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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Azlan" data-source="post: 2676633" data-attributes="member: 2340">In the past, what I've found difficult about city adventures, compared to dungeon or even wilderness adventures, is keeping the player character group together and focused, since each player character has his/her own agenda and is want to separate from the group and go do his/her own thing. To make matters worse, I foresee that many of the rogue-based adventures/missions in this city will require at most 2 or 3 player characters, yet there are six players in our group.This is how I plan to work around that...Those players who are not presently involved in the adventure/mission at hand will be given an NPC to play. Written on the NPC's sheet will be a stats block, of course, but also hooks and soliloquies to role-play that character. Sometimes, the NPC may be beneficial to the adventure/mission, but most of the time, the NPC will be oppositional, and it won't always be obvious at first (at least, not to the other players) which way the NPC stands.Since I award group XPs instead of individual, this will be fair and square for all players, because even if a player spends much of a session playing an NPC instead of his/her character, he/she will still get as many XPs as the other players. (I do supplement the group XPs with individual bonuses, based on role-playing, but this will apply whether a player is playing his character or an NPC.)For example, one of the first "missions" the player characters will undertake is robbing a pastry shop, located in an upper class area of town. Since the player characters will be starting out at 1st level, at ages 12-16, and since one or two of the player characters will be halflings or gnomes, it will be easy for them to impersonate children and thereby loiter around the shop.The reason they will want to rob this shop is because they will learn that its handsome owner is being extorted for his having a love affair with a rich, middle-aged noblewoman (who has been one of the shop's best customers), and that the pick-up for the extortion money is scheduled for that afternoon. So, two or three of the player characters will be there an hour or two before the pick-up, to rob the shop and hopefully get the extortion money before it exchanges hands.Following are NPCs available for the players whose characters are not going to be involved in this robbery...The Gang Leader. Class & Level: Rogue 2. Stats: Str 11, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14. Alignment: CN. Equipment: MW throwing daggers. Role-playing: You are 20 years old, with some experience as a rogue already under your belt. You've been leading these teenage rogue initiates (i.e. the player characters) for the past month or so, but you've decided they are weighing you down. You're the one who first stumbled across this shop owner's affair and the extortion, but because these teenagers are always tagging along with you, they found out as well. You want to somehow take all the robbery money for yourself and make a surprise break away from the gang. However, if these teenagers gang up on you, they can beat you, so you'll have to figure out a way to double-cross them without directly confronting them, by yourself. If an opportunity presents itself to take all the money without a confrontation, you will certainly take advantage of it.The Shop Owner. Class & Level: Commoner 3. Stats: Str 13, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 13. Alignment: CG. Role-playing: You are handsome and flirtatious, but you are also cowardly. Even so, you will do your best to protect your shop, since it's your livelihood. You have little to no skill with the hand crossbow or the shortsword (masterwork, both) that you've been keeping lately, under the counter. However, you just purchased a potion of heroism, yesterday, which you're keeping handy on your person.The Extortionist. Class & Level: Rogue 3. Stats: Str 12, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10. Equipment: mw rapier, mw throwing darts (sleep poisoned), mw leather armor (hidden under clothing). Alignment: NE. Role-playing: You've been closely yet secretly watching the pastry shop, the past couple of days, to see if the owner is going to notify anyone of your extorting him. So far, the owner appears to be cravenly going along with your demands. Even so, you're getting nervous. You've decided to show up an hour early to pick up the extortion money. You don't want to be confronted by the city guard or some hired swords, who the shop owner might have waiting in hiding for you, if you show up at the designated hour.The Noblewoman's Bodyguard. Class & Level: Fighter 3. Stats: Str 14, Con 13, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11. Equipment: +1 longsword, mw chain shirt. Alignment: LN. Role-playing: Your employer, the noblewoman, is making a surprise visit to the pastry shop owner, this afternoon. This has been an extremely boring job for you, and you're itching for some action. But so far, no one has tried to rob this plump, middle-aged yet quite vain woman who you're working for, despite all the flashy jewelry she wears.Note: Whichever of these NPCs are not played by a player, as well as all the other NPCs involved in this encounter, will be played by the DM (i.e. myself).</blockquote>

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