What do I do with this campaign?

[Whisper72]

Well, why did they join the circus in the first place? Maybe they all ran from some nasty villainl. It turns out, all their respective antagonists work essentially for the same evil organisation. They will be found sooner or later, so they have to somehow defeat this evil group.

They are currently away from their troupe, when they finally find them, they are all slaughtered. From the evidence (a few barely alive survivor's), they learn that bad guys came looking for them, but when they were not found / the Troupe didn't deliver them, the bad guys slaughtered the troupe.

Now the PC's are on their own, with a clue (the barely surviving troupe member either recognized one of the bad guys, or some insigne they were wearing, or a tattoo they all had. The race for revenge and survival is on!

 

[Rechan]

Well, why did they join the circus in the first place?

I've posted the background to two PCs in this thread (both of which boils down to: I left my home town to join up because it looked exciting/find myself) along with stating a third generally just had wanderlust.

 

[Whisper72]

Yeah well, if that background doesn't suit, then change it.... or have something further back in the family be the source. Maybe the 'kids' wanted more excitement because it is in their blood. Their parents used to be adventurers before they settled in their dull village. Some old foe now wants to take revenge on the children on the basis of the deeds of their parents....

 

[werk]

I Haven't read all the replies, but here's a quick start...

The first thing I would want to do, which you've said, is separate them not only from the rest of the troupe, but might as well start them off fresh. One of the rogues (probably the cleric) had made a favorable trade for an interesting bauble. It doesn't detect magic, has no runes or inscription, but appears valuable. He is often in the habit of leaving semi-valuable objects out so he can catch other 'entertainers' when they try to lift them, so he fastened this one to the outside of the wagon, as a type of name plate or decoration, but also rigged a string-bell-alarm so he could tell when the item was molested.

At night, while sleeping, the team is awaken by the ringing of his little bell inside the wagon...he caught someone trying to be tricky during the night! As the party exits the wagon, they see that they are not where the wagon train had stopped for the night, and theirs is the only wagon in sight. The trinket is gone as well.

Wha happen? Start campaign of your choice.

For effect, I'd probably make a drastic climate change, like forest to desert, swamp to tundra, something to make it really obvious that they are not anywhere near anything they are familiar with.

 

[Old Drew Id]

There is a common plotline in movies based on a small group of con artists. It goes as follows:

The group sets up a con/theft to steal something that looks simple, such as cash or a piece of art, etc. However, they discover later that they have accidentally stolen something MUCH MUCH more important, such as:

1) An important magical artifact that could control vast amounts of wealth (a.k.a. the Squeeze)
or
2) proof that the main church is in error on some important dogma (a.k.a. The Da Vinci Code)
or
3) proof that the king is not properly entitled to his throne (a.k.a. The Man in the Iron Mask)
or
4) a magical artifact that could control vast amounts of power (a.k.a. Sneakers)
or
5) a magical artifact of pure evil (a.k.a. The Hobbit)

You can then establish a long-running plotline where people appear who are looking for the object for different reasons, or where the troupe runs into the backstory and effects of the object. The group will end up on the run from some dangerous elements who want the item, but may also find unexpected allies as well. Ultimately, the group must decide what to do with the object and how to use it or part with it without getting themselves killed.

 

[Meeki]

Maybe you could have the group be part of a game the God of Theives is playing. Not sure how your gods work but perhaps the God of Theives bets another god or deamon or something that he could cleverly lead, without directly interfering, a group of rag tag gypsies to steal something rediculous; like some great wizard's door to his tower or a lawful outsider's powdered wig.

Alot of smaller quests could "conveniently" fall into the group's lap and each quest could be a piece of this plan that could be a lie based around the object that needs to be stolen. Like the great wizard's door is actually a portal to the abyss he plans on opening and leaving open to cause random chaos or the wig is actually a mind controlling device.

 

[Engilbrand]

Mini-quest: They're trying to find their troupe. They keep hearing about a troupe that sounds like their troupe. They find them.
Overarching idea: Something's different about the troupe. They recognize the name and colors, but none of the people are the same. Nobody knows them. They drop names and discover that the current leader is the grandson of the leader they know. They convince the troupe to allow them to stay and get their bearings. The next day, though, the people have changed again. Nobody knows them, but they hear someone call a child whose name they recognize.
Do a time-hopping game. Imagine the intrigue they can involve themselves in when they know that one kingdom attacked another, and then they wake up before that happens. Do they warn a side? Do they try to help? Wagers on battle outcomes? Do they decide to figure out what's happening to them or just let it flow? I think that it could be fun. Watch NBC's Journeyman for an idea of how to do this well. It's a great show. Too bad it's being canceled.

The predictions of the fortune teller could become a lot more accurate. Someone's bound to take notice.

 

[bento]

I'd ask two important questions:

What are they running from (their past)? Is there something in their past that pushes them around today? Fugutive from another country? Abject poverty and a vow never to live like that again? Bordom of being a petty lord's scion? Failing a family member during an emergency? Find out what in their past led them to where they are today, and use this to push their characters into interesting circumstances.

What are they running to (their future)? Is there something they seek? A treasure horde and retirement in a quiet little town? Become king of the thieves? Teach their skills to a new generation? Pull the greatest scam ever done? Find out what they seek and use these as carrots to pull them into the next adventure.

Sounds like you have an interesting start, but I bet digging a little deeper will give you gold that you can mine until it comes to an end.

 

[roguerouge]

Three possibilities: (Spoilers! My player out!)








1. GameMastery Module U1: Gallery of Evil
"Gallery of Evil is an urban adventure written by Stephen S. Greer that pits players against a mad artist and his vile works. When the mad painter’s visions come to life, the heroes find themselves entering his crazed landscapes to find a way to stop them from tearing the city apart."

2. GameMastery Module E1: Carnival of Tears
"Carnival of Tears is a low-level, event-based adventure written by Nicolas Logue and Tim Hitchcock that pits the players against a band of wretched fey who have infiltrated a carnival in order to unleash their anger on Falcon's Hollow. When the heroes uncover the dark secrets within, will they act in time to prevent Falcon's Hollow from becoming the carnival's final patrons?"

3. Dirge of the Damned
Murder mystery at a play....

 

[DonTadow]

You got a couple ways you can take this. YOu can go a neutral bunch of adventures who somehow do good things or a neutral bunch who go to the evil side.

I'd start out by doing some adventures to "feel " what they want. Some ambiguity adventures such as (they have to con an orphanage run by a powerful church) or after some single adventures they catch the regional thieves guild attention and are offered a job... or death. See where they go with it. Then build a plot line around that.

The thieves guild may have thier hands in a ton of different things, some they have been waiting for the right kind of guinny pig...er adventures to come allong to test it on. Or the church may be using the orphanage as a feeding ground for the churches real power.