his former God Tesla. This ties into to their "awakening the gods" quest.

Therefor in adventure 4 I don't want to introduce yet another subplot, in fact I was hoping to give them a fun one.

Now the idea of getting framed up for murder is good, but running a murder mystery with 6 players will be a headache.

So I need something fun, urban and not hinting or foreshadowing.

That help?
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Is this town a port (sea, river, lake, other?) or is it landlocked?

In either case, a random bandit or pirate raid can be diverting!
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"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

AslanC wrote:
So I need something fun, urban and not hinting or foreshadowing.

The first thing I would recommend, outside of Insidiae, would be TLG's old "Cities & Settlements" book. You'll probably need to go someplace like NKG to find it anymore, but it's a great reference for sample cities. Some other ideas follow.

Try the following link:
http://www.animalball.com/games.html

You're looking for a free download called "50 Bar Encounters". I swear by it. There are some great ideas for getting an urban adventure going.

There's another one from www.roninarts.com called "A Dozen Disturbing Rumors" that was originally put out with the d20 System logo, but is just a great generic primer for ideas. The Skirmisher Game Development Group put out some winners with their City Builder series.

Here's the Adventure Idea thread from the open forum a few weeks back:
http://www.freeyabb.com/trolllordgames/ ... llordgames
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"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

A few campaigns back I got caught flatfooted one weekend (yes, this can happen even to moi) and wasn't quite finished with my prepared adventure. So I made up some NPCs real quick (see why I keep asking for more in Crusader? LoL) and held a Tourney. We had Archery, Team Fencing, and finally the Jousts. It also came in handy for me because I introduced the local nobility as participants and judges giving the land a deeper flavor (which played well in the intrigue later in the campaign when the players called upon friends made in the Tourney). No conspiracy of guys cheating or wizards altering the odds. Just some old fashioned medieval fun.
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

I am thinking of mixing ideas here.

1] It is time for the Spring Festival in Ardens, which means that there is a massive fair going on complete with a Knights Tourney.

2] Digger Dale (our PC Rogue's) cousin Dodger is in town with a rogue group planning to rob the place.

3] One of the player's gets framed for a murder and the others must find the real killer.

The only thing I worry about is the last part, since it means I may force a player to be in the stocks for the adventure. That would suck.

So any thoughts on how to piece it all together and not force a player to sit it out?
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A love interest, like the mayor's daughter...or wife.
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Serl's Corner

Well this is also the session where I am introducing a new PC, and she is playing a mage who is a spoiled little princess type.

The adventure should bring her into it as well I am thinking.

Her father is a well respected local merchant.
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AslanC wrote:
I am thinking of mixing ideas here.

1] It is time for the Spring Festival in Ardens, which means that there is a massive fair going on complete with a Knights Tourney.

2] Digger Dale (our PC Rogue's) cousin Dodger is in town with a rogue group planning to rob the place.

3] One of the player's gets framed for a murder and the others must find the real killer.

The only thing I worry about is the last part, since it means I may force a player to be in the stocks for the adventure. That would suck.

So any thoughts on how to piece it all together and not force a player to sit it out?

Bail.

LOL!

So simple and elegant for that
Got a fix on how to tie it all together?

I am starting to think about having a magic "Black Knight" show up for the tourney
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AslanC wrote:
The only thing I worry about is the last part, since it means I may force a player to be in the stocks for the adventure. That would suck.

So any thoughts on how to piece it all together and not force a player to sit it out?

It's called "Geas"
"Return at dawn for your execution."

"I will."

Is it realistic or practical? No! But it is damn dramatic and suspenseful, especially if the PCs lack the level to remove those things (and their CK doesn't let an NPC along who will either).
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

This ties in all your plot points:

*Huge prize offered to winner is stolen by PC's cousin who looks remarkably like him and the PC is accused once the winner is announced and the prize is discovered missing.

"And for first place, a priceless ... *gasp* it's GONE!"
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

CR: Geas are not really the sort of thing my world is lousey with This is more of a low magic world, lower than even Greyhawk. But that doens't mean the magistrate knows anything about magic and he could order the wizard to cast a spell on the player. She doesn't have one, but again, the all the magistrate knows is that she is a wizard!

Okay... now I like the Digger gets accused angle, but I want Dodger to do more of a heist than a sneaky grab. So that really doesn't work.

Hmmmmm... need to think more.... keep the ideas coming guys... it really helps
Here's what I got so far;

1] Digger Dale's cousin Dodger Dale and his gang are in town to pull a heist. Something big but not the prize for the tourney.

2] The is a Spring Fair underway complete with a Knight's Tourny.

3] One of the PCs will be framed for a murder.

4] A Mysterious Black Knight will show up for the tourney who is pure evil.

That's all I got.
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AslanC wrote:
That's all I got.

Looks like plenty to me!
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

But it is missing a crucial element. Who gets murdered and why?

That's the thread that ties it all together.
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The mayor's daughter.

better... a relative of one of the PCs (preferably the most reluctant one)

Since I already have the cousin of one player, adding another would be too much and a wasted shot. Mayor's daughter though! I like that
Okay she dies... how does this relate to the Black Knight? Hmmmmm... and what if her finace is a knight who is in the tourney as well?

This is adding up.
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AslanC wrote:
But it is missing a crucial element. Who gets murdered and why?

Don't worry about it. You know it will be someone influential (past tense). Just play until you spot an important NPC "off stage" and kill them. LoL
Could even be a tavern keeper (if your desperate):

PC:" Gimme an ale, Barkeep"

NPC:"Oh, just a moment good sir, I need to get another keg from the cellar."

*THWACK!*
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

LOL!

No I like the idea of it being the Mayor's daughter.

Maybe she was part of a Black Cult (ala Hellfire Club) and they summoned the Black Knight who then killed her... and all the others at a noble's mansion outside of town...

Hmmmmm... a Dread Knight would murder a level 1 and 2 party.

Almost got it...
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AslanC wrote:
LOL!

No I like the idea of it being the Mayor's daughter.

Maybe she was part of a Black Cult (ala Hellfire Club) and they summoned the Black Knight who then killed her... and all the others at a noble's mansion outside of town...

Hmmmmm... a Dread Knight would murder a level 1 and 2 party.

Almost got it...

True, but not a half-strength "My summoner is dead and most of my energy is siphoned off to keep me existing" dread knight might not be so hard.

And then he can reoccur when the party is a higher level for a fullstrength show down.
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

True story!

Sold!

What if he enters to tourney so that he can kill knights and each one he kills makes him stronger?
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What if the villian LOVES the mayor daughter and killed her accidentally? Now he's PISSED and out to share the suffering with others... motive... or maybe he wasn't a villian until he accidentally killed her, now he's transformed into a villian and if the PCs dig up this fact (the love affair) it casts a shade of grey into the equation...

this thread is FUN!

Do you have comic relief? (may not need it)

AslanC wrote:
What if he enters to tourney so that he can kill knights and each one he kills makes him stronger?

This would work best if his preferred coup d'grace was decapitation.
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!