This is just an idea right now of how I want to bring my party together and get them on the road as adventurers, I don't know what careers/races my players will be so I have some work to fit it to the group once I do know but here is the basic outline:

One of the players (hopefully a thief or other ne'er do well) sees someone with a distinguishing characteristic leave the town they are in on a coach, possibly seeing him murder a watchman or townsfolk. He will have some kind of tattoo or scar that he is keeping covered but the pc will see his hat or scarf fall away and reveal the characteristic.

The next day wanted signs are up for the guy - he apparently stole something valuable in a nearby city perhaps from the elector count and the whole area is looking for him, there is a huge reward for him, dead or alive (1000g?). He is suspected of coming to this town but they arent sure.

the player that saw the guy leave will approach friends/cousins with the fact that he has info on this guy and perhaps they can get a head start on catching him and sharing the huge reward.

some minor investigation will let them know where the coach was headed - to another city a few days away - maybe nuln? the pc's can head of after them.

once there they will do some investigation and come across 2 other parties also looking to catch the thief themselves, one will be the comic relief of the story - a somewhat clueless but lucky "cop" maybe a roadwarden or w/e and his couple of officers - they will be searching for the thief to bring him to justice and will not be interested in working with the pc's. The grim and gritty wll come from a band of cut throat grizzled bounty hunters who double as thugs/protagonists when there isnt legal bounty hunting work available. These guys are in it for the $$ and are harsh - they will remind the pc's of the evil that lurks in mens hearts. One idea I have for them is inthe investigation the pc's come across an old man who has info on the wherabouts of the thief, they continue investigating and uncover another question he can help with - they go back to his house in the slums to find hm murdered and tortured and some evidence linking the bounty hunters to the scene.

End scene the pc's locate the thief at about the same time the bounty hunters do leading to a vicious fight, hopefully the pc's win but as they prepare to make their escape the cop/roadwarden strolls in with his posse and the party are in no shape to fight him (and hopefully dont want to since he is the law) so he arrests them all, gets credit for catching the thief and the pc;s are tried - they end up getting off when it is revealed that they are innocent of crimes.

Obviously the majority of the investigation in nuln needs to be fleshed out but I have ideas and concepts I want to use, emotions I want to evoke in the players and decisions I want to force them to make - hopeflly when they are done they will know their characters better than they did before and their characters will have set their first steps on the road to adventure.

thoughts?

Looks pretty good for an introduction so far. One thing doesn't feel quite right, though - a reward of 1000 gc is absolutely huge, equal to ten months' income of a landed noble. For catching a thief, even one who stole from the Elector Count, it's so huge it's highly suspicious. If you don't plan to have some reason behind that (since it's a perfectly good plot hook), I'd suggest lowering the reward to about 200g, which is still a pretty hefty sum, but no longer ridiculous.

sure, I actually likely wont even use the v3 monetary system, I like the old money system so I will figure something appropriate from there.

I also hadnt decided what was stolen, and was thinking that it might be something "sensitive" that the noble really needs back, or needs not publicised. perhaps it is not an item at all? but I am thinking of making it a thread that I might pick up a little later in the campaign and a suspiciously high reward might be good - although maybe not 1000g high

The finale seems a little de-protagonizing/GM fiat. That outcome should be something "at stake", changeable etc., likely but avoidable with clever play.

It's a tough, grim world and things don't go well very often but snatching away the object of play still seems hard on player satisfaction.

Some variations are social encounter to get the Roadwarden to grant the fact that they caught thief and thus get reward, perhaps minus a commission to Roadwarden, with past interactions having been positive/negative indicating how many spaces along success track you are/aren't to start.

Or, the Roadwarden is not really a Roadwarden (official one) at all (that he wasn't interested in reward is tip off, really not at all???)

Rob

It is a little GM Fiat, I admit... It sets up potential for a future recurring character that the players will really groan when he shows up. It's hard to describe the character I have in mind for the "cop". He isnt corrupt, he is trying to champion justice and is a little naive but somehow often ends up in the right place at the right time - and often as far as the party will be concerned it will be the wrong place at the wrong time. He will always be throwing a wrench in the party's plans and they will grow to hate him I am sure - but he definitely wont be evil and that combined with his position will hopefully prevent them from trying to murder or assassinate him.

One thing I have in mind is maybe the "bad" bounty hunters tip off the cop that the coach the players are on is the thiefs coach or that they are somehow working with him so the cop runs in and detains them while they see the "bad" bounty hunter smirking in the background and walking away - leaving the players frustrated that they may lose ground on the investigation. Of course after a while being detained it is obvious they have nothing to do with it and are released. At the end of the game when the cop waltz's in to the thief's hideout and sees the players again he will immediately assume they are working together, as he was previously tipped off and arrest them all.

The players will be able to affect some thigns in the story and will have definite choices on what to do and what leads to chase once the story ends but I think the cop swooping in and stealing the glory will be something I stick with.

Perhaps they find something (or something out) in the thieves hideout that is it's own reward?

Presumably you know your players and what they view as fair etc. I know the 2 tables I game with would both be very upset and likely not accepting that outcome if at all feasible (e.g., mugging the Roadwarden, beating him back to report and making him look bad, something else).

To them finding something else that is reward, that is an option. Lower the big reward and make the loot they find just as good. The issue is thus "can you hide that from the annoying Roadwarden" and there should be chance of doing so. The real reason for the reward was thieves had something, and turning them in without it just puts the Roadwarden in hot water.

KO, A quick way to pull all this together is an old technique we'd use in the RPGA. Make a 10 encounter railroad + 4 NPC's. Of course you don't necessarily want a railroad adventure, but it will give you very quick organization of your thoughts. Then you just grow it from within.

Encounter 1 - The PC's have a run-in with NPC1 (suspect). This should either be good or bad to give the PC's a motive for later. During the run-in, one of the PC's notices a Tatoo (that probably covers up a scar or brand), but at this moment, thinks nothing of it.

Encounter 2 - While the PC's are ruminating about town, looking for work, they notice the WANTED POSTER (see Handout #1). They are to seek out NPC2 (the Authorities)

Encounter 3 - Meeting NPC2 (the authorities) and getting hired (or doing it for whatever reason other than being hired). This is a good chance to establish the PARTY STYLE.

Encounter 4 - Asking around town. Two other groups are looking for him (peasants describe the other two groups..one roughed them up). Get some leads that the other's didn't.

Encounter 5 - Leads 2 - PC's will need this second lead to know where to go. FInd out that he's headed to Altdorf by coach and has a lead on them. Another bounty hunter has been spying on them and the race is on.

Encounter 6 - Chase strategy or wilderness waypoint encounter. Need a variety of leads. Find out someting that the other teams know that is helpful/harmful to whether or not the NPC1 is guilty.

Encounter 7 - Discover and capture the bad guy: battle with BAD bounty hunter group

Encounter 8 - City Watch arrives. PC's accused of being in league with NPC1 (suspect)

Encounter 9 - PC's have to weasel their way out, defend themselves, or escape.

Encounter 10 - Ep

Here's a Scenario Template with fonts and paragraph styles if you want to quickly make it look pretty: gallery.rptools.net/v/contrib/emirikol7/

ilogue and links to next adventure.

Hope this helps

Jay