Player/campaign conflict

[0bsolete]

A couple old friends are in town for a week. Our gaming group hasn't seen these two old friends in almost 2 years. We decided to go ahead and play D&D 6 nights out of the 7 they will be here. Yesterday was the first game and it was starting out in a trade city and I was planning it to be a dungeon crawl just like many of our old games. We had a rogue, urban ranger, bard, and illusionist. Not the best dungeoneering group by any means. Well, the game was supposed to start with the party being hired as temporary bouncers, handling a bar fight and then being approached by a nearby temple of our world's god of strength at which point the real dungeon crawling would start. Well, the party totally skipped the bouncer job and then decided to go to a higher up social club/tavern for the local noble crowd.

Now, I could force the group to get back on my intended path, but I don't want to do that. It became pretty obvious that the group wants a social game. Between character choices, the avoidance of the fighting and a bunch of other hints, I've got the idea. The thing is: I've never done a social focused game and I am running again tonight. I don't want to pull out a module and i have all day to prepare. I just drawing a blank and need ideas. Can anybody help me out?

I just need some ideas for a socially focused game. I'm looking for political intrigue, mystery, the whole works. I t hink the party wants to also work with the noble crust if possible. Either way, any ideas that I can build on or alter or whatever are welcome.

 

[roguerouge]

Take a look at running the first adventure in the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure path. I know you don't want to pull out a module, but it's an urban adventure story that's easily customizable and yoinkable for good plot bits, as is the second one. It fits your campaign perfectly and you can download it here:

http://paizo.com/pathfinder/v5748btpy81xw

If you really don't want to do a module, you could yoink my murder mystery material from here:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=225119

There's campaigns/adventures in a nut shell for brainstorming:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=102706

 

[Herobizkit]

Draw from reality and turn it into fantasy terms.

For example, perhaps the heroes get in good with the nobles and are invited into one noble's "inner circle". This noble is a crime lord - he deals in illegal goods (magic, drugs, slaves, monsters) and needs some muscle to help move his merchandise. Question is - do the players take him up on the offer or conspire to bring the crime lord down?

I would also concentrate on running the game like a TV serial instead of an epic tale. One plot, one complication to the plot, one (or two) actions scenes, a resolution, and a finale. In an ideal world, each 'plot' should take no more than two campaign sessions to complete. Focus on personae and setting rather than "kill things and take their stuff" - but even THAT could be a source of a plot... ("We found a magic sword and a crate with the "Belegard" crest on it... *creak* it's *full* of weapons! What were these for, I wonder, and how did the Goblins get a hold of them?")

 

[LostSoul]

Come up with a few NPCs who are cool and want something from the PCs. Make them evil and have whatever they want stand in the way of what the PCs want.

Make sure you know what the PCs want, and then have these NPCs provide obstacles. Make sure that things that the PCs succeed at (fights and skill checks) progress them towards their goal, and failures make it harder.