Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Valien Mar 28, 2011 21:27:37	I'm DMing a campaign in the Dark Sun setting, and would like some help in preparing an adventure. I'm totally out of ideas for this one, and thought you guys could come up with some that I can use. What I really need is an urban adventure of any sort - perhaps political intrigue and investigation. Even better if it's an ambigual question, like there is no right or wrong answer. I would like to keep it as much roleplaying-focused as I can (meaning, I already put them through a lot of combat encounters in the last sessions, so, even though I can use one more if it is necessary to develop the plot, I'd rather not). The characters are in Balic, just returned from a long series of desert adventures, and I want to do something more local for the next one. The plot can involve pretty much any social group (nobles, traders, veiled alliance, common people, templars).  The party, as a whole, will pretty much obey any command from Andropinis, so that makes the plot hook quite easy (anything the King asks from them will be done).  I would like for this adventure to span through 2 average-sized sessions (like, 5 or 6 hours each? quite an accomplishment if you don't use combat encounters). Here's the party background: The party is composed of four level 9 characters (a fifth one may be joining this week, but that's neither certain nor relevant). Two of them are templars for Andropinis, and extremely loyal. One is an elf bounty hunter, another one a genasi sorcerer, but these two generally just follow the templars around (the players are not self-centered and are content in just playing, they do not care for major plotlines based around their characters, unlike the two templars). Sorry if this is asking too much... I can use any help you guys can give me, so please, if you just feel like brainstorming some random ideas, please do. And thanks very much in advance.
#2 khorne37 Mar 29, 2011 13:33:21	Some body killed on of the sons of the mighty SK and the PC's have to figure out who did it. Classic...
#3 Valien Mar 29, 2011 19:59:53	Good one! I was thinking of killing the son of House Tomblador's chief (or perhaps have some NPC kidnap him), and start a war between the two major Houses, but not really sure of where to proceed from there.
#4 khorne37 Mar 30, 2011 10:50:49	Well starting a war between the two house could all be work of a group of a money hungry group. While the war is taking place and the houses gaurd is down to small threats they sneak into both houses warhouse to loot and pillage.
#5 yronimosw Mar 30, 2011 11:43:11	I just got through watching The Book of Eli, and got to thinking about similarities and differences to the Mad Max films and other post-apocalyptic movies, and certain cynical kinds of art-Westerns and classic Samurai movies.  These types of stories seem to fit in with the Darksun brand of post-apocalyptic storytelling. These stories largely play on the Law-vs.-Chaos theme... ineffectual government or incompetent law enforcement is helpless against traveling bands of outlaws who make a mockery of order and kill law officers; the heroes or anti-heroes are the only ones who can step in and restore order, and as far as the local sheep are concerrned, it takes a rogue wolf to fight off a rogue wolf.... the heroes have got to inspire and lead a beaten town full of sheep to organize, band together, and stand up for themselves against the seemingly stronger band of villainous outlaws that has been terrorizing the town... corrupt and tyrannical governments and lawmen prey on their isolated town full of weak and ineffective citizens, who have gotten the government they deserve; the cowardly citizens pay off the wandering heroes or anti-heroes to stand up and do their dirty work for them... corrupt and tyrannical governments try to buy off the heroes' support; the heroes' sense of honor forces them to reject the offer, putting them at odds with villains who cannot accept this rejection of their authority... the heroes or anti-heroes must run a gauntlet through a siege of chaotic marauders, carrying a law-preserving McGuffin to safety against all odds; bonus points for revealing that the heroes were manipulated into being a disposible decoy for the REAL McGuffin.... Hope that helps
#6 calm Mar 30, 2011 13:50:38	Spies from a competing domain are there acting as agent of a merchant house. They have multiple motives in addition to reporting on the activities of the King. Create 2-3 other activities that they have going on, which the heroes can stumble across. Have them use third party groups to complete those other tasks (thus distancing themselves from the act if needed). This way, if something goes wrong, they can kill a single contact in the group who knows it is dealing with the spies and cut all traces. Possibilities could be: Slave trade (sending slaves to another master) Searching for powerful magic item that would weaken the king Siphoning magic from the king somehow (slowly) Blackmailing those close to the king for access Creating a subversive group (terrorists or thieves) out of gangs, poor folk, or some other group that will sow chaos within the town, making it easier to overcome for an invasion etc.