Adventure #268

Theme

Action/Adventure
This is the most common and straightforward sort of adventure there is. In the Action/Adventure scenario,
you present your characters with a task and then confront them with obstacles to overcome in order to
accomplish the task successfully.
Goal
Gain Money
The heroes are intent on acquiring a fee or treasure. If it's a fee, you may wish to roll again on this page to
learn the patron's goal. If it's a treasure, pay attention to the Settings section, which will dictate where the
treasure is, if not who owns it.
Story Hook Legend and Rumor
In this classic story hook, the hero stumbles across some new or long-forgotten knowledge that promises great
treasure or gain.
Plot
Accumulation of Elements
In this sort of plot, the heroes have to go from place to place -- perhaps covering very little area like a city,
perhaps roaming the known world -- and accumulate elements to be used against the Master Villain. These
elements may be clues, pieces of an artifact, evidence, or allies.
Climax
Prevented Deed
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.
General Setting Exotic Distant Land
The adventure will take the heroes to some fascinating and exotic distant country, where they'll have to cope
with new customs, monsters unfamiliar to them, and very colorful NPC encounters; choose one of the more
fascinating foreign lands from your campaign world.
Specific Setting
Laboratory
I
This can be alchemical lab of a friendly wizard, or the horrible experimental chamber of the villain where
new monsters are created and relased upon the world.
Specific Setting
Palace of the King
II
The heroes could be here for many, many different reasons: Trying to get a favor from the ruler, part of some
nobleman's retinue, members of the palace guard, sneaking in to save the ruler from assassins, sneaking in to
assassinate the ruler, thrown into the dungeon for crimes they did or didn't commit, etc.
Master Villain Lovable Rogue
This Master Villain isn't really evil -- he's just chaotic and fun. Cheerful bandits in the forest who rob from
the rich and give to the poor, singing and rope-swinging pirate kings, and romantic, sophisticated duellists all
belong to the category of the Lovable Rogue. Often, the Rogue will not be behind the nastiness the heroes are
encountering; he may be in competition with them for the prize they're seeking. Often the heroes and the
Rogue (and his minions) will have to team up to succeed at their task. Just as often, the Rogue will try to get
away with the whole treasure.
Minor Villain I Snivelling Vizier
The Vizier is a throne-room villain. Functionally, he's rather like the Hard-Eyed Advisor, offering tactics and
advice to his master; but he's an ooily, sleazy, cowardly sycophant. He's usually brilliant in his field of advice
but has no combat abilities.
Minor Villain II Chief Assassin
The Chief Assassin is the favorite killer of the Master Villain. The Assassin works mostly in the field, first
killing witnesses who might prove harmful to his master, then zeroing in on the player-characters. He usually
meets his end before the adventure's climax, but he may taken one of the heroes down with him.
Ally/Neutral Villain Ally
For some reason, the heroes find themselves in the company of a villain. Perhaps he's a minion of this
adventure's master villain; he may be guiding the heroes to wherever they must leave a ransom, or, if the
master villain is forcing the heroes to perform some mission, this villain ally is along to make sure they do it
right. Whatever the reason, he's competent, unpredictable, and out for himself.
Monster
Assassin Monster
Encounter

This monster, at some time in the adventure, is sent by the Master Villain to attack one or more heroes when
they're at their most vulnerable -- asleep, enjoying themselves, etc. Usually, the Assassin Monster attacks, but
the hero, though injured, is able to hold it off long enough for his friends to respond to his shouts. The
Assassin Monster is usually killed by his friends, who can then speculate on who sent it and why.
Character
Encounter

Old Friend at the Wrong Time

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.
Deathtrap
Pit and the Pendulum
Actually, we're applying this term to any of many time-delay deathtraps. In this sort of trap, the villains
capture the heroes and place them in a trap which will soon kill them -- it operates on a delay, often based on
a timing device or a burning fuse.
Chase
Water
Don't forget the water chase: Whether it's a battle of seamanship between naval vessels, a chase of rafts
toward the inevitable waterfall ahead, a contest of canoeing ability, or a chase between the villain and his
giant shark vs. the heroes and their dolphin friends, the water chase can be a distinctive and dramatic one.
Omen/Prophesy Birthmark
One of the heroes has a birthmark that pertains to the adventure in some way. He may have a birthmark
identical to some NPC -- for instance, some person endangered by the Master Villain. This mystery can give
the hero his reason to become involved. Alternatively, his birthmark may mark him as a hero fulfilling some
ancient prophecy.
Secret Weakness Lack of Familiarity
The Master Villain, if he comes from the past or another dimension, or belongs to an alien race, might be
sufficiently unfamiliar with this world that he essentially defeats himself. How? By making incorrect guesses
about human behaviour. One classic error involves underestimating the human capacity for self-sacrifice.
Special
Coping with a Curse
Condition
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.
Moral Quandry Respect 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.
Cruel Trick Villain is Related to Hero
In this very irritating complication, one of the heroes discovers that the Master Villain is related to him. The
villain might be his long-lost father or twin; perhaps this relative is not long-lost after all, but has secretly
been a Master Villain for years, and only now has the hero discovered it.