I need a kicker to start me off tonight! (CT players stay out!)

Bear · Aug 27, 2003

Howdy folks...

I'm a bit rusty from my time away from D&D (about 1.5 years) and I like to start my campaigns off with an exciting KICK but this time It seems rather dull... can you help me spice it up?

Set up - the PC's (all evil) are being courted by a mysterious figure to 'join his ranks' (the organization he is allied with is unknown to the players and I want to keep it that way for a while). He wants them to infiltrate and corrupt a small town along a major trade route (this works in to his future plans). So basically he gives them the pitch, and should they agree, the are given info about the small town and sent off.

So basically, the first scenairo to my campaign is a negotiation. I think thats pretty dull... its not without it's merits but me and my players enjoy a little 'action and adventure' to start things off.

I was going to have the city guard crash the meeting (because they're on the hunt for the bad guy who is courting the PC's... but the PC's haven't done anything wrong so all they really need to do is stand there fegin innocence which techinally wouldn't be a lie. The guards aren't likely to kill them, just apprehend them and bring them before the judge which sounds like a lot of booring time wasting chatter.
Additionally, should the PC's attack the guards, they could possibly subdue them and question them about the identity of the person they are persuing and I don't want them to have that information. I could have the guards be IGNORANT and simply following orders but the WHOLE THING sounds trite.

Alternatively, I was going to have a rival gang crash the meeting but still, the possibility of having the PC's subdue the crashers and question them about the identity of their would-be master is something I REALLY want to avoid.

Any other way to spice up this encounter? It doesn't HAVE to be combat but that always gets the blood pumping, you know?

arwink · Aug 28, 2003

Start the encounter with these words: "Roll for initiative."

Once that's done, explain the details of the situation. They were called a meeting, and the rival gang gatecrashed before negotiations could get underway. Set things up so that everyone is mid combat, surrounded, and while you're doing so explain why they were called to the meeting and why they went.

THen conduct the negotiation while the fight goes on, comic-book style. PC's and one enemy verses a swarm of others, trading quips and thoughts comic-book style until the much weaker foes are driven off. Everyone can talk on their turn, mixing their negotiation with actions.

"so as you can see," He pauses, rapier flicking out to catch one of his attackers in the throat, "my offer is quite beneficial..." he cleaves "...to all of us."

If you time it right, the decision should be made just after the last foe falls or flees

Sharack Bladestorm · Aug 29, 2003

A different meeting place...

How bout this, since they are all evil - have them all start out, on a weekend evening, in the holding cell of the local jail. The PCs and the boss start to chat and the boss says, "Hey, get me out of here, any way possible and have I got a job for you..."

Ciao,
Sharack

MaxKaladin · Aug 30, 2003

Bear said:
Alternatively, I was going to have a rival gang crash the meeting but still, the possibility of having the PC's subdue the crashers and question them about the identity of their would-be master is something I REALLY want to avoid.

Well, in my game most folks who want to do something like this hire outside heavies who won't know anything more than "some guy" (a suitably disguised agent for the gang or whatever in question) hired them to break up the meeting and rough some people up.

Also, there's nothing that says both the gang AND the guard can't crash the meeting. In fact, perhaps the fight with the gang attracts the guard, who interfere with things before the PCs manage to interrogate anyone.