The Net Book of Plots Volume V

The Net Book of Plots

Volume V

Editors Note:

This book marks the first in a new format, made for conversion to HTML

and for indexing. My enormous thanks go to Alexander Forst

(alex@complang.tuwien.ac.at) and to Soh Kam Hung (h.soh@trl.telstra.com.au)

for their dedicated efforts in designing this tagging scheme and help in

tagging and editing the plots. I hope all enjoy this new collection and

dont forget to tell the authors how it went if you run a plot.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrimony

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Any

Any

Affliction

A character (or a follower, or henchman) receives an "inheritance" they didn't

know they had from their father or some more ancient ancestor. Note that these

types of inheritances don't have to be land, wealth or possessions: sometimes

certain _rights_ were just as valuable. For instance the right to own land in

certain places, the right to start a business, or be exempt from taxes, or

whatever. For balance, it probably shouldn't be something _too_ wonderful. It

may even have problems attached (squatters on land, politicians who don't like

people exempt from taxes, etc.).

Chimneys

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

Any

Investigation

There's a killer on the loose in town. Someone (something?) is killing people

and stuffing them down chimneys and fireplace flues. People find out when they

light their morning fires and the smoke backs up. No visible wounds. Is it

poisoning? Demons? Rabid Santa Claus?

Floating

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

Any

Investigation

Some washing women (damn, I'm sexist) are down by the river when something

horrible floats to the surface. They run back and tell everyone. Was it alive?

Dead? Is it there when someone goes to investigate?

The Crucible

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

Any

Quest

Some guy off the street comes up to a character and wants to buy an object they

carry (a sword? helmet? shield?). He offers to pay with a small marble

crucible.

Calculus

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

City

Fantasy

Intrigue

Some sages in the city come up with a new higher-order mathematics which they

say is very useful for describing natural phenomena. The local church

immediately denounces it as unholy and sacrilege.

Prolapse

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Any

Affliction

A medical condition with which to inflict a PC; specifically, the falling down

of a part of the body from its normal position, usually the womb or the

rectum. I kid you not. Look it up.

Get the Acid

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Wilderness

Fantasy

Quest

Dragon

The players must (for whatever reason - debt, magical item required, payment

to a mage, etc.) retrieve, whole and unbroken, the internal acid sac of an

acid-spitting dragon. First kill it (non-destructively), then cut out the

sac (tricky business).

Rumour

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

Any

Intrigue

Affliction

A nasty personal rumour spreads about a PC. It's untrue, and quite nasty. Who

started it? What implications will it have?

Insane companions

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Any

Any

Affliction

Henchmen or hirelings that turn out to be insane. For example, a soldier with

monomania (becomes obsessed with one task to the exclusion of all else, becomes

depressed when task completed), or a megalomaniac blacksmith.

You call this government?

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Any

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Intrigue

Areas with unusual forms of government. For example, a pedocracy (government by

scholars and the educated), or a syndicracy (rule by a body of syndicates, each

representing some business interests).

Holy water

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

Fantasy

Quest

A cleric must become involved in re-making a holy water font after the old one

is defiled. Several weeks of time, and great cost.

Skunks

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Wilderness

Forest

Fantasy

Quest

Skunks

A quest/magic spell component/item recharging ritual/whatever requires that

the group obtain the intact scent glands of 6 skunks.

Magic toys

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Any

Fantasy

Magic

Affliction

Little magic items that charm or entrap the user. For example, a little puzzle,

made of wood and wire, that you're supposed to manipulate into some particular

shape (you know the kind - even a Rubik's Cube, maybe!): if the owner fails a

save, he/she becomes enraptured by it, and won't put it down. If it's finally

forcibly taken away, they'll react violently for a couple of turns. Or one of

them little kaleidoscope tubes: if the person doesn't save, they'll continue to

stare through it and giggle. If it's taken away, same reaction as above.

Haunted item

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Any

Fantasy

Horror

Investigation

Magic

An item that's haunted or cursed because it was used in the commission of a

terrible murder. It'll move a little on its own, or tingle, or drop from your

grasp, or moan eerily, or whatever. If the murder can be investigated and maybe

solved, this behaviour will stop.

Community service

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Urban

City

Any

Affliction

Character(s) get arrested for fighting/carrying weapons/some other obscure

law, and instead of being thrown in jail they're forced to perform several says

(weeks?) of community service:

* street cleaning

* city storage/library inventories

* stray animal extermination

* litter-bearer for someone important

* issuing summons or assisting in the arrest of particularly dangerous

people

In addition, as criminals, they're given a big ol' tattoo, someplace really

conspicuous.

Dyed in the wool

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

Any

Affliction

An accident where a quantity of brightly-colored dye gets poured all over one

of the characters. Takes _weeks_ to wear off.

Curious book

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Any

Any

Quest

The characters lay their hands on a book that has very curious things written

inside: they may lead to further adventures, or just be teasers.

* the history of a land they do not know

* someone's diary

* an index of animals, with drawings, none of which they've seen before

* recipes

* astronomy

"Every Which Way But Loose"

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Any

Any

Affliction

A friendly orangutan becomes the party's strong, goofy and unpredictable

travelling companion for a while, whether they like it or not. See Clyde, from

the Clint Eastwood movies "Every Which Way But Loose" and "Every Which Way You

Can".

Gruesome

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Urban

Fantasy

Horror

Investigation

People (not the party) get killed in bizarre ways:

* crushed within a grist mill.

* skewered on the walled city's front gate portcullis.

* struck dead by a falling cheese.

* leg held fast under the rubble of a collapsed wall, eaten alive

by stray dogs.

There can be a reason behind it all (the setup to whatever other adventure you

want), or not.

Wyrd Witch

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Wilderness

Forest

Fantasy

Quest

Magic

A wacky old witch in a hut in the woods, who will procure magical potions

of wondrous efficacy for anyone willing to pay the price. Each potion

requires payment of something really odd: 6 turtles, 3 double-yolker eggs,

a painting of a tree, or something equally goofy.

Pick Pockets

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

One-line

Urban

City

Fantasy

Investigation

Affliction

Characters should get their pockets picked more often when they're in

cities. They're big and rich-looking, and they'll be constant targets.

Non-stop.

Ethnic Cleansing

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Fantasy

Investigation

Urban

City

Some locals are being murdered - some of high standing, some common

folk. The local Assassin's Guild is carrying out the executions, under

order from a secret cult of half-elvan fanatics. Investigation will

reveal that all of those killed were half-orc, although no one knew it,

most of the time. The cult despises the idea of orcs defiling the human

heritage they share.

Demon or not Demon, that is the question

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Short

Fantasy

Investigation

Urban

A rumour that a local priest of high standing is a demon. He's not, but if

your players are like mine, they beat every rumour to death, especially if

it's demonic. The priest will hear of their investigation, and may even

start worrying and acting suspiciously: this may lead the players on even

_more_.

DARK MASS OF KOREEM-CIL

Tim Dickinson

dickinst@crl1.crl.aecl.ca

Fantasy

Medium

Quest

Investigation

Urban

The general plot: the characters have to get information about, then

infiltrate a ceremony of an evil religious sect, to save the intended

sacrifice. (Hey, does this sound familiar? Ahhh, so what?)

If the party think they the goodies, then just drop them some rumours

about the cult and its sacrificial doings. This should be sufficient to

draw in properly-played PCs. If they are not inclined to do such a thing

for nothing, then have them hired on to do so (a wealthy parent is concerned

their newly-converted child is going to be a sacrifice, or the established

local religion wants a stop put to this heathen bunch and their evil

practices).

In any case, info about the cult should be sketchy. They'll have to sniff

out rumours about town. They'll have to pay some snitches (who may or may

not give them good information). They should get a little too close for

someone's comfort, and they should get attacked for it. Maybe with magic, a

curse or something serious.

Specifically, they'll want (i) cult background and (ii) location of the next

sacrificial ceremony. The second will be very hard to get.

If some of the characters want to try to infiltrate the cult, this will be

next to impossible. Unless some _very_ convincing magical method is

possible to replace an existing cultist, they'll be found out. If they try

to "join", they'll be turned away and everyone's guard will be up.

If they manage to locate the ceremony, they'll witness terrible magic and

nasty rites. An attempt to rescue sacrifices will be met with (i) much

priestly magic (i) moderate armed resistance. If the party is strong, and

they let the ceremony proceed at all before stepping in, they'll be

confronted wit whatever terrible otherworldly thing the cult was attempting

to summon with the sacrifice (its notice was gained with the beginning of

the ceremony, and it is furious at the sacrifices which it did not receive:

it'll appear and attack everyone, cultists included).

There's also a chance that they'll get captured themselves and get added to

the list of sacrifices. This is a good way to go if the party splits up and

comes in from two different directions, or tries to co-ordinate two

different tasks at once: one group will suddenly notice that the other has

been captured and is being led to the slaughter. This adds urgency to their

task. 8-)

If this is the case, a good hook is to have the cultists do something to one

of the characters, pre-sacrifice, that is somehow permanent: a terrible

scar, or a spell, or some such. Something that they have to live with (and

role-play with) for the rest of their lives, preferably.

There's lots of good hooks from the after effects, if they're successful in

saving the sacrifice, or even killing off most of the cultists. They'll earn

the undying enmity of that sect, and they'll be after them forever. They

may get some nasty curses from the priests before they win. They may have

allowed a terrible monstrosity to be summoned, which will wreak havoc, of

course. They may even get blamed for this. Perhaps they'll discover that

local officials or nobles were somehow illegally involved (they belong to

the cult, or have struck a black deal with them). Will they reveal such a

conspiracy? Can they really prove it?

Taken in

Robert Underwood

GEO10701022@NKU.EDU

Short

Cyberpunk

Quest

Startup

Urban

The group is gathered together by Mr. Johnson. The group has a specified

goal, like blackmailing a mob boss, or performing a dangerous extraction.

The characters are promised support, if needed. They go on the job and

encounter _heavy_ resistance. The support that was promised never shows up,

the characters are hung out to dry. It would seem that the job was just a

distraction that the Corp's solos could perform a job easily, seeing that

everybody was hunting the PC's.

The PC's have a reason to hate the Corp that hung them out to dry, and need

to look out for the ones that they crossed. Could even have cops, or CIA

looking for them because of the first run. Makes for an interesting, if

short, life.

Betrayal

Robert Underwood

GEO10701022@NKU.EDU

Medium

Cyberpunk

New Age

Intrigue

Startup

Urban

City

The campaign starts with a Corp hiring the PC's, preferably the PC's do not

know each other. The Corp is an assistant VP in some Corp. This Corp has

ideals on how a company should act, in a way that promotes the common good.

The Corp has most of the lower echelons in his division agreeing with him.

The company president prefers the traditional style of business, you know

the corporate way. The AVP cannot be removed without causing massive

disruptions in his division. So between the division and the rest of the

Corp there is animosity.

That is just the background, the characters are hired by the Corp for

typical runner purposes. The Corp will provide as much in the way of help

that he can (about level 3 or 4 of resources). Some missions will be

nothing more than "good deeds" for various people. About the third or

fourth mission the expected support will fail, bring the characters to

believe that the AVP betrayed them (he didn't, it was a traitor in the

division).

Eventually the characters will become involved in a war for control of the

company when the old president is assassinated. The Corp will be split

almost evenly between two factions. One is lead by our AVP, he has gained

more support than he had, because he is better qualified than his opponent.

Good Cops

Robert Underwood

GEO10701022@NKU.EDU

Short

Cyberpunk

Intrigue

Startup

Urban

City

The players start out as a cop group. It is well known that the police

force is quite corrupt. After some missions (with at least one internal

affairs mission) the city decides to scrap the police force and hire

corporate police.

The city can not pay for the police force that it needs (hence the

corruption) and trades some control over policy for police protection. The

trade is quiet, the city would riot if it knew. When the corporation takes

over it fires everybody, including our players. The players should be left

in job limbo for a while. Next let them find out the "cost" of police

protection and encourage them to go public. Before the players go public

have a council member explain why the decision was made that way.

If the players get into lots of trouble, remember that the good cops will do

everything in their power to help. Of course, the players shouldn't know

which cops are good and which work for other people.

The Magical Land of Ith

Chris Bova

chbova@vassar.edu

Matt Sernett

sernett@max.muhlberg.edu

Medium

Fantasy

Intrigue

Investigation

Quest

Any

Mind-flayer (Ithillid)

What follows is a campaign idea worked out for a fantasy campaign, and it

uses monsters found in that setting, but, with a little work, you could use

it for almost any role playing system short of sci-fi ultratech.

The malevolent race known as the Illithid (Mind Flayers) can well remember

when their world Ith was a glorious paradise, when it's black jungles

bloomed wild, when the warm, primordial oceans washed the unspoiled beaches,

when the Shrouded sunned themselves atop armorlichen spires miles high,

their razor sharp foreclaws glittering the violet light. All the Illathid

race was happy, and lived at peace, with just the right amount of

inter-racial violence to ensure nobody would get bored.

That was long ago, and now strange things are beginning to happen to the

Mind-Flayer garden of Eden. The sun of their homeworld is becoming brighter

and stronger. The seas are getting warmer, the foliage greener, and in time,

the Illathid will be driven underground. Their home planet will soon no

longer support them. Several centuries ago, the grand and glorious Order of

the Ebon Tentacle finally seized the initiative from it's competitors and

gathered almost a thousand Illathid in the great chamber of council. Heads

bowed in reverence, the multitudes breathlessly awaited the commands of the

great mind. At last the brain pool spoke, and it ordered it's children to

cast themselves upon the Astral seas, searching for another world, a place

where the ecology of Ith could be recreated down to the minutest detail, and

the Illithid could once again live in the relative peace of constant

interracial war. And so it was done, and not long ago, some fortunate

Illathid began a hive on a world known to it's inhabitants as "Earth". The

planet's measurements seemed exact, slightly larger than Ith even, with a

comparable atmosphere and seas that had the potential to support Ith life

with some modification. But the sun there was too bright for Illathid

existence, forcing the first pioneers to take shelter underground. It was

then that they found the moon. It was worshiped as a god by the local

inhabitants, but the Illithid knew better. The moons of Ith were smaller by

far, and completely unsuitable for the purposes that the Illithid had in

mind.

Tunnelling out the centre of the moon, the Illithid plan to create a

perfectly circular chamber that is in effect a giant lifejammer helm. The

life force of thousands of living creatures will be necessary to accomplish

the goal; move the moon to a position in which it will block the sun's

light, and hold it there. Luckily, the planet beneath is crawling with

living creatures of no particular consequence that will make excellent

sacrifices... The Shrouded would just eat them anyhow, once the ecology of

Ith is transplanted. And so was launched possibly the most half-baked plot

for world domination ever cooked up by sentient creatures that smell faintly

of squid and eat human brains.

Starting out in OverEarth

Carl Green

navarre@iafrica.com

Long

Fantasy

Quest

Startup

Any

This plot describes how I started characters in a new campaign. I had begun

to envisage my new band of heroes as a weird mixture of technology and

fantasy from three basic 'periods', viz: the 'normal' fantasy time frame, a

modern (1995) period, and a futuristic, post-apocalypse period (very

Terminator 2 in feel). The characters that could fit into this strange

crossover seemed to step right out of my mind; they could include a knight

on a Harley, wielding a magic bastard sword and an ion cannon, or an elf

with cyber-enhancements, armed with longbow and Uzi machine-guns, or a

robotic warrior armed with a staff of fireballs and a copy of the

Necronomicon.

I realised that what I was trying to do was to combine all of my

inspirations, from Lovecraft to Scwarzenegger, Tolkien to 2000AD - I'm sure

you get the picture...

Right, the next phase was to design the fantasy world that would be the

starting point for the campaign. I had had the name OverEarth rolling around

in my mind for quite a while, which inspired a setting that was basically an

alternative Earth with the normal fantasy/historical time frame, magic

systems, etc. The starting point would be the island kingdom of Beorsca, off

the west coast of Uropha, and basically an alternative England...

Next I developed my arch-enemy for Beorsca, the usual vicious mage and

power-hungry tyrant, but added the twist that he was the father of

one of the PCs...

Now came the real challenge - how to start the actual campaign, how to

develop the characters, and how to provide the rationale for the 'jumps' to

our own present-day Earth and its post-apocalypse future

My solution to the dilemma was based upon two beliefs that I had formulated

over the years...

Firstly, that role-playing a character in a fully developed fantasy world

is almost impossible, because of the lack of frames of reference. What I

mean by this is that if I tell you to role -play someone from Paris, your

mind automatically throws out images of the Eiffel Tower, street cafes, etc,

but if I say role-play an elf from Elshaven, you have no mental images on

which to base your character.

Secondly, I had found that role-playing groups often squabble and argue at

every turn, even when playing fully in character. This arguing always seemed

to spoil the impression that the group was a cohesive whole, and it seemed

ludicrous that they remained together at all...

The solution to the first problem is simple to run, and turns out to be the

'engine' that drives the PCs towards their goal. In brief, I decided that

the characters had actually battled their arch-enemy across Beorsca 900

years ago, and then followed him through a gate to present (1995) Earth and

eventually to the post-apocalypse future Earth. However, when they finally

faced him (by then armed with weaponry from all three settings), he once

again stepped through a gate, trying to return to OVEREARTH. The characters

followed, and the trap was sprung. The arch-enemy sealed access out of the

gates, and the characters were trapped in an inter-dimensional limbo...

Time passes, and our PC benefactors (which could either be your campaigns

gods, or some ultra-powerful NPC) stumble/s upon the characters locked in

limbo, strips them of their techno-items, and sends them back to their home

world (in this case OVEREARTH). However, it is now 900 years later, and the

arch-enemy has just about destroyed the PC's realm, which is now a dead

island dominated by his (expectably) demonic forces. To make matters worse,

and to really spice things up, the characters don't have a clue who they

are, where they come from, etc. Even better, their 900 year experience in

limbo has caused their skills to atrophy, so that although they were, let's

say 15th level, they're now 5th level, or 1st level if you're particularly

cruel...Thus the players don't have to try to role-play in what in terms of

geography or history is a totally foreign world, because it is also foreign

to the CHARACTERS!

And the final twist, which accounts for the usual inter-character bickering,

is that the party's original leader, a warrior of great skill and huge

personal charisma * is not with them when they return*. They are aware of

his (or her) absence, and cannot function as a unit without him/her.

And so the scene is set for the poor players, aware only of their names and

their rudimentary skills, to...

* find out who they are...

* find out how they got there...

* relearn their skills...

* track down their missing leader...

* track down the arch enemy...

* and pursue him once more across the dimensions...

The great part is that...

* they will automatically despise the arch enemy...

* their bickering will make sense...

* their lack of knowledge of the campaign setting will make sense.

No Honour among Thieves

Quinton

quinton@sumter.cso.uiuc.edu

Short

Fantasy

Quest

Intrigue

Affliction

Urban

City

The captain of the guard is in the employ of the thieves guild. When the

guild receives an item he really wants, he sets up an elaborate system to

get it. He arrests the PCs on false or trumped up charges (a good way to

get them introduced), then offers them absolution if they do him a favour.

He wants them to infiltrate the thieves guild by a secret back door and find

out some info on some item that will be showing up soon. When the PCs get

through the sewers to the guild, the captain's men will frame them for a

robbery that just took place. The players escape the angry thieves, but get

captured by the town guard. Along the way they have picked up enough clues

to figure out what has gone on, but they can't prove it. So they must

escape from jail and go confront the captain as he is leaving town with the

item. After this excitement, the PCs don't have much choice to become

roving adventurers, since the thieves guild wants their heads.

From Rock to Plot

John McMullen

jhm@sentex.net

Long

Any

Any

I've been GMing for over a decade now. Every once in a while, people ask me

how I come up with plots. I'm not entirely sure, except that I look for

problems and then complicate them. The two most useful questions in

plotting are "Why?" and "How?" ("Who?" "Where?" "What?" and "When?" also get

a work out.)

Anyway, I thought I'd share a technique that I use when I'm absolutely

tapped out or when I can't seem to come up with anything original. You know

the times -- all you can come up with is cliche material you've done a

hundred times in the past. The first idea that comes to mind establishes

squatter's rights on your frontal lobes.

(I want to emphasise that this isn't the only technique, or the best

technique. It's simply *a* technique that I find useful.)

The technique is to limit yourself. When you've got the whole wide universe

to work with, then you have *too many* possibilities. By setting arbitrary

restrictions, you remove things from consideration and narrow your focus.

You've already got a bunch of stuff established which places restrictions on

you. You know what genre you're working in -- that gives you a bunch of

genre conventions you can choose to work with or against. You know what

your player characters are (usually), and you probably have some sense of

location and season. All of these things are restrictions. If you're doing

a sword and sorcery campaign, the question of aliens doesn't come up.

That set of restrictions presumably isn't enough (or you wouldn't need this

technique). The next thing to do is set some arbitrary restriction: the

entire adventure takes place in a single room, for example, or the entire

adventure is built around what you did last weekend. Other possibilities

include story anthologies and (ahem) a dictionary of cliches or quotations.

The technique really relies on forcing the juxtaposition of unusual elements.

Here's a (lengthy) example. I have a Dark Champions campaign. I know the

characters, I know the time of year, I know the city (none of which tells me

what the next story is). So I'm sitting here listening to the soundtrack

album for "Dumb and Dumber" and I decide that I'll create a plot that

incorporates *something* from each song on the album.

Here are the songs on the album:

The Ballad of Peter PumpkinHead - Crash Test Dummies

New Age Girl - Deadeye Dick

Insomniac - Echobelly

If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself) - Pete Droge

Crash - The Primitives

Whiney, Whiney (What Really Drives Me Crazy) - Willi One Blood

Too Much Of A Good Thing - The Sons

You Sexy Thing - Deee-Lite

Where I Find My Heaven - Gigolo Aunts

Hurdy Gurdy Man - Butthole Surfers

Take - The Lupins

The Bear Song - Green Jelly

Get Ready - The Proclaimers

Hmm. Peter Pumpkinhead and The Bear Song suggest some kind of kid

song/nursery rhyme feel. Get Ready supports that with lines like "Fee Fi Fo

Fum." You Sexy Thing, Too Much of a Good Thing, and If You Don't Love Me

(I'll Kill Myself) all suggest some kind of excess, perhaps emotional

overdrive -- maybe a mind control plot? Somebody discovers a *real*

aphrodisiac and starts dumping it in the water? Someone is infatuated with

another person, makes the threats to suicide if he or she doesn't return the

affection, but the other person's attitude could be described as Whiney,

Whiney (What Really Drives Me Crazy).

New Age Girl is a sort-of love song to someone named Mary Moon who is (in

fact) a New Age Girl. She's now an NPC in the adventure.

First plot that comes to mind with this: take the lowest charisma hero who

often complains he doesn't have a love relationship and give him a groupie

(Mary Moon) who follows him around as the group tries to track down someone

who's committing a series of thefts (Take) based on nursery rhymes. That

leaves me with Hurdy Gurdy Man, Crash, Insomniac, and Where I Find My Heaven

as plot elements to incorporate.

I don't like it. So we'll try again. Instead, let's start with the

insomniac. Suppose someone has the oft-used psionic power of tangible

hallucinations and dreams. He or she knows it and has started trying to stay

awake (Insomniac). It's not easy to make a living if you have this kind of

disability, so he or she is living as a street musician (Hurdy Gurdy Man).

That also gives us the street-level feel and makes the psionic harder to

track down. He or she has a tremendous crush on Mary Moon (we're back to her

again).

The first hallucination is Peter Pumpkinhead, a reasonably nice fellow.

Freaked, she leaves and is pursued by other nursery-rhyme characters.

Although Peter is quite likeable, but the others (the Bear that went over

the mountain, for instance) don't have to be. Not knowing what's going on,

Mary seeks out the PCs; if the PCs are too hard to find, they'll encounter

her, trapped by the Bear. This leads to both Mary and the PCs trapped in

the psionic's ideal world (Where I Find My Heaven). It's not pleasant for

the PCs, because he regards them as competition (Too Much of a Good Thing).

This is obvious because Mary has a crush on one of the PCs (You Sexy

Thing). This environment, combined with Mary's information, lets them know

who they're looking for. The PCs can get out by moving fast enough and far

enough -- the psionic's powers aren't all-encompassing, after all.

This, with the uppers, unhinges the psionic (If You Don't Love Me, Whiney

Whiney). The first evidence is when Peter Pumpkinhead (trustworthy up until

now) turns psychotic.

In the meantime, (1) the psionic, worried, has been awake on uppers long

enough for hallucinations to start anyway, and (2) our villain of the piece

has figured out where these nursery-rhyme apparitions are coming from, and

is also searching for the psionic.

Still to include: Take (a robbery of some kind?) and Crash.

The bad guy catches the psionic, uses hypnosis or mind control to generate

some truly unpleasant hallucinations to perform robberies (Take), including

running an armoured car off the road (Crash) and picking up the money.

The good guys catch up, there is a fight and the problem of what to do with

the psionic. I leave that up to the players.

Now, a lot of the details still need to be worked out, but there's a basic

setup, antagonist, and conflict.

Not entirely without cliches (to really eliminate cliches, you'd have to

know the characters better), but it's certainly different than what I would

have come up with otherwise.

Anyway, it's a technique I find useful, so I thought I'd share it for those

who are having trouble jump-starting their plots.

A ship of fools

Ketil Z Malde

ketil@ii.uib.no

Short

Fantasy

Horror

Quest

Affliction

Ship

The characters need to cross some ocean. It is difficult to get hold of a

ship, but finally one merchant offers to sell them one. The price can be

discussed - a lot. Now the reason the ship is sold cheap if necessary, is

that it is a ghost ship. The previous captain was killed by the second in

command when he discovered what they were *really* doing (Smuggling?

Worse?) Now, the ghost will control the ship, and no matter how the players

try, it will quietly «drift off» towards the island where the previous

captain was killed. The players will experience his death in their dreams,

some as the victim, some as the perpetrator. On the island, another ship

will be arriving shortly with the murderer abroad, and the ghost will appear

and explain that he must be avenged, and will show them a treasure if they

do it. Of course, what the players do might have consequences for their

social position etc, depending on how they do it.

The characters are ambushed lightly, and when the ambushers run away, they

leave behind a sack. The sack contains a small faerie, gnome, or whatever,

who wants the characters to help them open a gate to Arcadia. The gate

turns out to be a frozen lake, and the only way to melt it is to remove the

church that is being built not too far away...and perhaps a sacrifice is

necessary.

Returned veterans

Mike Jones

MIKEJONES@safripol.senchem.co.za

Short

Fantasy

Startup

Affliction

Any

I had a team that had played together for about three years. Unfortunately

the team was about to fragment due to people moving for work. We finished

the campaign with an extended and excellent war.

This led to the ideal opportunity to start off the new characters as newly

enlisted men pulled into the system by a "draft bill" This allowed me to let

them all know one another and also it afforded me the chance of letting them

start with more powerful characters for the basic training that they went

through. This pleased the older players who just shelved experienced

characters Additionally it opens the way for reasons why less suited

characters would want to be multi-classed fighter-anything. Now with the

returning heroes of the war they feel inadequate. All of the available jobs

are being snatched by anyone who killed a worm let alone an Orcish

commander. So the party are forced to seek an alternative livelihood. Roll

on adventuring.

"Save the good dragon from the evil princess- pt1"

James Tackett

jtackett@lightspeed.net

Short

Fantasy

Quest

Any

Dragon

In the first net plot book, there is a quick adventure idea summed up as:

"Save the good dragon from the evil princess"

Some suggestions

Evil Princess intent on overthrowing her parents, but lacking the needed

backing among the leaders of the army, has managed to locate an Arcane and

purchase (with monies/items stolen from the kingdoms treasury) an

amulet/ring/potion/item which allows her to control the dragon which for

generations has helped protect the (select compass direction) borders and

mountain passes of the kingdom from marauders and invading forces. The

dragon under her control has been attacking outlying areas and the

population is in an uproar. The forces of evil, alerted by the princess

that her plan is beginning to bear fruit, are moving towards the kingdom.

The king has suspicions, the general knows what's up, but can not take

direct action against the princess, the court wizard is away at the time

(arranged by the princess, false leads on an ancient artefact etc). The only

hope for the kingdom is that heroes will arise and release the dragon from

the princesses control, and bring to light the entire plot so that the king

can banish her and make her younger sister the true and good heir. If the

heroes should fail, the entire kingdom will be cast into a era of darkness

and evil.

"Save the good dragon from the evil princess- pt2"

Rick DiTullio

rditulli@forest.drew.edu

Short

Fantasy

Quest

Any

Forest

Dragon

Just to add my own thoughts on this interesting idea.

"Save the good dragon from the evil princess"

The dragon in question does not have to be full grown. Imagine the evil

princess holding a dragon egg or hatchling ransom to force the local dragon

population to do her bidding.

To adapt this to a forest scenario use a faerie dragon protector of an

ancient forest. Or even have the whole thing be an illusionary romp caused

by the dragon!

Lastly, imagine the evil princess gaining control of the court wizard's

psuedodragon familiar. This is possibly worse than ransoming the dragons

depending on the wizard's level!

Behold Such Beauty

John A. Murphy

jam@philabs.research.philips.com

Long

Fantasy

Quest

Wilderness

This scenario is best played a bit light-hearted. It starts with the party

entering a very remote village, Village. This village is far removed from

normal government dealings and as such they have their own small local

monarchy. As the party approaches there is great unrest in the town

square. There are trappings as if a festivity is about to commence, but the

townsfolk, also known as the Village People, are very concerned about

something. Anyone they ask will point them to the garrison commander,

Moostard (a colonel), who can relate the story.

"The town was preparing to celebrate the 16th birthday of the

princess. The country side was invited for a great feast. But

lo, this morning when the princess was not to be found we

checked and found that her room had been breached and she had

been kidnapped."

(Any clues or ideas who has taken her?)

"We suspect the black robed worshipers of Evil Mackricks. A

hideous band of clerics that terrorised this area decades

ago with the aid of terrible beasts.

We found a black mace in her bedroom. They used a ladder to

climb up to her window. She must have put up a struggle as the

room was in disarray.

[ if there are any optional witnesses they will report of

black cloaked individuals who, if anyone was close enough,

had the symbol of a giant eye on their chest ]

(What was the princesses name?)

[look a bit flustered, look at your notes then answer] Beauty.

Princess Beauty. She was very beautiful, renown for her charm

and demeanour.

(Why?)

The Emaks haven't been heard from in a long time. From what

little memory I have, they gave sacrifices to their deity (Ram)

on the night of a new moon....that would be tonight! Over the

past few months there have been a couple of others who have

disappeared. We had no clue to their disappearance and thought

they were the victims of monsters or bandits.

(Why us?)

The garrison is not very large. Most of the patrols are out

on multi-day patrols and aren't due back for at least another

full day.

(Where?)

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother willow you go.

From there its over hill and dale. They came on horses so they

should be trackable.

The party should have little trouble following the tracks and finding the

valley. They should be approaching the temple about sundown. The temple is

in a shallow valley. The clerics should have at least a few guards or

patrols, avoidance is a fine way of dealing with them.

The main temple is a long building built into the side of the valley. The

building has a large set of double doors, a single large eye is centred on

the doors. There is a small stable that is adjacent to the front of the

temple. A small door leads from the stable to the temple. There is a

stable hand that is armed with a pitchfork in the stable along with a few

horses among the stalls.

If the party is able to approach quietly they can enter from either the

front doors, which open quietly and are not currently locked, or from the

stable. Both lead into a small anteroom. The back wall of the anteroom is

covered with a large heavy curtain.

As the party peeks through the curtain they can see the main temple area. It

is dimly lit by several torches and braziers. Several of the pews have

initiates in them. At the far end is the alter. A priest is concluding

some sort of ceremony. The princess is chained, standing on the far side of

the altar facing a statue. The statue is made of stone and is that of a

large round (2 meter diameter) creature with one large eye in the centre.

The creature also has several eye stalks (appendages ending in a small eye)

sprouting off of it. The centre eye is made of a huge ruby, about the size

of two large fists. The eyes at the end of each eye stalk are about the

size of a regular human eye and are of various types including emerald

sapphire, onyx, etc.

The priest at the altar is finishing a ceremony that concludes with his arms

outstretched. The centre eye of the statue begins to glow and the light

slowly begins to extend until it envelopes the princess. After a few

seconds the princess collapses, her pallor now a dull grey. This entire

process takes less than a minute.

If the party doesn't intercede at this point the priest will continue with

the physical sacrifice of the princess's body. This will result in the

unalterable death of the princess. What the party must do is intercede and

rescue the body of the princess as well as the centre jewel from the

statue. The ruby is hollow and if held up to the light, the face of the

princess can be seen almost as a reflection or a ghost within. To restore

the princess the party must merely break the ruby with the body of the

princess close by.

Most of the initiates are not well trained and have Mediocre combat

ability. The priest and optional acolytes have Fair or Good combat ability

plus some magical ability. Along the back wall is a concealed door that

leads to other chambers including a jail area (with jailer and optional

prisoners), some storage rooms, and the private quarters for the priest.

Ultimately if the party does not succeed and the clerics continue on their

way, they will continue to steal souls until they can animate their deity.

Fortress of the Sender

John A. Murphy

jam@philabs.research.philips.com

Long

Fantasy

Quest

Wilderness

Castle

This works best with a party that contains a thief. The party is in the

capital city of Gunthenor for the first time. It is usually appropriate for

thieves to visit or register with the local guild. Alternately, a member of

the guild may seek them out, make friends and then later try to steer them

with a tip if the party is looking for an adventure or work.

The guild master (or new friend), Nelbin, should eventually meet up with the

party. He isn't someone to be totally trusted, although this has to be

discovered over time. He isn't evil, just has his own agenda. He is or has

been a thief at some point in his life. He doesn't relate all he knows and

tries to paint a picture of a ruthless baron practically kidnapping his

friend. He doesn't want to tell the party too much, because if captured

they won't know anything. He is concerned that the baron might become

proactive if he finds out that someone is trying to check up on him.

Nelbin relates the following:

Up in the remote Northlands the local baron has unjustly

imprisoned a friend [maybe]. I ask you to rescue a personal

friend [true] who did no wrong other than travelling through

the area with too many gems in his possession [partial truth].

I have tried to rescue him myself, but failed [lie]. I was

captured, and let go with a stern warning [lie]. I do not

believe I would be so lucky if my face was seen again [true].

(What's your friends name?)

Leafloc, an elf and a good archer. [a good thief too]

(Where exactly is it?)

An associate of mine, Prelenna, can act as a guide. She is a

good guide, but not much of a fighter. She will take you to the

keep, but will not enter.

This tale is full of half-truths. The baron worries the guild and Nelbin in

particularly. The baron has risen to power in a remote area, the wild woods

of the Northlands. Information and intelligence on him is limited. Nelbin

knows he likes to stay secluded, but has allies within the governmental

hierarchy. He has shun any contact with the guild. Attempts to contact him

have gone unanswered, sometimes the messenger doesn't return. The baron has

a strong hold on his territory and works both sides of the legal fence. He

conducts raids on some towns or trade routes, while others are protected.

No one is aware of any of this.

Nelbin first met the baron [he thinks] face to face after he was captured

after infiltrating the barons main [he thinks] fortress. He was sneaking

around inside the fortress when something landed at his feet. Whatever it

was caused the immediate area to go completely silent. He turned and saw a

man with bright yellow eyes at the end of the hallway staring at him. Then

he heard strange words in his mind that he recognised as some kind of spell,

soon after he fell fast asleep. When he awoke he was imprisoned.

Nelbin is a Good thief and was finally able to escape. Over time he was

able to collect enough pieces of scrap metal to create a crude pick. He

then slunk in the shadows of night until he reached a small store room.

There he was able to create a secret/false hole in one wall and make his

escape.

Unbeknownst to Nelbin is that the baron is of a strange race called the

Senders [ see below ]. Nelbin also doesn't realise that his run in was with

the barons only son.

The stronghold is in the wilderness of the north. This particular

stronghold is not the barons main quarters, but merely one of several

outposts. The baron is known to maintain patrols over a large area. What is

not known is that the baron maintains odd alliances. The fortress is

currently being guarded by a band of goblins. In other areas the baron has

employed humans, mercenaries, orcs, and even an ogre or two. He tries to

keep racial skirmishes to a minimum by separating races where he can. As

far as the baron knows, his prisoner is a poor thief he caught

investigating. The Sender at this particular outpost turns out not to be

the baron, but the barons only son. The guards at his outposts are well fed

and organised. Usually reporting to a human captain.

The structure is a 2 story keep, two guard towers in the front with a

battlement that runs across the front and halfway down the east/west sides.

There are few windows. The front battlement covers a small courtyard that

doubles as a small stable area. Oil holes and an arrow slit over the centre

aid in the defence of larger scale assaults. If they have hot oil prepared

is up to you. Tree cover makes it reasonably easy to approach.

Size of the structure and the number of guards is dependent on how strong

the party is and how difficult the rescue is intended to be. The storage

room is located in a back corner, there is some shrubbery and undergrowth in

front of the hole.

The stairs in the middle of the structure give an idea of where the stairs

leading down to the jail area are. Obviously the inside needs to be

detailed. If a full lower level is desired it can also be detailed.

+----( )-------( )----| |----( )------( )------+

| | | |

| tower | battlement area | tower |

|__________| _ _ _ _ _|_ _ _|_ _ _ _ _ |___________|

| | | |

| | | |

| b. a. b. a. |

| | | |

^ ^

v | | v

| |

| _ _ _ _ _| | _ _ _ _ _ |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |_| |

| |_| |

|___ |-| |

| | |-| |

|SR| |

| | |

+x---( )----------------------------------( )------+

If the party is able to make the break out and escape, but does not kill the

Sender, they hear as they are making their break:

"My father the baron will be greatly angered by this...."

The Senders

A race of humans that have the gift of limited telepathy. They can speak

to humans and most intelligent humanoids using their mind. The recipient

can hear the Senders thoughts as if they were clearly spoken in their native

language. The Senders can not read a persons thoughts, just place their

thoughts as if spoken. Senders have a minimum of Good intelligence. It is

unknown if the Senders are a separate race, or a human mutation. The

Senders ten to have been either leaders of men or persecuted by the fearful.

The Party

Jonas Steverud

d4jonas@dtek.chalmers.se

One-line

Any

Exploration

Wilderness

Forest

The PCs, who are travelling through a forest, comes out into a bigger

clearing and finds out that there is a party going on there. What/Who has

arranged the party and if the PCs are welcome is up to the GM.

Symbolica

Jonas Steverud

d4jonas@dtek.chalmers.se

Short

Fantasy

Quest

Intrigue

Any

The PCs are contacted in some way (by rich person in an inn? ;-) )

and this is the story which are told for them:

The master, of the one who contacts the PC, has a slight problem. The

master is a wizard and he owns a book, called Symbolica, which has some

*very* powerful spells in it (Ie. the wizard in the team might want it

himself). But Symbolica is stolen! The master knows who the thief is,

another wizard, and where he is. The master cannot pick it up himself

because of reasons the PCs won't understand. Therefore he asks the PCs to

help him, and he will pay them richly if they fulfil the task. The PCs sets

off and do the quest. But it is one thing they overlooked: the truth!

This is the truth: The so-called thief is the rightful owner! The PCs master has

fooled them! The master has also set out another team of adventurers who's

task is to follow the PCs and make sure they fulfil their task. The second

team are told that the PCs is doing this task as a punishment for a crime

they have committed. When the PCs finally has discovered the truth they

find themselves in a very delicate situation:

1) Their original master is mad at them (for not fulfilling their task

and/or discovering the truth).

2) The rightful owner is mad at them (quite obviously!).

3) The second team don't know what they should think and might decide to

fight the PCs (Depending on how much the second team knows.) They

maybe don't know the truth and continue with their mission - to force

the PCs to deliver the book.

No friends, no money, only wounds and enemies. I think they will think it

over once or two before they says yes to their next adventure...

A Royal Murder

Jonas Steverud

d4jonas@dtek.chalmers.se

Short

Fantasy

Quest

Investigation

Any

The PCs are at the border on their way into a new kingdom. Shortly

after the border, or just before it, they are contacted by a man who

claims he is a nobleman and he needs their help.

This is the story he tells them. "For some years ago this country was

a happy country. There were peace and the people were well fed.

Everybody was happy and it was a healthy kingdom. But there was a

snake in the paradise: Duke Foo (Call him something that's would make

sense depending on your world). He had an eager longing for the crown

and for three years ago he took it with the help of foreign help. The

old king, and some of the noblemen who where loyal to him [the man

lowers his head in a gesture that means that he's on of them], were

send in exile.

The kingdom was sent into terror. People with opinions which didn't

please the king where killed. Good men and women where tortured and

killed for the sheer pleasure of the king. The once happy nation was

now a frightened country!

For two and a half years the rightful king has been abroad but never,

*never*, lost faith in once again come back and making justice! I am

sent forward to make sure that the rightful king can enter his castle

safely and it is in that task I need your help. I need your help to

assassinate the pretender-king!"

The PCs get some extra details (like a map of the castle) and afterwards the

sets off onto their task of justice.

How far they comes before they discover the truth is up to you but

they should get the chance of really, really screwing things up.

The truth is: the nobleman was lying.

For some years ago the country was not happy, it was in terror -the

terror of the king. After a while one of the noblemen was sickened by it

and created a revolution and put himself in the throne. The new king is

not a good king but his intentions are good. He wants to put things

right and to make the country a happy nation. He has succeeded in

some parts and the people love him (they will love anyone who threw

out the old king). The old king was send into exile together with some

noblemen. That part of the story is correct, the fake part is the

parts where the government of each king is described.

What the PCs now are going to do is to kill the good king and to

reinstall the evil one.

Nice plans eh? Just watch out when you tell the players the truth.

They might be angry... ;-)

Well, I think they should have a fair chance of discover the truth

themselves, *before* everything goes out of hand. But if they overlook

the evidence.... Make them suffer...

A Mansion Tale

Jonas Steverud

d4jonas@dtek.chalmers.se

Short

Horror

Investigation

Building

This is one of my better adventures, the problem is that I didn't

GM it correctly so the players didn't get scared. :-(

Tip: Read "The Shadow over Innmouth" (sp?) by Lovecraft first.

On a medium big island (4-6 miles across) there is a village and a mansion a

mile or two from the village. A forest lies around the mansion, which is

next to the sea. The mansion is own by an eccentrically man who only has one

servant. He also have a brother in some big city (who's a doctor).

One day when one of the people in the village comes up to the mansion for

some purpose he discovers that the front door is partly open. In one room he

finds all the furniture put away up against the walls and a lot of signs is

carved in (with a knife or similar) into the floor, walls and roof. On the

middle of a big symbol there is a body, recognised as the brother of the

master of the mansion dead, sacrificed. The servant and mansion owner are

no-where to be seen. The villager sends for help.

Tahadaah... The players enter the scene from the left... :)

During the search in the house they goes into the kitchen and then out of it

(nothing interesting there, they shouldn't be allowed to investigate too

much here...). After a couple of minutes they find that they are missing one

of the NPCs (anyone you like) who was following them. They finds him in the

kitchen, killed with a meataxe with tremendous force. They haven't heard

anything! They should realise that someone (some_thing_?) was in the kitchen

WHEN THEY WHERE THERE TOO! Dahdahdaahda!

It's the servant (who is 800% insane and lives in the forest on the island)

who killed him, when returning to steal some food.

Handouts:

A letters from the mansion owner's brother. They are talking about what a

grandfather did to his daughter (married her to a Deep One, but that's not

said straight out) and in that way "put this curse on our family". He also

talks about fact that he has found a medication against this ("my eyes are

once again normal and I don't have to wear sun goggles in the middle of the

winter"). He also says that he "comes home to cure you my dear brother, even

though it seems that you don't realised what a curse this is". The last

letter says that the brother arrives the night before the man from the

village finds his body and ends with "Stay out of the water, for God's

sake!". You may also give them a unfinished letter from the Mansion owner

saying he is rejecting the offer. He thinks the grandfather did the right

thing.

What has happened:

Persons involved: The Mansion owner, who is Deep Ones (or "Deep-Ones-will-

be"); his doctor brother (who doesn't want to be one); the mansion owner's

servant.

The mansion owner thinks the Deep Ones connection is the best thing

that has ever has happened to him (there are letters telling about this in

the doctor brother's home and they both write diaries). When the

doctor-brother arrives late at night his brother is prepared. With the help

of his servant (they both completely insane) he strikes down the doctor and

sacrifices him to some Outer God. The servant now extremely insane (SAN=

-[VERY big number] ;-) ) runs away out into the woods (it is he who kills

the NPC in the kitchen when he tries to collect some food. He will later try

to escape to the mainland and run to some place, not even himself knowing

where to (maybe a secret temple, but that's another story)). The mansion

owner escapes down a tunnel to the ocean, down to a Deep One-City.

Home of the Happy Hobbit

John A. Murphy

jam@philabs.research.philips.com

17-JAN-1996 11:31:57.71

Long

Investigation

Startup

Fantasy

Building

Cave

This is a good initial party get together, that works well for an

initial or first time adventure. Someone needs to be a thief, best if

he is just starting out. Since this is used as a characters initial

adventure it tends to steer and have more of a fixed story line than

many scenarios. (p.s. I avoiding typing he/she in many places, not because

I don't want to be PC, but rather I think it reads easier.)

Note: Some GM only notes are included at points in [ ]'s, frequently it

bits of text that may be read directly to the player(s).

GENERAL BACKGROUND (optionally read to player(s)):

Years ago in the small village of Dillow, a hobbit named Pilar

(pronounced Pee-lar) retired from adventuring and opened up a small

inn, "The Home of the Happy Hobbit", a two- or three-storey structure

with basic kitchen & dining services, a bar, and a few private rooms to

rent. While some suspect Pilar used to be an adventuring thief, he

denies it and uses colourful metaphors and ambiguous language to

describe his previous experiences.

"Oooo, if I only had a gold piece for every time I've been

misunderstood/misquoted/misplaced/misjudged/misbegotten/

misinterpreted/misguided/missing-in-action/miserable......."

In general he is fair with his customers and is more interested in a

relaxing livelihood, than squeezing his patrons for a few extra coppers.

The inn itself was nondescript for awhile, but soon began to make a name for

itself. They have the ability to serve ice cold drinks even on the

hottest of summer days. You can also get cheese, milk, and fruit out

of season; things you can't even get at the inns in the larger cities.

Pilar is the only one who knows the secret and he has yet to tell anyone.

His part time helpers are mostly members of his extended family/clan.

GM PLOT TOUR and OVERVIEW:

Dillow has a small garrison,

* Thief, just starting out under Pilar's instructions

* Warrior, hired member of the guard or even captain of the guard

* Priest or druid, accused defence aid or impartial arbitrator

* Any dwarf or person with mining skill. Pilar will want to meet him

and may have scheduled a meeting for the day of the murder

* Any class, lone patron at the inn

* Any class, resident of the town or nearby countryside

* Any class, just passing through, and/or waiting for the inn to open

BACKGROUND for thief player (optionally read to all players):

[ This character may have grown up in or around Dillow. There are

many farms and large woodlands in the surrounding countryside. ]

Pilar, the local innkeeper, is by far the most colourful individual in

the village. You have always been fascinated by his stories of

adventuring. His stories of adventuring have always fuelled your

imagination. Going into deep dark dungeons, fighting evil monsters,

and finding precious and magical gems seem almost dreamlike

compared to this sleepy little town. Over the years you have found

yourself helping out at the inn and fancy yourself to be a protege of

Pilar's. He has shown you several "tricks of the trade" including

how to pick simple locks ("I've only done this when the owner forgot

his key or if I was curious as to what was inside", insists Pilar),

how to sneak about quietly in shadows, and even how to scale a wall.

[ Make up an specific tales you feel will appeal to the character,

sometimes explaining why a "thief" is not a bad thing to be. ]

THE STORY (as presented to the thief character):

It is a slow time in Dillow. Pilar's inn has no boarders.

[ possible exception is to have one of the PCs to be the only boarder ]

Recently, however, Pilar has been noticed to be rather excited about

something. He has been seen around town asking people if they know any

dwarves.

[ Specific individuals may have even been asked if they know anything

about mining. If someone investigates enough they may be able to learn

that Pilar has recently purchased some mining equipment (shovels etc.) ]

You wander into town and immediately notice that the inn is still dark

and closed. Usually Pilar is open by now, serving the occasional

breakfast. There are no lights on inside.

[ If at this point the character asks around he MAY find out that

yesterday Pilar was seen talking with an ugly stranger. ]

[ If one of the players characters was staying at the inn, they

found themselves locked out last night and had to go stay in

a farmers barn. They plan on coming back into town later to

have a word with Pilar, but that is later. ]

[ Hopefully the character will now be asked to do some

roleplaying and try to enter the inn. ]

[ If checked, the door and windows are locked]

Your curiosity is aroused and since Pilar has shown you several

times how to pick the lock, it only takes you a moment to open the

door (after all you help out here, you're practically an employee!).

Inside, all is quiet, too quiet. You look around, it doesn't look

like Pilar finished cleaning up last night. There are a few tables

that haven't been cleared. There is no fire in the fireplace either.

You notice that the kitchen door behind the bar is open, which is very

unusual.

[ There is nothing else out of place, perhaps some unwashed glasses

on the bar. ]

As you enter the kitchen you notice that the door to the basement

stairs (under the stairs that lead upstairs) is also open.

[ If the character proceeds. ]

You slowly descend the stairs into the darkness. The creak of the

stairs sound especially loud in the eerie silence.

[ There is a lantern hanging at the bottom of the stairs if needed. ]

You find yourself in the basement storeroom. Boxes and barrels

fill the room, in some places from floor to ceiling. The room is

filled with an abundance of odours from the containers. Off in

one corner you see some shovels, torches, and rope.

You are about to leave when you feel a chill. You give one more look

around and notice some boxes in one corner seem out of

place. You look behind those boxes and you see an open trap door with

a ladder

leading down into a rough hewn passage.

[ Assuming the character continues.... ]

You proceed down the ladder, finding it a bit odd as you realize

the rung spacing is intended for someone shorter than yourself

[ OK, so I'm assuming the character isn't a hobbit ]

You find yourself in a rough passageway. It seems like it

might be a natural fissure, with minimal working to make it

wider in a few places. It slopes down slowly. After 50 or

60 feet of rough twisty passage you come to a crude door.

On closer inspection, it is really a very heavy curtain.

As you slide the curtain to one side you are met by a very cool blast

of air. Inside is a crude chamber with rough walls, a few stalagmites

and stalactite, and yet more containers, some cheeses, and kegs of beer.

The ceiling and walls are very damp. Looking around, you see in the

far corner behind a stalagmite is another crude trap door. This one

is at a 45 degree angle between the floor and the wall. The hinges

are on the top of the door.

[ If they look carefully they will see a hook mechanism

that can hold the door open. ]

Pulling open the trap door, you are met with a freezing cold breeze.

A small opening leading steeply down is revealed. You notice a muddy

rope has been tied to the stub of a stalagmite and has been fed

down the hole. As you start to make your way down you start losing your

footing as it gets very slippery [ check Dex ]. You slide down the rest of

the way, figuring your total descent to be at least 40 feet. The last 5

feet is a drop off, leaving you on your butt, and a cold one at that.

Looking about, you have entered a small underground ice cave. Ice

stalagmites and stalactites abound in this 100 foot circular cavern. A

small pool is visible on the far side. You can hear the sound of dripping

and/or running water. The ice glitters like diamonds.

[ This is what it appears to be, a super cooled cave from an unknown

source. There are no diamonds here. An ice toad lives in the pool,

which Pilar knows of and now knows to avoid. The to/from destination

of the feed stream for the pool is not detailed, nor is the full

reason for the ice cave.

The floor is slippery, rough, and uneven. If the floor is examined

at the entry point, a path/trail (.) can be found that winds through

the cave, avoiding the pool, and leads over to the other opening.

** If the stalagmites along the path are ALL CAREFULLY examined,

** one of the smaller ones can be found to be flattened, having been

** recently broken off. This clue should NOT be given out easily.

]

You see between the stalagmites a passage that leads back, sloping

upwards slightly. The going is rough as the floor is slick. The rough

passage winds back a little bit and then unexpectedly turns into a

finished corridor. The stone work on the walls seems extraordinarily

good.....and old. The passage way leads straight back for about 50

feet or so, ending in a cave-in of rubble. Oddly enough, there is a

door about 40 feet along the right hand wall.

[ This next part need to be played out carefully. Daggard is trapped

inside. He will probably hear if the person makes any kind of noise

coming down the corridor or checking the door. The following is

only one possible scenario. ]

You carefully open the door. It goes in a little bit and then opens up

into a room. You can see what appears to be Pilar lying face down. You

take a step into the room and are shoved from behind. You fall to your

knees and you are just able to make out someone human sized running out

of the room.

[ If the character takes off after Daggard..... ]

As you come out of the room you see the fleeing person is at the end

of the hall, going out of sight round the bend. His footsteps echo

loudly in the otherwise silent surroundings.

[ At this point you should allow the person to chase, keeping the

culprit in sight, but not gaining ground significantly. If the person

is able to make the proper dice rolls, you might allow them to

grab a foot when going up the slippery chute or the ladder, but

then give Daggard a good chance at kicking them off.

After following Daggard closely, as they reach the kitchen/bar

area they can see/hear Daggard bursting out of the inn and shouting

"Murderer! Murderer!" to the captain of the guard who happens to

be in the street in front of the inn with a couple of guards.

]

[ If the character takes their time and looks around the room first... ]

The room is long and narrow. One side ends in a finished wall, the

other ends in a caved-in mess of rubble. There is a wheelbarrow full

of wet dirt near the rubble. There are no other pieces of mining

equipment. Pilar is lying face down, between the wheelbarrow and

the door. He is pointed towards the rubble. Upon examination he

is found dead from a some sort of stab wound to the back.

[ At this point they will probably leave to find out more. By the

time the character gets up to the first floor, he will be met at

the door by the Wooten (the captain), two guards, and Daggard.

In either case, something resembling the following ensues.

- Daggard spins a tale which includes the following points

- He had a meeting scheduled with Pilar today, about mining

- Finding the inn dark, but the front door open he proceeded

down the various passage ways, much like the character did

- He found you standing over the body and ran back to tell the captain

- As the character raises objections, Daggard tries to dispel them.

- Daggard is willing to be searched, even suggesting it if no one brings

it up. Furthermore, Daggard suggests searching the inn, passageways,

and the room itself for the weapon.

The results of such a search reveal NO pointed weapons or tools.

There are no spikes or picks among the mining equipment.

Searching the final room and rubble reveals no weapon.

- If the character happens to have a dagger or pointed weapon, Wooten

can examine it and tell that it doesn't have any blood on it,

and it doesn't appear to have been used recently and/or doesn't

match the stab wound.

As this goes on, part of Daggard's natural personality should come out. He

is a half-orc and is very abrasive and ugly to boot. He is also slippery

and a stranger in town. Wooten would like to believe the character, but

doesn't trust Daggard. If the character is having trouble figuring out

the puzzle part, have Wooten ask some leading questions, but do NOT solve

it for the character. Have the other characters help if need be. Maybe

the contract between Pilar and Daggard can be found. As a last resort

maybe someone will notice the broken ice stalagmite along the ice cave path.

The key is the wet dirt in the wheelbarrow. That is where Daggard put

the ice dagger after stabbing Pilar. Wooten is willing to take the

characters word especially after Daggard gets a scared look in his eye

when the key piece of evidence is explained.

Maybe the characters will get a reward. Maybe Daggard will confess and

name his employer. Do with it what you will.

If the characters are later allowed to enter dig into the tunnel after

the cave-in, what wonders they find is up to you....

]

The "The Home of the Happy Hobbit" basic map:

Map Key:

| or - : wall

| | : door in horizontal wall

= : small door in vertical wall

|xxx| : heavy/locked door

: window

# : rock, or inaccessible

. : path

% : cave-in or rubble

$ : silver ore

V or > : slope in direction indicated

{ : water, pool or stream

S : ice stalagmite and/or stalactite

m : shovels and misc. mining equipment

w : wheelbarrow

P : Pilar's body

Ground Floor:

+-----------------------|xxx|----------------------+

| = =s __| |

| | Kitchen/ =t _ | |

|---raised floor-------| Upper store|a _ | ^

|______________________| |i - |

| B A R ! | |r - | v

|___________________!__|____________|s . | |

| | fire | |

| +-------+ |

| |

^ ^

( various benches, chairs, & tables )

v v

| |

| |

| |

+----| |---------------------------------+

Upper Floor:

+--------------------------------------------+

| | s __| |

| medium = t _ | |

| private | +------------+a _ | ^

| room | |############|i - |

|--------------| |############|r - | v

| cheap | +--------+###|s . | |

| private = | fire |########| |

| room | +--------+--------+ |

|--------------| | | |

^ | = Pilar's = Pilar's ^

large | | Office | Room

v expensive | +-----------+ v

| private | | cheap | |

| room = = private | |

| | | room | |

+--------------------------------------------+

Lower Level:

############## -|xxx|------------+############################################

############## = = |############################################

############## | Kitchen/ +-||-+############################################

############## | Upper store| _ |######## > ### ######################

############## | | - |###### > #######V## #####################

############## | | - |###### ######### | (cool ##################

############## |____________| . |#+-----+############ room) ##################

############## | fire |###| +-+ X|############ ###################

############## +-------+###| basement |############# ###################

############################| storeroom |################ X ##################

############################|m |#################V###################

############################+-----------+#################V###################

##########################################################V###################

##########################################################V###################

##########################################################V###################

########################################################## ###################

######################################################### ##################

###################################################### .. ###############

############################################ ... S S ##########

##$$$$####################################### S ..... S S #####

#$$$$##------------------+################# S S . S #######

#$$$$$$$% w |############### S . S S S ######

#$$$$%$$ P |############# S ... S . S S ####

$$$$$$$%% |########### S .S ....S S S S ###

##$$$$$$-----+ +--------+############## .. S ######

##$##$#$#####| |######################### .S S S S S #######

----------%%--||--------###############.S.. S (ice cave) S ####

> ..S S S ###

--------%%%-------------## # ############ S {{{ #####

########################## #################### {{{{{{{{ #######

###################################################### {{{{{{{{{{{{{ ########

#######################################################{{{{{(pool){{{{{#######

#########################################################{{{{{{{{{{###########

#########################################################{###{{{{#############

########################################################{######{##############

#######################################################{{#######{{############

#####################################################{{##########{{###########

DECEIT AT DEJU

Colin Steele

colin@aol.net

18-JAN-1996 09:35:23.44

Long

Sci-Fi

Investigation

Building

Introduction:

This is a short (and somewhat hackneyed, but still fun) sci-fi

adventure I've run a few times. The results are usually quite good if

you can create the proper atmosphere. Think Aliens, or Outland. I

run it using my own homebrew background and mechanics, called Star

Patrol, which is based on FUDGE. Check out http://www.io.com/~colin

for more details.

Synopsis:

Minions of the Dark have begun constructing a dimensional gate beneath

the Republic outpost on Deju. The outpost's leader has been replaced

by the minions, who are using the Gift to create a perfect illusion of

the leader. They are proceeding to infiltrate deeper into the

outpost, replacing more key figures. And, they have begun enslaving

part of the outpost's inhabitants, using them as slave labor to

dig/construct/whatever the secret.

The characters are travelling on the starship Fickle Fate, which is

scheduled to deliver several geolocks and some replacement personnel

to the outpost. The stopover is supposed to be a short one, and the

poor design of the landing bays, which are just next to the garbage

collection/expulsion unit, make the stop seem even longer. But, the

outpost's only canteen, "the Pit", is abuzz about something...

Legalese:

This document is free. Permission is given to redistribute it and/or

modify it under 2 conditions:

1. My name stays on it.

2. No profit is made from redistribution or modification.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

1. The Pit - melee & social, roleplay

Characters go to the bar, as the Fickle Fate's entertainment console

is pretty pitiful. They notice that the party in the back, which is

getting progressively louder, inebriated and angry, seems to be

talking about a at the bar.

The largest of the lot gets up, goes over to him, spins him around in

his barstool, and shouting something about "This one's for Jorick!",

attacks the surprised .

A fight ensues, with the attackers inebriated buddies crowding around,

cheering him on with phrases like "That's it, Kitoog, help him find

Jorick!" and "One more for Landers!".

The is getting his butt kicked, and unless the characters

intervene, will end up an unconscious bloody pulp on the floor. If

they do, they easily defeat the drunks, who are quickly

shipped off to lockup by the local constabulary, which show up after

a few rounds. The introduces himself as Sergeant Thargrim, buys

several rounds, and pours out the story of the disappearances. It ends

with mention of the reward for finding them, and a plea to call

him if they hear anything.

Thargrim

Str - Great (+2 @ scale -1)

Dex - Good (+1)

Int - Good (+1)

Tch - Fair (+0)

Per - Good (+1)

Psi - Fair (+0)

Tou - Great (+2)

Scale -1

Gifts: Longevity, Legal Enforcement Power: Deju Outpost.

Faults: Stubborn, Kinda Ugly, Prefer Enclosed Spaces.

Skills: Mechanicals - Poor (+0), Blaster - Great (+2), Streetwise -

Great (+2), Detect Whopper - Fair (+0), Melee - Great (+2),

Deal-making - Great (+2), Languages - Good (+1), Medical - Fair

(+0), Swimming - Fair (+0), Alien Culture - Fair (+0),

Intimidate - Fair (+0), Tailing - Mediocre (-1)

Weapons/Equipment: Blaster, Comlink, Light Armor (+2).

Notes:

Kitoog

Str - Good (+1 @ scale 2)

Dex - Good (+1)

Int - Fair (+0)

Tch - Fair (+0)

Per - Fair (+0)

Psi - Fair (+0)

Tou - Good (+1)

Scale 2

Gifts: Regal Bearing, Excellent Sense of Smell, Roar, Reputation:

Don't Mess With Me.

Faults: Farsighted, Phobia of Water, Odious Personal Habit: Licks Fur,

Odious Personal Habit: Coughs up Hairballs, and Code of Honor:

.

Skills: Hold Liquor - Superb (+3), Melee - Great (+2), Streetwise -

Great (+2), Unarmed Melee - Great (+2), Mining - Good (+1),

Blaster - Fair (+0), Technology - Fair (+0), Mechanicals -

Fair (+0), Dodge - Fair (+0), Gambling - Fair (+0)

Weapons/Equipment: Comlink, Miner's Mate (treat as Buzzsword).

Notes:

Eventually, Thargrim excuses himself to attend to his duties.

The bar is clearing out anyway, so the characters head back to the

ship. As they do, they run into the somewhat distant and laconic

Director of the Deju outpost, Rath Shiventire, who inquires as to

their enjoyment of their stay, and as to the whereabouts of the

Sergeant (who has just departed).

He bids the characters safe journey and leaves.

The ship's docking bay abuts the outpost's garbage collection and

removal depot, which lends a foul aroma to the area. As the

characters hurry past the slimy ramp, one spots a worker, dumping a

load of garbage into the removal robot ship's container. Out of the

corner of the character's eye, he/she could swear that there was a

_body_ hidden in the garbage.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Victim - non-combat, brains

The characters must stop/override/whatever the garbage robot ship so

they can inspect the contents and find out who the unfortunate victim

is. (As a goad to investigate, maybe they're passing the garbage heap

and notice the body just as the reward notice flashes by on a nearby

databoard.) Discovering the Director's corpse is fairly important.

The characters should have some difficulty defeating the droidship's

security, or mechanically rigging things, or whatever, but should

succeed.

It turns out to be the body of the Director. (Impossible!!! They just

got done talking to him...)

Turn up the suspense and atmosphere.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Sneak a Peek - non-combat, brains, possibly blaster

After the body's been discovered, the PC who found the body goes to security,

only to find that Thargrim has been murdered, evidently moments before

the PC arrived. The agents of the Dark, posing as security officers,

decided that Thargrim was making too much trouble, and were in the

process of replacing him, when the PC called with the news of the

discovered body. Their plan is to eliminate the PC, and they will

chase the PC through the station.

"With thoughts of Thargrim's woeful tale and the reward flitting

through your mind, you quickly call the Sergeant up on the comlink.

You quickly relay the details of your discovery, to his amazement and

confusion. Lowering his voice, he asks you (the discoverer only) to

come to Security HQ to make a statement and elaborate. He urges you

to move quickly and to keep a low profile. In fact, maybe a quick

disguise of some sort might be in order..."

When the character arrives at Security:

"The wide blast door to Security is open, although it's after hours.

You enter, pass through the disorganised and cramped reception

area, and spy a light coming down a darkened corridor - probably

Thargrim's office. Starting down the corridor, you see a couple of

the Sgt's men are sitting casually on desks, drinking synthcaf. One

looks at another person apparently sitting in the office that you

can't see, and then motions you down the hall. You start down the

hall, and one of Thargrim's men, a bit overweight, and greying at the

temples, stands up and hitches up his drooping shipsuit."

(Ask the character to make a Perception check, and ignore the results,

before you read this next part. Paranoia is a good thing.)

"You pass a couple of empty cells, making out their cots and holovids

dimly as you walk by. Then you pass a closet door, and notice a dark

puddle seeping from underneath the door. It's BLOOD! Your head snaps

up, and see the Sergeant's man watching you. A leering grin comes to

his lips. Your heart jumps to your throat - it's some kind of trap.

You wheel around as fast as you can, and bolt for the door."

"A weird wet/metallic coughing noise rings behind you, just as you

turns the corner. You catch a glimpse of a slimy green/black dart

lodged in the door in front of you, just as you duck out of the

office. The acrid smell and the image of the slime melting the

cerametal door jolts you as you tear off towards the Fickle Fate,

running as fast as you can."

"Behind you, possibly from a cell somewhere back in Security, you hear

a familiar bellow of the bruiser from the bar last night, saying 'Wot?

Who the Hell? What the blazes is going on here?!'"

Kitoog, who was sleeping off his previous night's binge, was a friend

of the late Thargrim. Kitoog was a regular in jail, and Thargrim

never locked his cell. So, after the security guys/Darklings go

running after the PC, he lets himself out to find out what's going on.

"The clomping feet are getting louder and louder behind you, and this

damned outpost must have been designed while under the influence of

Spin..."

Make a few contested Running skill checks. If the heavies win a

couple, they may be able to get off a few shots. Let the character

keep a bit ahead of them, though.

Kitoog figures out what's going on, and with his superior knowledge

of the station's infrastructure, saves the character, sneaks him back

to the Fickle Fate. Tells the character about the accident, the

disappearance of the 3rd shift crew, etc.

On a hunch, Kitoog suggests they scout out the "accident" area.

Couple of obstacles like sneaking past wardroid guards, defeating

security systems.

Starlab's PX-5 Defence Droid

Str - Mediocre (-1)

Dex - Good (+1)

Int - Good (+1)

Tch - Mediocre (-1)

Per - Good (+1)

Psi - Fair (+0)

Tou - Great (+2)

Gifts: Knowledge Skills@Fair, Built-in Blaster Rifle, Built-in Trooper

Armor (+4 DM), Built-in Comlink.

Faults: Must Be Repaired (Can't Heal), Needs to be Recharged Once per

Day, Can Only Have 4 Skills.

Skills: Blaster - Superb (+3), Melee - Great (+2), Unarmed Melee -

Great (+2), Dodge - Great (+2).

Weapons/Equipment: Most PX-5's carry a melee weapon of some kind.

Riot clubs are common.

Notes: PX-5's are standard warrior droids. They're pretty hobbled in

terms of skills. If a player wanted to be a PX-5, it'd be

worth 4 gifts. Given PX-5's low Perception skill, Poor (-2),

they've earned a reputation as tough in battle, but easy to

sneak around.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Gate - blaster

By way of ventilation grate, arrive at the hellish scene of the

construction of the dimension gate. Characters overhear the faux

Director speaking into a comlink "Tell his Excellency that he may dock

at any time. My research has been an incredible success. We will

open the dimensional gate briefly to test it, before he arrives. Tell

him I look forward to presenting my results to him." He speaks in

strange, horrible sounding language to the faux security officers.

The enslaved inhabitants of the outpost are mining, smelting, and

generally constructing the gate, which is a weird combination of

cerametal alloys, intestine-like tubes, and twitching flesh-like

panels, all pulsing to something like a heartbeat. Bioplastic never

looked like this.

The Director and his henchmen begin to open the gate - a horrible

shadow creature begins coming through. No time to go back and prepare

- the characters must stop this thing NOW!

Massive psionic/blaster/Darktech weapons battle. Lots of lurching

Dark-Enfolded outpost victims. PCs should be able to Kill off

henchmen, but the Director should escape, screaming in that weird

language into his comlink.

He's headed towards the landing bays. PCs in hot pursuit, when the

outpost rocks as if struck by the hand of the Maker. The bruiser from

the bar hears on the comlink that some sort of starship is pummelling

the outpost, and that the Director has escaped to join it aboard a

patrol cutter. The outpost's defences have been sabotaged by the

impostors.

Gadzooks!

Muzcuh - The "Director"

Str - Good (+1)

Dex - Good (+1)

Int - Fair (+0)

Tch - Fair (+0)

Per - Fair (+0)

Psi - Good (+1)

Tou - Fair (+0)

Powers: the Gift, Enfolded

Skills: Acting - Superb (+3), Melee - Great (+2), Unarmed Melee -

Great (+2), Blaster - Great (+2), Dodge - Fair (+0)

Psi Skills: Telepathy - Good (+1), Psychokinesis - Good (+1)

Weapons/Equipment: DarkTech Rifle (Dam: +5, OB: +1, Rng 18/75/180)

Notes: Muzcuh uses his Dark Gift to trick the minds of any who observe

him into seeing him as the Director. This illusion is flawless

to any who see him, but might be detected by someone with the

Gift. He is also an excellent impostor.

Typical Enslaved:

Str - Great (+2)

Dex - Fair (+0)

Int - Fair (+0)

Tch - Fair (+0)

Per - Fair (+0)

Psi - Fair (+0)

Tou - Fair (+0)

Skills: None. (All at -2)

Weapons/Equipment: Varies. Usually the Enslaved armies carry simple

weapons, like clubs and axes.

Typical Darkling:

Str - Great (+2)

Dex - Good (+1)

Int - Fair (+0)

Tch - Fair (+0)

Per - Fair (+0)

Psi - Fair (+0)

Tou - Great (+2)

Skills: Melee - Great (+2), Unarmed Melee - Great (+2), Blaster -

Great (+2), Dodge - Fair (+0), Sneak - Fair (+0), Perception -

Fair (+0), some probably have starship skills

Weapons/Equipment: Varies. Most carry a DarkTech Rifle (Dam: +5, OB:

+1, Rng 18/75/180) , and wear some sort of armor

(treat as Light Armor - +2)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Save the Base - ship

The Fickle Fate is the outpost's only hope. They have to stop the

Darkship from destroying the outpost.

The Darkship beginning to open up a landing bay for the Director's

cutter when the Fickle Fate starts blasting it. The Darkship puts up

shields and closes the bay, stranding the cutter, and turns some of

its guns from the outpost to the Fickle Fate. Characters must disable

the guns before the outpost is just an ionized crater. The Darkship

only sustains a few hits before fleeing, leaving the cutter behind.

Characters can destroy it, try to board, etc.

Director won't let himself be taken alive.

DarkShip

Warp Speed : Good (+1)

Speed : Good (+1)

Manoeuvre : Good (+1)

Shields : Fair (+0)

Hull : Good (+1)

Crew : ??

Passengers : ??

Cargo : ??

Consumables : ??

Computer : ??

E. Hyperdrives : unknown

Ship's Guns : DarkTech Disruptor Cannon (FP: +3, OB: -1), 2

: DarkTech Laser Cannon (FP: +1, OB: -1)

Cost : ??

Universal Dynamics 88-V Patrol Corvette

Warp Speed : Fair (+0)

Speed : Mediocre (-1)

Manoeuvre : Fair (+0)

Shields : Fair (+0)

Hull : Good (+1)

Crew : 3

Passengers : 10

Cargo : 75 tons

Consumables : 6 weeks

Computer : Starship Pilot - Mediocre (-1), Astrogation - Poor

: (-2)

E. Hyperdrives : yes

Ship's Guns : 2 turreted Ranger Weapon Systems Pulse Cannon (FP:

: +1, OB: +0)

Cost : 200,000 Cr. (50,000 or so, used)

Notes : Atmosphere capable

Fickle Fate

(modified Universal Dynamics TF-78a Freighter)

Warp Speed : Fair (+0)

Speed : Fair (+0)

Manoeuvre : Good (+1)

Shields : Fair (+0)

Hull : Good (+1)

Crew : 3

Passengers : 8

Cargo : 80 tons

Consumables : 6 weeks

Computer : Starship Pilot - Mediocre (-1), Astrogation - Poor

: (-2)

E. Hyperdrives : yes

Ship's Guns : turreted Ranger Weapon Systems Pulse Cannon (FP: +1,

: OB: +0), 2 turreted Laser Cannon (FP: +0, OB: +0)

Cost : not for sale

Notes : Atmosphere capable

All the pretty ladies...

Tuomas Koivu

tuokoivu@sara.utu.fi

18-JAN-1996 14:26:37.11

Any

Medium

Affliction

Fantasy

Dragon

This plot is intended to be the backbone of a long campaign lasting

perhaps years and requires a lot of continuity. If your players are

the type that gets their characters killed fast and often, then

this one is not for you.

Requirements: At least one high-level fighter, paladin or bard

who always acts like a hero and does heroic deeds (called the

hero later on). The party should use some specific Inn or hotel

as their base between adventures.

During their first or second visit in the Inn the party meets

a lovely, black-haired, tanned young lady who belly-dances

for the audience. The girl should be exceptionally beautiful

and charming, so that the characters are bound to notice her.

After the show the girl dresses up and comes to sit by the

same table with the player characters. She introduces herself

as Alanil (use whatever name you like) and tells that she is

with another adventuring party. It should become apparent that

she is somehow interested in the heroic character (choose a

handsome PC that can't resist women), but when the hero tries

to make his move, the girl says that she is already involved

with someone else. This someone is Stompur (again, change the

names if you wish), another great hero known for his big muscles

and bad temper. Make it clear that Stompur is someone you

wouldn't want to make angry.

Every time the party visits the Inn the hero meets Alanil and

gets a chance to spend some time and talk with her. Slowly the

hero gets the impression that Alanil cares for him and the feeling

should be mutual. At the same time between Stompur and the hero

develop a hatred for each other. Anyway, nothing more serious ever

gets to happen. Stompur is out for an adventure most of the time

and his reputation grows steadily - so does the hero's reputation.

After a year or so Alanil tells the hero that she senses

something bad, but does not know exactly what it is.

Soon after this the party will meet another gorgeous young

woman, Shenadal, who wants to join them. Shenadal is as beautiful

as Alanil, but blonde. Little by little the players should learn

that there is something very similar about these two women, but

they can't figure out what. Shenadal also likes to spend a lot

of time close to the hero. The two ladies never meet.

Time passes and Shenadal adventures with the party. The heroes'

reputation keeps on growing. One day the two parties (the

players and Alanil's party) meet accidentally. Something very

strange happens, the girls begin to change their shape...

Both Alanil and Shenadal are powerful ancient dragons who have

polymorphed themselves into young pretty girls, so that they

can easily get close to heroic fighters. The dragons have had

a competition going on for centuries: the one that eats more

and greater heroes in 500 years wins!

This plot gives you a chance to surprise you players in a way

they've never experienced. Someone they've known for a long

time wants to eat them up! They will have to fight side by side

together with Stompur, whom they hate, against the dragons,

whom they have learned to like or even love.

Have fun.

An Ogre by Any other Name

Wayne J. Rasmussen

wjr@netcom.com

1-FEB-1996 20:12:23.98

Long

Fantasy

Magic

Urban

Village

Wilderness

Forest

Startup

Quest

Scenario Requirements: This scenario has been designed for a single first

level cleric's first adventure. It can also be used to help build a group

of adventurers.

Scenario Description: A local knight and a score of men have been dispatched

to stop an "ogre" which has been harassing a nearby village. The newly

graduated PC cleric has been ordered to assist the high priest who owns/runs

the church in the village. Shortly after arriving at the church, the high

priest puts the newbie cleric in charge as he leaves on an urgent mission.

Thus putting the cleric on the spot.

Places in this Scenario:

Town: Mid-sized town where the PC has learned his trade. The knight and his

men in this adventure are from this town.

Village: This village is getting harassed by an "ogre".

Forest: It would take four or more days to walk across this mid-sized

slightly hilly forest. The forest is home to the druid Banoust and many

woodland creatures. Several unusual events have occurred here recently.

A boy from the village discovered a cave which is actually the ruins of

tribesmen who lived here long ago. An ogre, ogre mage actually, arrived and

has been causing the local village problems by killing and eating horses, cows,

and stealing valuables. Yesterday, an evil mage,Yagok Iztzwini, entered the

Ruins and soon died from a curse which came over him.

Burial Cave: This is where the body of the dead wizard Yagok Iztzwini is

buried and where the reincarnation spell was performed.

Church: The church of the high priest Thalpas is located in the Village.

Small attendance during services. Beneath the main floor of the church are

several rooms: master bedroom, guest bedroom, store room, and

secret room which contains the Staff of Life and Soul Returning.

Tribesman's Ruins: Many centuries ago, tribesmen lived in this region of the

continent. After years of war, they were defeated or chased out of the area.

This place was once sacred to them and its secret location was known

only to a few select individuals.

NPCs in this Scenario:

Banoust - Druid: Powerful member of this class. The druid has figured out

what happened to the mage/ogre-mage and has prepared a scroll containing

the location of the mage's body, where the ogre-mage's cave is, and what he

thinks happened to the mage and ogre mage (he is correct). The druid gives

the scroll to a woodland creature and sends it on its way to warn the

knight of what might happen.

Ogre: Unknown to any PC or NPC (except Banoust) in this adventure, the ogre

is a magic-using ogre (Read Japanese Ogre or ogre mage) who has sort of

been possessed by an evil mage. The possession occurred in the last 24

hours. A dying mage forced the druid Banoust reincarnate the mage. Something

went wrong with the reincarnation and now the ogre mage has two souls.

The ogre can use both the powers of the mage and the ogre mage. The

knight Teramore Lightman expected a normal ogre not an ogre mage or an ogre

mage possessed by an evil mage. The ogre mage is using hit and run tactics

on the knights, which means he casts one offensive spell then disappears.

Squire: This newbie fighter is the Squire of the Knight called Teramoor

Lightman. If the GM is trying to bring together a group of new adventurers,

have a fighter play the squire in this adventure.

Teramore Lightman - Knight: The knight is very experienced and has killed a

few trolls in his day. He is both strong and stout. The people of the land

believe that this should be a very easy mission for the knight. They are

wrong!

Thalpas - The High Priest: A middle aged human who has spent many a year

adventuring and has retired to a little church he built in this village.

The local population respect him, but, they love the local druid. The

attendance at the church isn't as high as he would like it to be. He sees

the problem with the ogre as a chance to win a few of the locals over to

his church.

Thalpas gets along well with the higher members of the church because he

usually stays out of the intrigue of the upper circles of power. They mostly

leave him alone and he rarely attends any of the annual church functions to

which he is invited.

Yagok Iztzwini - Evil Mage: A moderately powerful mage with slightly evil

side He is very intelligent, impatient, and known for his ability to size up

a person with just a slight glance. Recently he purchased a scroll from a

farmer in the village who claimed his son found it in a cave in the forest.

The scroll was a minor magic but Yagok paid the farmer for directions to the

cave. Yagok discovered that the cave was the ruins of the type associated

with tribesmen who lived in the area several centuries ago. Upon entering,

he was hit by a horrible curse. Yagok managed to get out of the cave and

soon came across Banoust who was picking berries for lunch. Yagok used a

spell to force Banoust to bury his body and reincarnate him. Banoust buried

the body in a cave (different from the tribesmen ruins) and performed the

reincarnation. Something went wrong with the reincarnation and Yagok's soul

went into the body of a nearby Ogre Mage. Yagok blames the villagers for his

death.

New Items in this Scenario:

Staff of Life and Soul Returning: Touching this item to ANY dead body or

even the smallest piece of a body, will cause the body to instantly return

to a 100% functional state and the soul will return from wherever it might

be to the body. The soul must still exist on some plane of existence. It

is like an unlimited resurrection or golden drops of heavenly essence. If

the soul is contained in some other place or item, it will still return.

The Plot:

GMs Notes/Setup: An ogre has been bothering farmers by killing livestock

and destroying property. He lives in the wooded hills near a village about

a day and a half from this town. A local knight and a score of men have

been dispatched to remove the ogre. The knight is very experienced and

has killed a few trolls in his day. The people of the land believe this

should be a very easy mission for the knight.

Since the church doesn't want clerics (especially newbies!) just hanging

around the church, they have decided to send a recent graduate out to

assist the high priest Thalpas. Thalpas owns/runs the church in the

village near the ogre. They don't think the knight will have much trouble

with the ogre but figure it can't hurt to send someone to assist the

high priest should any serious injuries happen. The cleric will not

travel with the knight and his men and will have to travel on his own.

GMs may want to role-play the journey out or just let the cleric arrive

at the church.

Arriving at the Church: Arriving at the church, the high priest Thalpas

immediately puts the cleric to work cleaning the very dusty church. The

high priest is very much a loner and lives alone in the church. In fact,

the High priest doesn't have any other clerics around.

The knights will find the ogre but will get into real trouble. Unknown

to them, the ogre is a magic-using ogre (Read Japanese Ogre or ogre mage)

who has sort of been possessed by an evil mage. The possession occurred

in the last 24 hours. A dying mage forced a druidical type priest to

reincarnate the mage. Something went wrong with the reincarnation and

now the ogre has two souls inside itself. The ogre can use both the powers

of the mage and the ogre mage. The knight expected a normal ogre not an

ogre mage or an ogre mage possessed by an evil mage.

The druid Banoust has figured out what happened to the mage/ogre-mage and

has prepared a scroll containing the location of the mage's body, where

the ogre-mage's cave is, and what he thinks happened to the mage and ogre

mage (he is correct). The druid gives the scroll to a woodlands creature

and sends it on it's way to warn the knight of what might happen. The

warning arrives too late.

After the fight with the ogre, A great owl flies over Teramore and drops

Banoust's warning scroll. The knight reads the scroll then orders the

squire to take the scroll to the church in the village and give it to the

priest in charge. The squire is also told to tell the cleric about the

many wounded men. To make sure the squire gets to the church, Teramore

orders the squire to take a long route back instead of a direct path, where

the ogre-mage may be waiting to ambush him.

Needless to say, the knight runs into trouble with the "ogre" and beats a

hasty retreat back to the village. The newbie cleric has been put in charge

of the church and will have to handle the knight, his men, the villagers,

the druid, Banoust, and the "Ogre".

The Adventure:

Introduction: Having just "graduated" from school, you were selected by

a high ranking member of the church to go on a mission of small importance.

You are ordered to travel to a small shrine not more than a day or two

journey from this town and assist the high priest as he sees fit. Knowing

your adventurous side, you are told that it is a simple mission and not a

major quest or adventure. A knight has been sent with a score of men to

rid a forest of an ogre which has been pestering local farmers. You are

being sent to help the high priest on the slight chance there will be some

wounded men.

The Journey: The GM may role-play this or just let the cleric arrive

at the church.

Arriving at the Church: When the cleric arrives, he doesn't act surprised

that he is here. He will show the newbie priest where the broom and mop

are so he can begin cleaning. The church hasn't been cleaned in many months!

The priest will constantly check the PCs work and be very picky about how

he does the job. He will be watching how the newbie reacts to the treatment.

He doesn't like yes-men. If the character just puts up with the treatment,

dinner will be bread and a very tasty soup. If he shows some character,

the priest will say he is glad to see him stand up for himself and break

out the good stuff for dinner such as a fine ham, cheese, wine, fruit, etc.

The Tour: Before going to bed, the priest will give a tour of the entire

church. There are several rooms below the church which serve as private

quarters, guest quarters, storage (loaded with many fine foods and wine),

and a hidden chamber. Within the hidden chamber is a holy relic found

during the Thalpas's adventuring days. He will tell the newbie about the

holy relic (Staff of Life and Soul Returning). He will say "Touching the

staff to any dead body will fully restore life and limb and return its

soul no matter where it might be". A small room with a straw bed will be

made available for the newbie.

Squire's Arrival?: NOTE: This may not occur here! If the squire fails to

follow the orders of his knight and proceeds in a direct line to the

village, he will arrive safely. He will give the scroll to the high priest

and tell him of the battle with the ogre-like creature. Thalpas asks the

PC to cure any wounds the squire has and to give him something to eat.

Thalpas will then study the scroll in private and not share the information

with the PC. NOTE: The squire arrived somewhere around midnight.

Thalpas's Departure: The cleric wakes up in the morning to find Thalpas gone

and a note left for him/her. The note says that PC cleric in charge of the

church and tells him that he will be back in a few days. His reason for

leaving will depend on whether the squire arrived last night. If so, he

claims to be going to the church council for advice. If the squire didn't

arrive, he claims that he has a strong feeling that he will need the

assistance from a few of his old adventuring buddies.

Later That Day: A few of the villagers will come and go asking questions,

where is Thalpas, where is the knight, why is the squire here by himself,

etc. The villagers seem worried. If the cleric reassures the villagers, he

gets 1 good point. If he makes it worse by saying something stupid, he gets

1 bad point.

The Next Day: The knight Teramore Lightman arrives with his wounded men. He

seems mad and a little frustrated. He asks where Thalpas is and who is in

charge. When he hears that the PC is in charge of the church, he acts very

respectful of the PC and even seeks his wisdom on the situation in front

of his men. Specifically, he want to know if they should go out and try to

attack this creature again. At this point, several of his men cry out in

favour of attacking and getting revenge. If not, what should they do, just

sit and wait? If the clerics god is against revenge and the cleric speaks

against revenge he gets one good point. He gets one bad point if he doesn't

try to quell any talk of revenge. If the God endorses revenge, reverse the

scoring. If the cleric advises caution and posting of guards and patrols in

the village, he get one good point. If he doesn't offer advice or just tells

them to do no action he gets one bad point. If he suggests and all out attack

against the ogre, you can expect the men to get wiped out (3 bad points).

NOTE: Teramore will answer any questions the cleric asks to the best of

his ability.

That Night: During the night, the ogre attacks the village. If guards or

patrols were placed by the cleric, one of the guardsmen will be killed and

the ogre will appear to have been driven off by the other guardsmen. If no

guards or patrols were established, one house will be attacked and two

villagers (man & his son) will have died in the attack. The ogre appears to

have hit and run. The villagers will be shaken up by this situation and the

cleric must show no fear to inspire the people. Even the knight appears to

be shaken and will respond according to the clerics actions. He will be

brave it the cleric is and not so brave if the cleric isn't. If a guardsman

dies, Teramore will say to the cleric "It could have been worse, some of the

villagers could have died. You were wise to suggest a patrol." If the

guardsman dies, give the cleric 1 good point, if two villagers die, he gets

2 bad points.

The Next Day - Squire's Arrival?: NOTE: This may not occur here! If the

squire didn't arrive earlier, he will arrive now. Teramore will be upset

with the squire and he may not be his squire after this mission is over.

The squire does give the scroll to the cleric. If the cleric interferes

with the knight-squire relationship, the knight will listen to his advice

but will act according to his own sense of honour.

Later that Day: Banoust the druid arrives in town. If the cleric has not

been reassuring and/or not acted bravely, they will flock to the druid

leaving him along. If he has been brave and/or reassuring, only a few of

the villagers will rush to Banoust. Banoust will talk to a few of the

villagers then head toward the church. He will relate the tale of the wizard

Yagok and the reincarnation. He will also mention that he was attacked this

morning and the spellbooks he took from Yagok had been stolen. He fears that

the Ogre will be able to get his full range of spells now.

Reaction to Banoust: The villager will be watching Banoust and the cleric to

see signs of strength and weakness. Banoust will make rather loud statements

in public regarding Thalpas's leaving the village in a time of crisis. The

cleric needs to counter these statements. Whoever wins this verbal fencing

will wins the heart and soul of the villagers. If the cleric wins, give him

2 good points and 2 bad points if he fails.

Solution to the Adventure #1: The Staff of Life and Soul Returning can be

used to bring the life and soul of the wizard Yagok Iztzwini back to his

body. If the cleric figures this out, and mentions this to the knight and

the druid, a plan may be created by the three of them. The druid will help

get the cleric to the dead wizards body. The knight and the squire will

volunteer to go with in case of trouble. The knight may even suggest using

himself and his guardsmen to draw the ogre's attention while the cleric,

druid and squire bring the wizard back to life. There will be no problems

in either capturing the mage or killing him after the staff is used. The

now weaker ogre mage will be easily killed by Teramore and his men. The

cleric earns 6 good points.

Solution to the Adventure #2: The next day, Thalpas returns with his old

adventuring buddies. They kill the ogre mage without too much trouble.

Other Solutions: Characters always manage to come up with unexpected plans.

So award 6 points for removing the ogre mage/mage problem. Award 1 bad point

for each villager who dies, and 1 bad point for every two guards men who die.

If the squire dies, add 1 bad point, and add 3 bad points if the knight dies.

Since this is an opportunity for roleplaying. The GM may add other encounters

to the adventure such as settling disputes between villagers, h