Help me decide what the incompetent Mayor will do

[kitsune9]

Nice list, but if half this stuff happened either the Mayor would be dead or the village would be deserted by the time the PCs got back. One or two though...

Good idea! The PC's come up and they go to the inn to find out that the against-mayor group is taking up a vote to pack up and leave. They've had enough and when the PC's show up, they get a "boxing on their ears" from the villagers.

The DM can then run down the list of grievances and the next or side adventure is the PC's putting to right all the stuff that the mayor did wrong.

 

[kitsune9]

1) Are the noble parents embarrassed/ashamed of how their child has behaved? (Do they act sternly towards Trellane, like the old episode of Star Trek?)
2) Are the parents (or one parent) evil, and the town being bankrupted and abandoned part of their plan? Then, if the PCs try to do something about fighting the debt collectors, do they incur the wrath of the evil parent or parents?

These are good ideas Jeff. For #2 though, I'm thinking no one is really evil, self-centered or apathetic yes, but not evil. If I was running this campaign, then I wouldn't want the PC's to be mowing down these NPCs for their stupidity or avarice and would likely play this for laughs.

But you do mention an excellent twist in that it's part of a plan [insert Mr. Smither's "Excellent" here]--kind of like Boss Hogg trying to get Uncle Jesse's farm becuase it's valuable to him. So the mayor's real intention is that he wants to drive out certain farmers because their farmland would make a nice horse-and-pony stables or he wants to build his summer villa that overlooks a brook and so on. Or maybe there is a real profit motive behind the plan such as the mayor's oracle divined that there's rough diamonds in the fields, but the mayor has to dig up the entire farmsteads to find them.

Now, Mommy and Daddy nobles don't know of their son's ambitions. If the PC's want to take this up with them, they got to travel to where they are currently vacationing for the next four months--about eight days ride or they can cut down to four if they are willing to go through a gods-forsaken forest and bog filled with monsters and other horrors. I'm envisioning the PC's going through hell and back just to get to the mayor's parents. Something that will endear the mayor to the PC's for years to come.

Then when they get there, it could be "Oh, we are so sorry, we will punish our son and let us help the poor villagers." or "We don't see how this is our problem, but if you want us to deal with it, we have a little matter of our own that needs to be taken care of.....[insert next adventure here]".

 

[jimmifett]

Well, you can always look to the real world for examples:
U.S. Ambassador to Luxemburg Booted (foxnews)
At Luxembourg Embassy, Staff Begged to Be Sent to Baghdad (slate)


Summary:
Heiress of auto parts magnate and political contribution bundler gets appointed to ambassadorship with zero experience. Apparently broke a lot of rules and regulations, spent and wasted large amounts of money in the position, read staff emails and listened in to phone calls, had multiple staff looking full time for her a house and rejecting dozens, and was a total control freak so obnoxious that staff were requesting transfers to Iraq and Afghanistan just to get away from her.

 

[Dungeoneer]

Mayor befriends PCs' arch-enemies and invite them to live in the village. Mayor strikes deal with nearby town to let them dump their garbage on the village beach. Mayor is funding a mining operating which is digging straight into the forgotten lair of Ancient Underground Evil X.

 

[thejc]

As incompetent as the mayor is, he has placed numerous advisors that are not. Perhaps calling on various family favors. Everything has become outsourced.

"Why the villagers actually wanted real copper coins for their labor. But these kobolds or goblins will work for real peanuts."

Upon return they not only have to deal with him, but perhaps some rathers savvy political opponents that have some weight to throw around. Justice will come to the snivvly brat, but the path is lined with miles of red tape, and band aids to be put on everywhere.

 

[TarionzCousin]

The mayor screws up in some way, but has somehow* become a gorgeous elf maiden and declares her love for one of the male PC's.

"This is who I really am--this womanly body is the real, inner me. And I can finally declare my love for you, Sir "Most Easily Led Player Character." Take me in your arms and kiss me, you big hunk of awesome!"











*You know: by magic.

 

[falcarrion]

The island is deserted and all that is left are giant statues of the mayor all over the island. Think of the statues of Easter Ilsand.

 

[Haltherrion]

Probably have him lead a disastrous expedition against the goblins. Or maybe have him hire some help to deal with the problem that results in a new ruler in the town or the invitation of a vampire or something unsavory

It depends how subtle you want to make his ill-management be. He could get the town in so much trouble the goblins overrun it or many town folk are killed and captured. Or he could allow something into the town whose true dimensions are not understood for some time. I'd go with the latter and bring in something that seems level appropriate and fun for the setting and group (vampires, dopplegangers, were-somethings, dark cultists, etc.)

 

[shadzar]

I'm seeing Robin Hood here. The greedy child gone power mad is taking everything from the citizens, when the players return they are met with anger from the citizens as the citizens are about to revolt on the mayor, and not happy with the players for leaving him in charge.

The players return after their absence and the citizens are just standing there like Ricky staring at them and saying "Lucy you gots some 'splaining to do!"