Scenario assistance/Run game short notice.

[BigSteveUK]

Hi Gents,

A game we are playing has fallen through and my group now wants to start Conan, we are doing characters, but it is a little short notice and my preperation has fallen a little short. I have finished most of the Conan book, but really wanted to study Road of Kings. I have a basic plotline which should take us up to Xmas, which is simply

1.
Travelling with caravan, caravan attacked, young lady kidnapped hired by caravn leader to recover girl. (he is the son of a merchant and she is his sister, he won't tell pc's to much so they don't try and kidnap her and ransom her back)

2.
PC's recover girl and return to town, rewarded etc, they are then hired to deliver of pick up some goods. Something will go wrong e.g goods are damaged, money stolen etc, which will lead them to steal replacements.

3.
Merchant head decides there is a traitor in house, especially after last problem. Gives names of 3 possibilites and ask the pc's to find out which and find out who they are contacting. This will lead to a contact who in turn leads to the bandits.

4.The bandits will lead to a rival merchant house and the pc's will be given the job of assasinating the rival.

This will lead to them leaving town, before to much investigation takes place and on to a new adventure.

What area would you suggest is best for cunning backstabbing merchants and merchant houses.

With the area where is a good source of names for the supporting cast.

Any tips to running the game??

Cheers,

Steve

(Don't want much do I)

 

[Foxworthy]

Neat idea, as for location suggestions you hav emany to work from.

I'd say the top four would be Zamoria, Aquilonia, Zingaria and Argos. Each has it's own advantages but me myself would go with Argos. Argos seems more like a merchant based country more then the rest and having the PCs embroiled in that could make things more tense.

as for names use the naming guide in the rules and try this site http://www.20000-names.com/

As for tips all I can suggest is that from reading the steps it seems that some railroading might be needed. While not completely bad you should try to get the players to pick the path.

 

[Vincent791]

Zamora seems the way to go for your adventure. A lot of merchants and thiefs, you should take a look at Shadizar but Luxur is a good option too.

 

[urdinaran]

Don't forget Corinthia (on the Road of Kings), Ophir, Western Shem, etc.

I would first see what kind of characters your players come up with then try to come up with a reason why they are together. In my campaign, I had my players start in Nemedia, a central location for them, as they were ---> Aquilonian, Aesir, Shemite, Zamorian.

 

[BigSteveUK]

Cheers for your replies gents.

Decided to go for Shem, cause I wanted an Arabian, desert feel. Should hopefully be starting on Wednesday.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Seeker]

Hi.

Perhaps a bit late but I would suggest adding a subtle supernatural element to the plot without overpowering it.

Quite a few of REHs stories had an additional supernatural subplot eg God in the Bowl (The Son of Set) and Rogues in the House (Thak).

Perhaps the original goods in your scenario are cursed in someway eg some kind of demon is bound to them, killing all who touch them.

Or maybe there is something strange happening at the mansion of the rival Merchant House. One of the House could be a sorceror with a weird creature lurking in the basement.

 

[AURIKALKO]

Hi.

Perhaps a bit late but I would suggest adding a subtle supernatural element to the plot without overpowering it.

Quite a few of REHs stories had an additional supernatural subplot eg God in the Bowl (The Son of Set) and Rogues in the House (Thak).

Perhaps the original goods in your scenario are cursed in someway eg some kind of demon is bound to them, killing all who touch them.

Or maybe there is something strange happening at the mansion of the rival Merchant House. One of the House could be a sorceror with a weird creature lurking in the basement.

HI!

I agree. Weird pulp fantasy was REH's stapple... Sword & sorcery was HIS genre.

Maybe the traitor has hired a sorcerer to eliminate all possible ties/help him/her further his treachery & the sorcerer, having a devious mind him/herself, plots to doublecross (wipe/control) 'em all & gain the mercantile family's "empire"... Maybe he/she's a member of Sorcerous Secret Society in need of agents in Hyborian Nations & funds for their nefarious schemes. Connections to Stygia or Acheron, perhaps? A whole new ballgame (new enemies, etc.), for the PCs, if they twart this Sorcerer Society's plans, eh?


JUST RAMBLIN'
AURIKo

 

[BigSteveUK]

Hmmm nice, I like, I like it a lot.

I will be honest, the first scenario was a simple human conflitct story.

I have a ran a lot of CoC stuff and like to build things slowly, so didn't want to put any maigc/supernatural in just yet.

I do really like the idea of the traitor having an agenda of is own. He will not be impressed about being interrogated by the players, but not want to reveal himself.

Once they have killed the merchant, it was the end of that part as the guy they are working for recommend they leave town as they have just killed an important man.

So maybe I could use the traitor as a link to the next scenario. Even if they don't know it, maybe an attempt on their lives for disrupting the activites this Sorcerous Sociey.

 

[BigSteveUK]

Or maybe when they return from assainating the merchant, they find their employer, murdered and house burnt to ground.

The traitor will obviously act as a witness and accuses them as murderers of both merchants. He will then take over both houses, so the PC’s have helped realise his plans and destroyed all the evidence. Merchants, Bandits etc.

PC's are arrested, find out daughter survived but has disappeared, escape from jail, find girl, clear names..save the day…yay

What you think???