Modules: Hero marries the Princess

[frankthedm]

Why not? It gives you a permenent plot hook, and marrying into royalty is not always a reward. Nothing says 'dysfunctional family' like crowns.

Even Good aligned parties use far more straight-forward violence than most royal families can handle. Unless the whole party can be kept in line someway, they are too likley to "chirugicly remove" any festering cankers from the family tree with extreame prejudice.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Even Good aligned parties use far more straight-forward violence than most royal families can handle. Unless the whole party can be kept in line someway, they are too likley to "chirugicly remove" any festering cankers from the family tree with extreame prejudice.

I think you are underestimating middle age royal families here...

It would probably make a lot of sense for some royal family to hand their daughter off to some absurdly powerful heroic adventurer just to forge that alliance. In a D&D world, you just never know when you are going to need some adventurer to stop the next random threat to your kingdom after all.

As for the "main character" problem, the best bet would be to give various characters special plot hooks and rewards of their own, equal in value to having a princess as a bride. Maybe a prince would consider the party mage to be his most trusted advisor and teacher. Or a PC is the chosed hero of some prophesy. Or maybe the BBEG is the personal arch-nemesis of one of the characters. If you hand out something different of that level to each PC, then you get good plot hooks and there is no specific "main character".

 

[DM_Matt]

As for the "main character" problem, the best bet would be to give various characters special plot hooks and rewards of their own, equal in value to having a princess as a bride. Maybe a prince would consider the party mage to be his most trusted advisor and teacher. Or a PC is the chosed hero of some prophesy. Or maybe the BBEG is the personal arch-nemesis of one of the characters. If you hand out something different of that level to each PC, then you get good plot hooks and there is no specific "main character".

QFT. This is just a subset of the overall issue of individually-based plot hooks. The best general solution is make sure that over time, everyone gets one.

 

[Sejs]

I've had it where one of the female PCs married the Prince, does that count?

The King had two sons (well, and one daughter, but she was rather young). The elder son was a good man; kind, likable, bright, and just. The younger son was sly, selfish, underhanded, and just downright wicked, though still charismatic enough to put on a civil veneer. The younger son was very, very interested in taking the throne for all the power it would bring. The elder son saw rulership as his duty, but had no particular interest in taking power.

The elder son was also, though only known amongst the family, quite gay. Events proceded in which an agreement was struck - two birds with one stone - the PCs were founding their own kingdom to the north and were seeking political alliance with this country. One of the female PCs married the gay Prince, solidifying the alliance and eliminating any potential issues that might arise later when the King would chose to abdicate the throne to his elder son.

 

[Sejs]

QFT. This is just a subset of the overall issue of individually-based plot hooks. The best general solution is make sure that over time, everyone gets one.

*nod*

One of the things I try to do is have two seperate levels going in my games at the same time. One level is the Main Plot - pretty self explanitory, it's the adventure stuff that involves everybody as a group - the other level is made of the various Personal Plot arcs.

I try to come up with a plot arc for every PC. Then, as the game progresses, space out big Main Plot events by having Personal Plot stuff take place.

For example: one PC is forming the core of a new druidic faith movement for an already established deity. Another is finding out about a particular magic weapon they've acquired (similar to a legacy weapon, slightly diff. rules) and is in the process of preparing to enter the Shadowdancer PrC - learning how to dance, being groomed for introduction into a particular organization by an old friend of hers, etc.

Everyone gets the chance to be their own Main Character.

 

[RFisher]

In my experience, it isn't about everyone getting plot hooks, it's about everyone getting spotlight time. Even if one character is royalty or something, they still can't do everything on their own. They still need friends they can trust.

 

[Celebrim]

Even Good aligned parties use far more straight-forward violence than most royal families can handle.

???

Which medieval or early modern monarchies are you referring to? Not the English, I'm certain. Certainly not the Swedish. Definately not the Russian either.

In fact, I dare say that the average European monarchy made use of so much "straight-foward violence" to out brutal almost any party of PC's.

 

[Huw]

Bloodstone Pass has already been mentioned.

There's a twist to this cliche in the FRA1-3 series Storm Riders, Black Courser, Blood Charge. Spoilers below:

Spoiler

The princess starts off interested in the toughest fighter in the party, then during the second module switches to a major NPC - who is, naturally, even tougher than the party. Nice way of generating tension.

 

[Huw]

???

Which medieval or early modern monarchies are you referring to? Not the English, I'm certain. Certainly not the Swedish. Definately not the Russian either.

In fact, I dare say that the average European monarchy made use of so much "straight-foward violence" to out brutal almost any party of PC's.

QFT. Don't forget the Scottish. 31 kings in 400 years. Do the maths. 1094 was a bad year to be king in. Queen Margaret was especially tragic.

To paraphrase Terry Pratchett "Why does everyone want to become the king when everybody wants to kill the king?"

 

[Numion]

To paraphrase Terry Pratchett "Why does everyone want to become the king when everybody wants to kill the king?"

Is it the pimp cape?