Need Some Ideas

[Quixoticelixir]

My group and I are starting a new game in a fantasy setting. The system's Savage Worlds, the setting is some homebrew heavily inspired by the Final Fantasy franchise.

My group's requested they all play criminals (by profession, not necessarily by class). They've simultaneously asked that the plot is not mission-to-mission heist-to-heist, but that it picks up to match the epicness that often is Final Fantasy (or any other Japanese RPG, basically).

Oh, yeah. They'd like for the first substantial part of the game to be set in a big city.

The city is basically rennaissance Paris, but I can easily introduce conflict, magic, etc.

So, I'm hoping for some ideas to the central plot.

What I've got so far is this: they're hired to steal something from a noble/royal's treasury. Once they do this, something goes wrong (they're all cursed/they accidentally kill someone/they're "forced" to kidnap the prince).

So, I need ideas on the thing that can go wrong, as well as how I make 'em stay in the city even if they're wanted by the authorities.

Basically, I need a bunch of ideas. I've never been so uninspired regarding a campaign. : P

Thanks!

 

[Hand of Evil]

They are hired as fall guys - this means that they were hired to be in the right place at the wrong time and proved cover for the real bad guys get away. Normally the players are tasked with the heist of something not related to what is the real target (murder), the players have to figure what went wrong and if they figure it out, what to do about it. In some cases this becomes a tie up loose ends, where the players become too hot and everyone tries to turn them in or kill them.

During the heist the players see/hear something, like plot to kill the king or plans for an kidnapping or an invasion, etc. They do the heist but they now have information that may be sold. Variation is the big bad has a fear he may have been over heard once the heist is learned and is very aggressive to find out if so but want to keep things quite.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Patsy's Revenge- and possible redemption and rehabilitation- is a classic.

 

[Herobizkit]

Do your work ahead of time.

Break the city into quadrants or neighborhoods and stat out a few interesting places to go/visit in them.

If the players are criminals, will they have access to any allies (thieves' guild, Folk Hero friends, a Church) that can grant them safe haven? Make those up and make a few interesting NPCs to round them out.

Low-level characters are barely 'better' than NPCs, plot-wise, so how about this:

Plot: Red Wings are hired to steal the Royal Orb and Sceptre, two items passed down the Emerald family line which legitimizes their rightful claim on the throne. Players are sent to do some menial task to prove their worth to the Hunter's Guild when *bump* they encounter the thieves. After a duel, the thieves drop/the PC's capture one of the relics while the other gets away on the Airship *whoosh*... now they're holding stolen property and have witnessed the actual thieves... and here come the guards...

 

[Quixoticelixir]

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. Helped a bunch!