[Long]Help with an urban adventure?

[Airwolf]

Greetings all,

I am looking for a little help here.

Typically our group has focused more on hack and slash in the game. We go for something like 70% HS and only 30% RP. Recently several members have expressed a desire to flesh out their characters more and have more interaction and less hack action.

I am trying to put together a good urban adventure that would challenge them to think more than fight. I have an idea for the adventure but what I would like are some examples of urban settings and descriptions.

Can anyone recommend a good story hour to read that takes place in or around a city?

Extra Information:
The idea for the adventure I have is as follows. The party has been invited to the harvest festival by the king (the group has recently gained fame by saving the kingdom). The king is LE, he is very harsh but lawful. He is not a friend of the good aligned religions. They have conspired to remove him from power. Several attempts have already failed. The king is aware someone is trying to kill him but has not found out who is behind the attempts.
The conspiracy now plans to kidnap one of the PCs (knowing the party is a friend of the king) and will try to blackmail the group into helping them. The PC kidnapped will be the character I normally play when not Dming (a 13th level human bard).

I have worked out the encounter where the PC will be taken but I am not sure how to adequately set up the city setting for when the rest of the party arrives.

There will typically be 5-6 PCs of 13-16th level.

If you want any more information please ask and I will try to answer your question.

Thanks for the help.

 

[CCamfield]

Does it need to be pointed out that kidnapping someone and blackmailing their friends is not very "good"?

It seems to me that if the religions wanted to try to peaceably "turn" the player characters to their cause, they have an agent bring together some information and witnesses to present to them. Just going through the persuasion process and letting the players discuss it amongst themselves might be a good RP'ing moment. The king is the players' friend, you say, but he's not a very nice man. What's more important to them?

By witnesses, I mean people who have suffered from the king's cruel justice. Widows of the wrongfully executed, relatives of political prisoners, perhaps even people who were guilty but punished far out of proportion to their crimes. Starving people who stole an apple having their whole arm chopped off, for instance.

Aside from that, well, setting up a whole city is quite a bit of work. I know people refer to 'story hour' around here but I'm not sure what it means.

Hmm. When I was playing 7th Sea, we did a lot of mystery and investigation stuff. So on another sort of tangent, something appropriate might be that the players learn that someone plans to try to assassinate the king, and they have to try to follow up on clues, figure out who is going to attempt it and why, and stop them in the act, or perhaps confront them before they get the chance. A confrontation, when they were expecting violence and it turns out the "assassin" is someone good (that they know and respect?) would be interesting. You'd have to determine why the players have to do it rather than the king's men.

 

[Airwolf]

Does it need to be pointed out that kidnapping someone and blackmailing their friends is not very "good"?

It seems to me that if the religions wanted to try to peaceably "turn" the player characters to their cause, they have an agent bring together some information and witnesses to present to them. Just going through the persuasion process and letting the players discuss it amongst themselves might be a good RP'ing moment. The king is the players' friend, you say, but he's not a very nice man. What's more important to them?

I probably should have been clearer on the relationship between the king and the PCs. They are on friendly terms. Most of the PCs are good aligned but the king tolerates them because the PCs have been a huge help to the king over the years (a long running campaign).
The PCs know the king is LE but are of the opinion "as long as he leaves us alone, we will leave him alone", besides he pays well when he needs a job done.

By witnesses, I mean people who have suffered from the king's cruel justice. Widows of the wrongfully executed, relatives of political prisoners, perhaps even people who were guilty but punished far out of proportion to their crimes. Starving people who stole an apple having their whole arm chopped off, for instance.

Aside from that, well, setting up a whole city is quite a bit of work. I know people refer to 'story hour' around here but I'm not sure what it means.

Hmm. When I was playing 7th Sea, we did a lot of mystery and investigation stuff. So on another sort of tangent, something appropriate might be that the players learn that someone plans to try to assassinate the king, and they have to try to follow up on clues, figure out who is going to attempt it and why, and stop them in the act, or perhaps confront them before they get the chance. A confrontation, when they were expecting violence and it turns out the "assassin" is someone good (that they know and respect?) would be interesting. You'd have to determine why the players have to do it rather than the king's men.

As you mentioned, the group of good aligned religions has come to see it as their duty to free the people from the king's rule. They see him as a tyrant and think he is overly oppressive.

When someone refers to 'Story Hour' it means a forum that is devoted to DMs and/or players posting the adventures from their RP groups in a story format. Story Hour Forum

I am playing with the idea of the assassin turning out to be my character, under the control of the conspiracy. This is very similar to your idea.

Thanks for the feedback. Hope you are staying warm in the great white north.



Regards,
Airwolf