Adventure #75

Romance
Theme

Goal

This sort of adventure (rarely played, but worthwhile anyway) has as its central plot the romance between two characters, usually a player-character
and an NPC.
Thwart Monstrous Plan
This is a classic fantasy-adventure plot: The characters learn of some horrible plan made by a monstrous enemy, and must thwart it before the
kingdom is lost or the world is destroyed. This is an epic goal, and usually requires that the characters go to all sorts of places, rounding up allies and
artifacts, before being strong enough to face their enemy.
Better Late than Never

Story Hook

Some bad guys have arrived and done some bad guy things. The PCs were none the wiser. The bad guys have now made good their escape, and the
PCs have caught wind of it in time to chase them down before they make it back to their lair, their home nation, behind enemy lines, etc.
Geographic Progression

Plot

This is the simplest sort of adventure plot. The heroes have an area to investigate or travel through; they have encounters based on where they are. For
instance, the traditional dungeon, where monsters are tied to specific rooms or areas. Or, if the heroes are travelling along a narrow valley or through
an enchanted forest, they might suffer ambushes and other encounters fixed to various points along their travel plan. The plot, then, is getting to the
villain by surviving the intervening obstacle encounters.
Prevented Deed

Climax

Here, the heroes have been defeated -- captured by the Master Villain, or so thoroughly cut up by his minions that all believe them to be dead. And
the heroes have learned, from the bragging of the villain, loose talk of his minions, or examination of clues, what is the crucial event of his master
plan. In any case, the battered and bruised heroes must race to this site and have their final confrontation with the villain, bursting in on him and his
minions just as the knife or final word or key is poised, and prevent the awful deed from taking place -- and, incidentally, defeat the master villain and
minions who beat them previously.

Torturous Terrain
General Setting The adventure takes place in some sort of unsettled, uncivilized, dangerous terrain; in action stories, the desert and jungle work best; choose one of
those two or decide on a setting that is similarly dangerous and exotic.
Specific Setting I

Caves of Magical Folk

These can be either beautiful, glittering homes of gorgeous magical peoples, or the dank and terrifying lairs of horrible monsters.

Specific Setting Craftsman's Quarter

II
This can occur in either the shop of the master craftsman of a palace or manor, or the guild-area of a city.
Agent Provocateur
This Master Villain is a clever spy who inflitrates an organization, order, or army, and tries to effect its destruction by getting it to perform actions
Master Villain which will cause others to oppose it directly. The identity of this Master Villain is usually a closely-guarded secret; the heroes will encounter his
cover identity, but will not suspect that he's responsible for all this chaos until they start adding up clues. Females in this role can be very, very
effective.
Corrupted Hero
Minor Villain I This villain was once a hero, possibly one known to the players. He was seduced by the dark side of the dungeon master. Because of his own
weakness, or of a curse, he has become a villain, a pawn of the Master Villain.
Single-Minded Soldier
Minor Villain II This most trustworthy of villain minions is the experienced, competent, persistent soldier -- a field-trained officer who serves the villain with military
precision. He is usually encountered in the field as leader of the villain's field operations. He is not encountered directly until the middle of or the
latter part of the adventure; until then, the heroes encounter only his subordinates.
Grumpy Old Professional
Ally/Neutral

Monster
Encounter

Again, the heroes need an expert in a certain field -- this time a craft or art, such as blacksmithing, engineering, horse-training, or whatever. The only
or best professional they can find is an aged expert. He's grumpy, cranky, and sharp-tongued; he constantly complains about the food, the weather, his
companions, the decline in skill of his co-workers since he was a young man, the road conditions, the rotten pay he's receiving, and so on.
King Beast
At some point in their adventure, the heroes run across a King Beast -- some enormous, intelligent monster (which speaks the Common tongue)
which is the leader of its species. Perhaps it needs help; if the heroes help it they'll earn themselves a favor which the King Beast will repay at some
later time in the adventure. Perhaps the heroes are in deadly danger and need help; the King Beast can be persuaded to help, but only in return for a
deed or favor in the future.
Old Friend at the Wrong Time

Character
Encounter

Deathtrap

When the heroes are trying to sneak through a guardpost, citadel, or city where they can't afford to be recognized, one of the characters' old friends
recognizes him and loudly renews their acquaintance in full view of the guards looking for the characters. This usually leads to an exciting chase as
the heroes must escape.
Tomb Deathtraps
Another classic type of trap is the sort of triggered trap left behind in abandoned tombs, ruins, and catacombs. Here, a hero who touches the wrong
step, floor tile, wall brick, torch bracket, mounted gemstone, or other device will trigger some sort of ancient trap designed to kill tomb-robbers and
intruders.
Footrace

Chase

The chase involves the characters on foot, probably through such terrain as city streets or the corridors of a palace. One hero may realize that the's
being pursued by a party of enemies and choose to run for it; the heroes may have caught up to the Master Villain, prompting him to run for his life.

Innocent Fulfills Prophecy

Omen/Prophesy An innocent could fulfill a prophecy -- one which endangers his/her life. This innocent might, for instance, be the one who is supposed to slay the
king, but is not a mighty adventurer able to protect himself from the king; the heroes may find themselves sheltering and helping this poor dupe.
Secret Embarrassment
Secret Weakness Finally, the villain may have some aberration or secret shame that will force him to flee when he is confronted with it. It could be something as
simple as the fact that his nose is too big, or that he is a small and nebbishly wizard pretending to be some vast, powerful demonic power. When his
shame is revealed, he is too humiliated to continue; this is a good option for comedy adventures.
Special
Condition

Coping with a Curse

The curse might be making the hero progressively uglier, might be draining out his life-force (he's losing experience which will be retruned if he
succeeds), or might be making him progressively insane. Each day, as he sees his reflection in a mirror or pond or fountain, he'll know himself to be
less than he used to be.

Respect Quandry
Moral Quandry This is much like the Ally Quandry, only at a greater distance. The heroes have been utilizing the aid of two (or more) powerful NPC allies. Now, in
the course of the adventure, the heroes come across a task which can be accomplished in one of two ways -- say, through military intervention or by
esoteric magic. The problem is, the NPC allies are arguing for different choices, and the one whom the heores choose against will no longer aid them.
Red Herring

False Path to the Artifact

Once again, if the heroes have had too easy a time finding the artifact capable of destroying the villain, give them trouble this way: When they get to
the place where the artifact is supposed to be contained, they find the coffer or chamber or whatever empty, obviously looted by robbers, who have
scrawled such remarks as "Kelrog was here!" upon the walls.
NPC Turns Traitor

Cruel Trick

He may alert he enemy when the heroes are planning a raid; he may steal the artifact and take it to the villain; he may stab a hero or important NPC in
the back (literally) before departing.