D&D General "Casanova" scenarios?

[CapnZapp]

I'm looking for a scenario that could be used to "tour" my campaign city, introducing various NPCs.

It struck me that following in the footsteps of a local Casanova character would be an interesting angle to work from.

So my question is simple: can you name an adventure module or scenario featuring a Casanova-like character? (A serial charmer or charmeress, as it were - probably leaving a trail of "social chaos" behind).

Suggestions welcome for any D&D edition (or any fantasy rpg at all, really). The module doesn't have to use that Casanova character in the same way as my idea - I'm looking for any module with a significant Casanova-like NPC, no matter what he(?) does or say.

Thx

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Casanova was also a cleric, a gambler, a musician and a spy.

And possibly a liar of massive proportions.

Pretty much any bard fits the bill...

If you really mean any RPG look to Star Wars for Lando Calrissian.

 

[CapnZapp]

Casanova was also a cleric, a gambler, a musician and a spy.

And possibly a liar of massive proportions.

Pretty much any bard fits the bill...

I don't think I managed to explain my request if that is your reply.

The character can well be a Bard. He doesn't have to be named Casanova, or even be a he.

I'm asking for scenarios featuring a character or characters known for the social disruption they cause by their seductive wiles.

And no, I'm not asking for the countless scenarios featuring a Succubi for the players to kill.

I'm asking for scenarios heavy on the "social pillar" where PCs and NPCs alike must come to terms with affairs and secrets.

There must be at least some scenarios (from OD&D to 5E) in this vein...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you want stories that are slightly more D&Dish than Star Wars or James Bond, you might look at Milady in the Three Musketeers stories, they could easily be adapted.

 

[orangefruitbat]

Volo, as featured in the recent Waterdeep adventure could fit the bill. Well connected, irresponsible with money, always looking for the topic of his next book, and a magnet for trouble.

 

[Parmandur]

Volo, as featured in the recent Waterdeep adventure could fit the bill. Well connected, irresponsible with money, always looking for the topic of his next book, and a magnet for trouble.

And literally gives a city tour as described.

 

[Ancalagon]

And literally gives a city tour as described.

To expand on this scenario... Volo, or a Volo-type character, did a tour of a city 10 years (ish) ago. He wants to update his/her book. So Volo has to re-visit groups, locations etc, but his intel is out of date, and he made a few enemies along the way who don't wish him well. He hires the heroes to be his body guard and, just like 10 years ago, blunders his way through the city.

Basically you want your NPC to know enough to be able to navigate the city/setting, but not enough to do it smoothly.

 

[gyor]

Eliminster.

 

[CapnZapp]

My idea was a scenario featuring a rascally character that left a string of very miffed ladies in his wake, with some sort of story hook as to why the players would want to retrace his steps, talk to those involved, and finally catch up to the would-be Casanova (or maybe find out his end).

So I'm asking not for inspiration on characters but suggestions for adventures and scenarios along this line.

Thanks

 

[CapnZapp]

Volo, or a Volo-type character, did a tour of a city 10 years (ish) ago. He wants to update his/her book. So Volo has to re-visit groups, locations etc, but his intel is out of date, and he made a few enemies along the way who don't wish him well. He hires the heroes to be his body guard and, just like 10 years ago, blunders his way through the city.

Thank you. It isn't perhaps the casanova idea, but it does provide another reason for a tour.

 

[mortwatcher]

Floon Blagmaar from Dragon Heist fits the casanova bill quite well.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Just to make it explicitly clear... CapnZapp wants an actual module that has a charmer NPC in it. Preferably where the adventure is ABOUT the charmer / seductor NPC. He doesn't need "ideas", he wants actual adventures he can open up and use at the table.

Capn, to answer your question... the only one I can think of off the top of my head that has what you might call a "charmer-adjacent" type of NPC is 'Curtain Call', a 1st level Eberron adventure (I only remember it because I'm running Eberron currently). It involves a charlatan named Max Murlock who is posing as a private investigator and hired to find a kidnapped nobleman. Since he has no idea what he's really doing, he convinces the party to help him. The adventure, however, isn't really about him... he sort of falls by the wayside once the investigation gets underway. And while he's charming in a fraudster kind of way, he's not written as a seducer of any type.

Nothing else is coming to mind. I know 'The Last Breaths of Ashenport' involves an entire community that is under the sway of Dagon and many are trying to get sacrifices for the demon (and thus one of the NPCs in it could be repurposed as a seducer-type character.) It's not a perfect fit, but at least the entire adventure is built around trying to get visitors into the town to be sacrificed... and thus an NPC who is a charmer and working to win over the party makes a lot of sense for the plot.

Sorry I can't be more help. I'll keep thinking on it. I also don't know if there are any keywords one could use on adventurelookup.com to perhaps find some other ideas?

 

[Ancalagon]

See, when I read "give me a scenario", I'm reading "give me a plot" or "give me a short campaign arc", no "give me a specific module".

I am struggling to think of one. "Spires of Altdorf: Paths of the Damned Campaign volume 2 " has a little bit of what you want, but overall it's not what you need.

 

[DEFCON 1]

See, when I read "give me a scenario", I'm reading "give me a plot" or "give me a short campaign arc", no "give me a specific module".

To be fair to CapnZapp, his second post said "There must be at least some scenarios (from OD&D to 5E) in this vein..." which pretty much denotes he's using 'scenario' not in a generic idea sense, but in a "published edition document" sense. Otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned the scenario coming from OD&D, 5E and everything in between.

He used "scenario" to indicate it didn't have to be a full module or full adventure, but that he would even take individual scenes or delves or Side Treks etc. etc. that have been published previously. He's just looking for some plotlines that are plug-n-play, rather than him having to create and write it all up himself.

CapnZapp can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Ancalagon]

To be fair to CapnZapp, his second post said "There must be at least some scenarios (from OD&D to 5E) in this vein..." which pretty much denotes he's using 'scenario' not in a generic idea sense, but in a "published edition document" sense. Otherwise, he wouldn't have mentioned the scenario coming from OD&D, 5E and everything in between.

He used "scenario" to indicate it didn't have to be a full module or full adventure, but that he would even take individual scenes or delves or Side Treks etc. etc. that have been published previously. He's just looking for some plotlines that are plug-n-play, rather than him having to create and write it all up himself.

CapnZapp can correct me if I'm wrong.

Oh I absolutely didn't read the entire post correctly. Just explaining why I, and others, have not provided what he wanted.

 

[Umbran]

To manage something similar recently, I scratched the serial numbers off the Star Trek: The Next Generation, episode, (Season 2, Episode 4) "The Outrageous Okona". It worked like a charm, though admittedly, I had to make up the game stats all on my own, which isn't quite what you are looking for.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think the way to go is to find something with a detailed description of a city or town e.g. Waterdeep: Dragonhiest, ToA Chapter 1, Heroes of Baldur's Gate etc. and simply drop a Casanova character into it. It's a familiar enough archetype, easy enough for the DM to role play without a huge amount of prep.

I think finding a published adventure which is actually a character study is rather unlikely. It's very difficult to write this kind of stuff, much easier to improvise it at the table.

 

[Samloyal23]

Casanova actually wrote an extensive diary of his life, with all of the various shenanigans he got involved in, I recommend you check it out.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Or there is a TV version staring David Tennent...

 

[CapnZapp]

See, when I read "give me a scenario", I'm reading "give me a plot" or "give me a short campaign arc", no "give me a specific module".

All of the above works

What isn't enough, as Defcon so deftly noticed, is "Here is this Charmy S. Marmy the NPC".

What am I supposed to do with a character write up? I want to know what he's been up to, what nefarious plots he's been entangled by, in what way he's conning the ladies (gentlemen, otherdaemons, ...), and so on, and so forth...