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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Slapzilla" data-source="post: 3693904" data-attributes="member: 52781">It's funny as I have three new players, one of which has only played two sessions-last week and two weeks ago.  The other two have about six sessions between them and I ran them all about a year and a half ago.  As a side note, it is refreshing not to be playing with a bunch of jaded lifers as my last group was.  Anyway, as they are all relatively inexperienced I created a couple of combat scenarios to teach/refresh a bit of the mechanics and in the second scenario they talked thier way around it.  So, going with the flow we ended up starting to play.  The scenario was a basic, stock hook.  A local noble's manor was attacked by unknown assailants and in the confusion, three family members were missing.  The noble is convinced that a new mercenary group to the area is involved in the kidnapping and hired the PC's to infiltrate and map thier walled camp and get some numbers on the company's strength, assets etc.  Pretty lame, I know but it was intended to just be any ol' hook.  They found the place and charmed the guards into not killing them on sight ("but I'm lost, sir and just need a place to sleep") and got some info about a safe place to stay the night- the clearing created by the logging that made the fort's walls.  There they met one of the mercs who (me needing a combat) moved in for the kill.  They took him out and got info out of one of his lackeys about how they were out searching for a possible cave entrance one of the loggers mentioned.  The lackey also provided the info they needed for the noble so they decided to head back to the manor.  So....The mood is one of tension.  There is a new wall being constructed at the manor and there are new guards active.  The household is anxious and suspicious.  Tempers flare easily.ProblemThe noble is angry at the PCs as they got no info on the missing loved ones and the info they did get was second hand at best and doesn't want to reward them.ThreatA cool temper will be needed so the noble does not become enraged at the PCs and commit his guards to violence.AssetDuring the debriefing of the PCs the Chamberlain puts two and two together and asks the PCs to search for the cave entrance.  Perhaps to use as a hide out from which to spy on the mercs and a way to try to get back in the good graces of the noble.RewardThe cave turns out to be (of course) a dungeon that, when cleared, could be a safe spot to base from.  Assuming they tell the Chamberlain and hand it over they are back in good (at least indifferent) standing with the local noble.  The branches from this are many.  Certainly the PCs may not care about the good graces of the noble and just split, ignoring the Chamberlain's request.The Threat Problem could be a big ol' fight and all the legal troubles of being outlaws.  Maybe simple enmity from the noble and a tense armed escort off the property etc.The Asset Problem could be as simple as the life and limb of clearing out a dungeon (full of mercs who have found it or the usual denizens).The Chamberlain certainly has ulterior motives, farious or nefarious, and the Reward problem might just be keeping varmints off the property.Except for the Chamberlain's motives, none of these things involve the missing loved ones or in any direct way, the motives of the mercs.  The info reward at the end of the dungeon is the entrance hook into the overarching plot I had in mind.  So far, plenty of action and role playing and my original plot is only just touched on.  Already, with the TRAP system I've got a setting that is in motion with ramifications from the charaters direct actions.  The entrance hook and the missing loved ones are connected directly but nobody but me knows that.  I know exactly what motivates the Chamberlain and why and I know what the mercs are up to and all these thing come out later and how they do is up to the PCs.</blockquote>

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