–
In honor of PAX East, today’s hook features a convention!
–
ADVENTURE HOOK 004
Location:
A large mercantile convention at which merchants display their wares to craftsmen and businesses. This is not the type of place open to the public, but is where the “wholesale” prices of goods and supplies are set by the merchants, caravaneers, craftsmen, and builders.
–
Situation:
A local merchant needs to purchase protection for his trip to the convention. He is transporting many goods of high quality and much expense. He wants full, 100% protection services for the entire trip to the convention, the whole time at the convention, and the whole trip back to his home-base.
–
Problem:
1) The wilderness between the town in which the caravan begins and the convention location is very dangerous
2) The party doesn’t know that the merchant is suspected to be carrying stolen goods and artifacts
3) The party doesn’t know that the merchant has no intention of paying them
–
Tasks:
The players need to
1) Protect the caravan on its journey to the convention
2) Foil the attack on the merchant that is perpetrated by the original owner
3) Learn the truth about the merchant
4) Receive their protection fee payment
–
Things to explore:
1) The party may find out about the merchant and his purported thievery with a skill challenge. This may happen before the caravan even leaves town. They may confront him and he will flee. They can follow him to the convention to try and find out the whole story behind the goods.
2) If they accept the job, the party may be contacted by the original owner who tries to convince them that the merchant stole his goods.
3) The party may find that the merchant is actually the innocent one. The “original owner” may be crazed or mentally ill.
4) The party may find that, while the “original owner” may not, in fact, be the original owner, the merchant may still not be entirely on the up-and-up. Perhaps the crazed man/original owner is the brother of a captain whose cargo ship was raided by the merchant’s men and the captain (the real original owner) was killed and his goods taken. The crazed man may be able to prove it by identifying some jewelry in the shipment.
5) The party may find that both the merchant and the crazed man are both lying; there could be some intrigue there. Why are they both lying? What exactly is in this shipment of goods that so many people are taking an interest in it?
6) The party may accompany the merchant to the convention and, when they are busy signing in the caravan and setting up the booth, the merchant may take part of his shipment with him and leave. The party is stuck paying for the merchant’s booth space, the goods fee for the goods the merchant didn’t take, and they didn’t even get their payment! They may now have to track him down and find out why he left.
–
Suggestion:
I suggest having the group all travel to the convention site before any of the shenanigans begin. It will allow you the opportunity to play the game at a location different from the typical fantasy locations. This place is filled with people who all have an interest in what is happening there. Lots of good role-playing opportunities, and places for skill challenges. Make this a unique setting for a session or two.
–
Okay, there you have it – Adventure Hook 004! Hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a comment to let me know what you think!
Want to write a guest Adventure Hook? Let me know! Drop me an email at GamerDMSamuel AT yahoo DOT com and we’ll talk. It will also enter you in my contest and you could win a copy of Martial Power 2!
–
Until next time, I wish you good gaming!
~DM Samuel
