How do I DM an infiltration/espianoge scenario? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How do I DM an infiltration/espianoge scenario? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
BenjaminBinder
03-29-05, 06:34 PM I'm planning an Eberron campaign for next Fall. For me and the players, this will be out first time playing in Eberron. The opening scenario I have planned involves PCs infiltrating a facility in Cyre to gather intelligence on a new weapon. This takes place during the final days of the Last War; the PCs will get to see the Day of Mourning first-hand.

I've never done this kind of scenario before. Up until now, all the encounters I've run have been fairly straight-forward combat-oriented situations. So I was wondering, since this kind of scenario seems particularly suited for Eberron, if you folks could give me some tips. What do I need to plan? What do I need to give the PCs? What should I NOT give the PCs? What do I do if the PCs are caught, or a fight breaks out? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
(Psi)SeveredHead
03-29-05, 06:54 PM I'm planning an Eberron campaign for next Fall. For me and the players, this will be out first time playing in Eberron. The opening scenario I have planned involves PCs infiltrating a facility in Cyre to gather intelligence on a new weapon. This takes place during the final days of the Last War; the PCs will get to see the Day of Mourning first-hand.

I've never done this kind of scenario before. Up until now, all the encounters I've run have been fairly straight-forward combat-oriented situations. So I was wondering, since this kind of scenario seems particularly suited for Eberron, if you folks could give me some tips. What do I need to plan? What do I need to give the PCs? What should I NOT give the PCs? What do I do if the PCs are caught, or a fight breaks out? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

What level?

Who is guarding the facility, and how long have they been there for? Did they just get there a day ahead of the players? Does it have anything to do with Dragonmarks? If it has anything to do with House Cannith, who in House Cannith know what's going on there?

How much information on this weapon do they have? Are they expected to steal it, figure out how it works, destroy it, or what?
BenjaminBinder
03-29-05, 08:57 PM Oh, first level, of course, since it's the beginning of the campaign. It's probably going to be a House Cannith facility. I can't really think of anyone else who'd be manufacturing weapons. The guards are probably humans and warforged. It doesn't really matter who knows about the weapon, since the weapon itself isn't important. There may not even be a weapon.
(Psi)SeveredHead
03-29-05, 09:02 PM The weapon could be a McGuffin, but still, it needs to have a reason for being. Who is it being aimed at? And will Cannith unleash it, or someone else?

In any event, it's risky. What if the players steal it. Will that stop the Day of Mourning?
zambuka
03-29-05, 09:57 PM In any event, it's risky. What if the players steal it. Will that stop the Day of Mourning?
It doesn't really matter either way.
If the PCs steal this weapon; its powers would have interacted with whatever caused the day of mourning and stopped it.

If the PCs let the weapon be; the weapon interacts with some other weapon to cause the day of mourning.

If a fight breaks out; Then one of the younger members of the work crew panics and fires the weapon. if this happens before the day of mourning itself then the weapon is incomplete and takes its time to power up fully. You can then have a frantic few hours trying to figure out how to stop it.

If the PCs get captured; the weapon gets fired while they are in a prison cell.

You can write in predetermined events without the players feeling like they are being railroaded. The trick is to make them always feel they could have stopped it if they had just done things a little differently. Just never ever let them really know for sure that what happened was going to happen regardless of what they do. Don't have a "you can't do that" type of situation. Let the players do whatever they want, just come up with consequences that lead to the event in question.

Some questions to answer.
Who are the PCs working for?
What is their cover story?
If they are using false identities then what is their false background?
Who is making the weapon?
Who is the weapon for?
Do the people making this device actually know what they are making? or are they just assembling components and the actual weapon is being built elsewhere? Or is the weapon some artefact from Xen'drik that has some unknown purpose?
How many people work at this facility?
Who knows about the facility?
How are the PCs going to be protected when the day of mourning happens?
What resources will the PCs be given in order to report back?
BenjaminBinder
03-30-05, 12:31 AM Hmm. If anyone from the F&M Gaming Society is reading these boards, don't read any further. Spoilers.

The weapon is a construct (not a warforged). It was made using an artifact from Xen'drik. It is currently non-functional, and the PCs will not get to see it in action. House Cannith needs to figure out how to get it to work properly before they can mass-produce it to sell.

The PCs are working for an independent intelligence organization. Very shadowy. All they need to do is get a good look at the weapon and perhaps obtain some documentation. They might have some sort of sensory device that can record information (i.e., a magic camera). The organization can provide them with magical disguises and fake identification papers.

If all goes as planned, the PCs will be alone in the laboratory when an army of unknown nationality attacks the facility. The room the PCs are in is sealed off, because the facility personnel assume it to be empty. Magic vents in the ceiling begin to suck air out of the room to protect the delicate materials of the artifact. Hopefully, the PCs will begin playing with the machinery in a desperate attempt to reverse the effect.

Eventually, the PCs get the doors open and emerge to discover the devastation caused by the Mourning. They will be deliberately led to believe that they are the cause of the Mourning, even though they are not. From there, it's a dangerous trek through the Mournland to the border, where they will be captured and spend 4 years in a Karrnathi prison. After escaping, they will make their way back to their headquarters in Sharn, which will promptly explode the minute they set foot through the door. That will leave them stuck in Sharn with no proper identification, no link to their organization, and being accused of sabatoge.

All of this is meant to be an introduction. The PCs will receive help from a mysterious benefactor, who pays off the guard in return for the promise of a favor at a later date. From there, the PCs will be free to explore Sharn and find quests. I intend the circumstances surrounding the Day of Mourning, the PCs' capture, and betrayal by their organization to remain a mystery until much later in the campaign.
Master of shaarat'khesh
03-30-05, 09:35 AM Have you ever watched the TV show ALIAS? If you can get it where ever you are, you might want to watch it for some interesting espionage ideas. It is an outstanding show for those into super secret espionage and intrigue. I have a party of "spies" and I have countless ideas for adventures that I have run already or plan to based off of episodes I watched.
All in all, what you have sounds pretty good and very similar to an episode of ALIAS.
Topolla
03-30-05, 09:47 AM Any of the Metal Gear games might provide good inspiration for such an adventure. Covert ops and such...
BenjaminBinder
03-30-05, 11:15 AM I'm glad to hear you say it sounds like a TV show, MoS. That's the idea.

What do I do to help the PCs get through tricky spots without making it look like I'm helping them? Like, what if they're trying to Bluff their way past a guard and they roll a 1. No way I can tell them that that succeeded and have them believe me.

What do I do if they're captured? And stripped of all their possessions?
Master of shaarat'khesh
03-30-05, 11:50 AM Originally posted by BenjaminBinder
I'm glad to hear you say it sounds like a TV show, MoS. That's the idea. That's why I mentioned ALIAS, It sounds like a plot from an episode and the TV show is a very good modern version of Eberron from the pulp action and world crossing adventure to the spy elements that add to the noir atmosphere that I try to inspire with the unease of the PC's and who to trust, who to turn to, and what lurkes around the next corner.

Originally posted by BenjaminBinder
What do I do to help the PCs get through tricky spots without making it look like I'm helping them? Like, what if they're trying to Bluff their way past a guard and they roll a 1. I had this happen on an adventure where the prefered idea was to use cunning over brawn to infiltrate a building. Cunning failed miserably...So the NPC guard was not bluffed and the ID papers were not believable, Just as the rolls were all failing the DC the final bluff was a natural 1. I, playing the NPC guard, played it as though everything was o.k. but I played it as a bluff myself trying to playoff that I (the guard was onto them) Naturally as an NPC guard my bluff was abysmal so I failed the Skill roll and the PC's picked up on my reactions to them. They proceeded to take the guard out just before the alarm was sounded.
As a DM I had to help them but I made it obvious without being obvious that the gaurd was aware that something was amiss (role play). They reacted as I thought they would. Now, had they not caught on to my poor bluff I would play the gaurd as a wannabe "hero". I would have foregone the alarm in favor of an overzealous guard full of himself and with rank advancement in his eyes (typical henchman). I planned to have him pull his cross bow and try to hold them at bay and take credit for a capture. As the DM I would help the PC's from being captured by having the NPC let his guard down or let his machismo get the better of him, thereby giving them an opportunity to take him out.
Originally posted byBenjaminBinder
What do I do if they're captured? And stripped of all their possessions? This is always a tough one. capture almost always needs it's own mini adventure so that the PC's can fight their way out and get thier equiptment back.
DarkWarriorKarg
03-30-05, 01:29 PM I'm glad to hear you say it sounds like a TV show, MoS. That's the idea.

What do I do to help the PCs get through tricky spots without making it look like I'm helping them? Like, what if they're trying to Bluff their way past a guard and they roll a 1. No way I can tell them that that succeeded and have them believe me.

What do I do if they're captured? And stripped of all their possessions?

Just remember, in the RAW, there is no crit fail on a skill, as there is no critical success possible. So, someone with a +6 to a skill would roll a total of 7. (UMD being the exception)

This being said... I wouldn't be expecting the 1 to have any effect either. MoS has several excellent suggestions there.
Lady Morn
03-30-05, 07:33 PM Another good TV show to watch if you get the A&E network, is the British show MI-5. While it doesn't have the "eye candy" of Alias, it does have engaging, solid stories and writing.
Cartoon Network has a show called Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. If you cut out the techno-gibberish, and boil the plot down, you could mine it as well for ideas.
I would also add the caveat that relying too much on TV shows for adventure ideas, could result in some repetitiveness. You might want to branch out into comic books and novels as well. DC puts out a comic called "Sleeper," which is excellent. "The Losers," "100 Bullets," "Trigger" and "Kabuki" are all superb. For novels, I recommend the works of Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, Len Deighton, John Le Carre (early works only) and Alan Furst.
Hope that helps!
Kaverael
03-31-05, 11:46 AM On a similar topic concerning the show Alias, is it just me or does the Rambaldi storyline seem alot like the FF, SotLW, WotVB and GotEC story arc?

Arvin Sloan = Marissa d'Cannith
Sark = Garrow

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BenjaminBinder 03-29-05, 06:34 PM	I'm planning an Eberron campaign for next Fall. For me and the players, this will be out first time playing in Eberron. The opening scenario I have planned involves PCs infiltrating a facility in Cyre to gather intelligence on a new weapon. This takes place during the final days of the Last War; the PCs will get to see the Day of Mourning first-hand. I've never done this kind of scenario before. Up until now, all the encounters I've run have been fairly straight-forward combat-oriented situations. So I was wondering, since this kind of scenario seems particularly suited for Eberron, if you folks could give me some tips. What do I need to plan? What do I need to give the PCs? What should I NOT give the PCs? What do I do if the PCs are caught, or a fight breaks out? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
(Psi)SeveredHead 03-29-05, 06:54 PM	I'm planning an Eberron campaign for next Fall. For me and the players, this will be out first time playing in Eberron. The opening scenario I have planned involves PCs infiltrating a facility in Cyre to gather intelligence on a new weapon. This takes place during the final days of the Last War; the PCs will get to see the Day of Mourning first-hand. I've never done this kind of scenario before. Up until now, all the encounters I've run have been fairly straight-forward combat-oriented situations. So I was wondering, since this kind of scenario seems particularly suited for Eberron, if you folks could give me some tips. What do I need to plan? What do I need to give the PCs? What should I NOT give the PCs? What do I do if the PCs are caught, or a fight breaks out? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. What level? Who is guarding the facility, and how long have they been there for? Did they just get there a day ahead of the players? Does it have anything to do with Dragonmarks? If it has anything to do with House Cannith, who in House Cannith know what's going on there? How much information on this weapon do they have? Are they expected to steal it, figure out how it works, destroy it, or what?
BenjaminBinder 03-29-05, 08:57 PM	Oh, first level, of course, since it's the beginning of the campaign. It's probably going to be a House Cannith facility. I can't really think of anyone else who'd be manufacturing weapons. The guards are probably humans and warforged. It doesn't really matter who knows about the weapon, since the weapon itself isn't important. There may not even be a weapon.
(Psi)SeveredHead 03-29-05, 09:02 PM	The weapon could be a McGuffin, but still, it needs to have a reason for being. Who is it being aimed at? And will Cannith unleash it, or someone else? In any event, it's risky. What if the players steal it. Will that stop the Day of Mourning?
zambuka 03-29-05, 09:57 PM	In any event, it's risky. What if the players steal it. Will that stop the Day of Mourning? It doesn't really matter either way. If the PCs steal this weapon; its powers would have interacted with whatever caused the day of mourning and stopped it. If the PCs let the weapon be; the weapon interacts with some other weapon to cause the day of mourning. If a fight breaks out; Then one of the younger members of the work crew panics and fires the weapon. if this happens before the day of mourning itself then the weapon is incomplete and takes its time to power up fully. You can then have a frantic few hours trying to figure out how to stop it. If the PCs get captured; the weapon gets fired while they are in a prison cell. You can write in predetermined events without the players feeling like they are being railroaded. The trick is to make them always feel they could have stopped it if they had just done things a little differently. Just never ever let them really know for sure that what happened was going to happen regardless of what they do. Don't have a "you can't do that" type of situation. Let the players do whatever they want, just come up with consequences that lead to the event in question. Some questions to answer. Who are the PCs working for? What is their cover story? If they are using false identities then what is their false background? Who is making the weapon? Who is the weapon for? Do the people making this device actually know what they are making? or are they just assembling components and the actual weapon is being built elsewhere? Or is the weapon some artefact from Xen'drik that has some unknown purpose? How many people work at this facility? Who knows about the facility? How are the PCs going to be protected when the day of mourning happens? What resources will the PCs be given in order to report back?
BenjaminBinder 03-30-05, 12:31 AM	Hmm. If anyone from the F&M Gaming Society is reading these boards, don't read any further. Spoilers. The weapon is a construct (not a warforged). It was made using an artifact from Xen'drik. It is currently non-functional, and the PCs will not get to see it in action. House Cannith needs to figure out how to get it to work properly before they can mass-produce it to sell. The PCs are working for an independent intelligence organization. Very shadowy. All they need to do is get a good look at the weapon and perhaps obtain some documentation. They might have some sort of sensory device that can record information (i.e., a magic camera). The organization can provide them with magical disguises and fake identification papers. If all goes as planned, the PCs will be alone in the laboratory when an army of unknown nationality attacks the facility. The room the PCs are in is sealed off, because the facility personnel assume it to be empty. Magic vents in the ceiling begin to suck air out of the room to protect the delicate materials of the artifact. Hopefully, the PCs will begin playing with the machinery in a desperate attempt to reverse the effect. Eventually, the PCs get the doors open and emerge to discover the devastation caused by the Mourning. They will be deliberately led to believe that they are the cause of the Mourning, even though they are not. From there, it's a dangerous trek through the Mournland to the border, where they will be captured and spend 4 years in a Karrnathi prison. After escaping, they will make their way back to their headquarters in Sharn, which will promptly explode the minute they set foot through the door. That will leave them stuck in Sharn with no proper identification, no link to their organization, and being accused of sabatoge. All of this is meant to be an introduction. The PCs will receive help from a mysterious benefactor, who pays off the guard in return for the promise of a favor at a later date. From there, the PCs will be free to explore Sharn and find quests. I intend the circumstances surrounding the Day of Mourning, the PCs' capture, and betrayal by their organization to remain a mystery until much later in the campaign.
Master of shaarat'khesh 03-30-05, 09:35 AM	Have you ever watched the TV show ALIAS? If you can get it where ever you are, you might want to watch it for some interesting espionage ideas. It is an outstanding show for those into super secret espionage and intrigue. I have a party of "spies" and I have countless ideas for adventures that I have run already or plan to based off of episodes I watched. All in all, what you have sounds pretty good and very similar to an episode of ALIAS.
Topolla 03-30-05, 09:47 AM	Any of the Metal Gear games might provide good inspiration for such an adventure. Covert ops and such...
BenjaminBinder 03-30-05, 11:15 AM	I'm glad to hear you say it sounds like a TV show, MoS. That's the idea. What do I do to help the PCs get through tricky spots without making it look like I'm helping them? Like, what if they're trying to Bluff their way past a guard and they roll a 1. No way I can tell them that that succeeded and have them believe me. What do I do if they're captured? And stripped of all their possessions?
Master of shaarat'khesh 03-30-05, 11:50 AM	Originally posted by BenjaminBinder I'm glad to hear you say it sounds like a TV show, MoS. That's the idea. That's why I mentioned ALIAS, It sounds like a plot from an episode and the TV show is a very good modern version of Eberron from the pulp action and world crossing adventure to the spy elements that add to the noir atmosphere that I try to inspire with the unease of the PC's and who to trust, who to turn to, and what lurkes around the next corner. Originally posted by BenjaminBinder What do I do to help the PCs get through tricky spots without making it look like I'm helping them? Like, what if they're trying to Bluff their way past a guard and they roll a 1. I had this happen on an adventure where the prefered idea was to use cunning over brawn to infiltrate a building. Cunning failed miserably...So the NPC guard was not bluffed and the ID papers were not believable, Just as the rolls were all failing the DC the final bluff was a natural 1. I, playing the NPC guard, played it as though everything was o.k. but I played it as a bluff myself trying to playoff that I (the guard was onto them) Naturally as an NPC guard my bluff was abysmal so I failed the Skill roll and the PC's picked up on my reactions to them. They proceeded to take the guard out just before the alarm was sounded. As a DM I had to help them but I made it obvious without being obvious that the gaurd was aware that something was amiss (role play). They reacted as I thought they would. Now, had they not caught on to my poor bluff I would play the gaurd as a wannabe "hero". I would have foregone the alarm in favor of an overzealous guard full of himself and with rank advancement in his eyes (typical henchman). I planned to have him pull his cross bow and try to hold them at bay and take credit for a capture. As the DM I would help the PC's from being captured by having the NPC let his guard down or let his machismo get the better of him, thereby giving them an opportunity to take him out. Originally posted byBenjaminBinder What do I do if they're captured? And stripped of all their possessions? This is always a tough one. capture almost always needs it's own mini adventure so that the PC's can fight their way out and get thier equiptment back.
DarkWarriorKarg 03-30-05, 01:29 PM	I'm glad to hear you say it sounds like a TV show, MoS. That's the idea. What do I do to help the PCs get through tricky spots without making it look like I'm helping them? Like, what if they're trying to Bluff their way past a guard and they roll a 1. No way I can tell them that that succeeded and have them believe me. What do I do if they're captured? And stripped of all their possessions? Just remember, in the RAW, there is no crit fail on a skill, as there is no critical success possible. So, someone with a +6 to a skill would roll a total of 7. (UMD being the exception) This being said... I wouldn't be expecting the 1 to have any effect either. MoS has several excellent suggestions there.
Lady Morn 03-30-05, 07:33 PM	Another good TV show to watch if you get the A&E network, is the British show MI-5. While it doesn't have the "eye candy" of Alias, it does have engaging, solid stories and writing. Cartoon Network has a show called Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. If you cut out the techno-gibberish, and boil the plot down, you could mine it as well for ideas. I would also add the caveat that relying too much on TV shows for adventure ideas, could result in some repetitiveness. You might want to branch out into comic books and novels as well. DC puts out a comic called "Sleeper," which is excellent. "The Losers," "100 Bullets," "Trigger" and "Kabuki" are all superb. For novels, I recommend the works of Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, Len Deighton, John Le Carre (early works only) and Alan Furst. Hope that helps!
Kaverael 03-31-05, 11:46 AM	On a similar topic concerning the show Alias, is it just me or does the Rambaldi storyline seem alot like the FF, SotLW, WotVB and GotEC story arc? Arvin Sloan = Marissa d'Cannith Sark = Garrow