Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sparky" data-source="post: 1682469" data-attributes="member: 13681">To get the players together there's always The Map. Each PC has in their posession a fragment of an old map. At some point a Mysterious NPC contacts each of the PCs to bring them together hinting that he has the last map fragment. You know how quick your players are to jump at DM bait or if they will shun your cleverly laid hooks, so you will know if you need to start the players out at the meeting or if you can trust them to make it to the meeting on their own. But if each player has a piece of the map, adventure will find them. Apologies if this covers any already covered ground. How did each PC come to have a map fragment?<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Honestly - Was it inherited? Or offered in barter for services or goods (ala Jack and the Beanstalk)? Or given it by a wandering stranger?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dishonestly - Was it part of the haul when a character participated in a burglary? Taken as payment for blackmail? Copied and the original kept while the real owner has a forgery?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Somewhat honestly - Was it discovered in the course of scholarly study and subsequently liberated from a library? Or won at a gambling table? Or taken off of the dead body of a guy in an alley?</li> </ul>Does the previous owner of each map fragment know of the PCs acquisition?<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Yes... and boy do they want it back/and boy are they glad, now the PC will suffer the map's curse/and boy they can't wait to follow the PC to the treasure/and boy they can't wait until the PC leads them to a notorious criminal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">No... but when they discover it is missing, watch out/because they're dead... and the PC is next/ but someone else does... someone powerful and angry</li> </ul>Okay, now to get the PCs together introduce the Mysterious NPC. The M-NPC knows each player has a map fragment. They invite the PCs to meet enticing them with the promise that at the meeting the full map will be revealed.  At the meeting:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The M-NPC springs a trap! The PC's map fragments are stolen!/The PCs turn the tables on the M-NPC and steal his (legitimate?) fragment!/The M-NPC 'lets' the PCs steal his fragment (or gives it to them) intending to follow them</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The M-NPC is legit and hires the PCs to follow the map.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The M-NPC doesn't make it to the meeting, but there are clues at the meeting site that indicate foul play. Each of the PCs has some clue about the M-NPC - One didn't see him but knows he smelled like sulphur, cinnamon and olive oil - another caught a glimpse of him from far away and saw that he was tall, white haired and walked with a limp - another knows that he is human, but speaks common with a dwarven or elven or draconic or infernal or celestial accent or dialect - another knows he works at the docks - another saw his hands and noted...  callouses from working with stone chisels/playing an intrument/inkstains from writing/a signet ring with a recognized heraldic seal. Etc, etc.</li> </ul>What the map actually leads to (or perhaps the map itself is the treasure - it's magical or something) is up to you. But just here there are tons of things to mine for ongoing campaign hooks that could evolve organically out of a simple prop - which you should absolutely make and tear into shreds - one more piece than you have PCs - of course. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  Happy DMing.</blockquote>

Verification