So, I stumbled across a great concept for a one-shot adventure for my monthly Saturday game (which is basically a series of one-shots in various systems), and I thought it sounded like a good idea for a Genesys adventure, but I’m new to the system, and I could use some help with solidifying the details a bit.

https://probablyrpgmechanicsideas.tumblr.com/post/183567007629/prokopetz-prokopetz-rikmach-unseenphil

I need some ideas for a large handful (5-7) of archetypical ‘fantasy hero’ concepts to create pre-gens for the players to pick. Things like the classic ‘farm boy chosen one’, etc. These are all going to be people who, for whatever reason are in town at the time, and have adventure thrust upon them.

Also, while the idea verily *screams* ‘make me a campaign’, I need some tips/suggestions for encounter design given the potentially large size of the party, and the goal of fitting it into a 4-5 hour time slot with several players who have never even seen the system before.

Well I'm not going to give you a talent/skill build, as I think that is pretty straightforward. But for concepts that all end up in the town at the same time:

The Retired Warrior.

He's a veteran of some local campaign for the regions ruler (or perhaps a foreign one, doesn't really matter). He is familiar with combat and war, but did his tour, and now wants a normal life. He moved to the Story Village because it was fairly quiet and off the beaten path. He's lived there at least a year or so, long enough to become part of the community, and for the people to just consider him a regular resident.

The Youthful Explorer.

This person aches to be away from their dull Story Village, and See the Big World! They are possibly a child of one of the noble families (if you have those in this village), or just a random kid with aspirations beyond farming. Insert any Disney Female Protagonist in the past 40+ years and you have a good idea of their personality.

The Person In Hiding.

This person came to the Story Village to hide, either themselves or something/someone else. Perhaps they are a wanted criminal from a neighboring community/kingdom, and this Story Village was the most "middle of nowhere" they could find. They have also lived in the village for long enough to be somewhat accepted by the community, but they tend to keep to themselves aside from the occasional visit to the Tavern Where Stuff Happens.

The Learned Scholar-in-Training.

This person is smart, and spends most of their time studying whatever they can get their hands on in the Story Village. They will probably have friends with the local traveling merchants, to get whatever books they might have for trade. They would be the person who might be familiar with any strange/mystic elements related to the plot when Stuff Starts To Happen, hinting at the more dangerous, meta-level conflict going on (assuming there is one).

The Reluctant Companion.

This person has no desire to go anywhere but Story Village. However events force them to travel with someone they care about (one of the above archetypes would be easiest, or some important NPC if necessary). Their skill set will likely be one of support and aid, not so much combat, as they are there to mostly make sure the other person survives the events they've been thrust into. (Your Samwise archetype, though skill set can vary if you wish).

So, yeah those are what i've got currently. You wanted easy to insert tropes, that's a good selection to start with.

That’s quite a good selection to start with, thanks. I’ve added a ‘reluctant chosen one’ to that list.

The Reluctant Chosen One - Chosen by prophecy, she wants nothing to do with ‘fate’ or ‘greatness’, and has done everything in her power to avoid that responsibility. Everytime something interesting happens in Story Village, she makes herself scarce, and ensures that whatever happened, she had nothing to do with it.

I’ve decided to run with some of what is actually spelled out in the link directly, but I’ve still got some holes to fill in.

Villains

Fey - Some fey have begun *stealing* feelings of whimsy, hope, and the like. This has led to some locals feeling less than happy about things.

Locals - The shoemaker feels unappreciated, and has hatched a plot to make sure *everyone* knows how important his work is! Mwahahahahah!!!! (He has some misguided fey assistants, ‘the elves and the shoemaker’.)