Adventure #114

Theme

Goal

Story Hook

Plot

Climax

General Setting

Specific Setting
I
Specific Setting
II

Master Villain

Minor Villain I

Minor Villain II

Ally/Neutral
Monster

Espionage
Espionage adventures are active, grim scenarios involving spying and perhaps other cloak-and-dagger
deeds such as assassination or rescue.
Gain Money
The heroes are intent on acquiring a fee or treasure. If it's a fee, you may wish to roll again on this page
to learn the patron's goal. If it's a treasure, pay attention to the Settings section, which will dictate where
the treasure is, if not who owns it.
Old Enemy
This is a straightforward story hook; the hero learns that his oldest enemy is back and is very active in
the campaign, up to something. The hero will naturally want to investigate and will walk right into the
story.
Geographic Progression
This is the simplest sort of adventure plot. The heroes have an area to investigate or travel through; they
have encounters based on where they are. For instance, the traditional dungeon, where monsters are tied
to specific rooms or areas. Or, if the heroes are travelling along a narrow valley or through an enchanted
forest, they might suffer ambushes and other encounters fixed to various points along their travel plan.
The plot, then, is getting to the villain by surviving the intervening obstacle encounters.
Prevented Deed
Here, the heroes have been defeated -- captured by the Master Villain, or so thoroughly cut up by his
minions that all believe them to be dead. And the heroes have learned, from the bragging of the villain,
loose talk of his minions, or examination of clues, what is the crucial event of his master plan. In any
case, the battered and bruised heroes must race to this site and have their final confrontation with the
villain, bursting in on him and his minions just as the knife or final word or key is poised, and prevent
the awful deed from taking place -- and, incidentally, defeat the master villain and minions who beat
them previously.
Cosmopolitan City
Most of the story takes place in a large, sophisticated city; center the villain's plot and activities around
that city. This setting is best suited to adventures involving more people than monsters; most of your
villains should be human or demi-human.
Laboratory
This can be alchemical lab of a friendly wizard, or the horrible experimental chamber of the villain
where new monsters are created and relased upon the world.
Tavern/Inn
This is a classic fantasy setting, the residence of travelling heroes and the home of the tavern brawl.
Ravager
This Master Villain is like the Destroyer, except that he terrorizes a very limited area -- such as a
village, island, castle, or clan stronghold. (He may want to destroy the whole world but be trapped
where he is; perhaps his efforts to free himself constitute the adventure's plot.) He stays in his area and
terrorizes whatever comes into it.
Chief Assassin
The Chief Assassin is the favorite killer of the Master Villain. The Assassin works mostly in the field,
first killing witnesses who might prove harmful to his master, then zeroing in on the player-characters.
He usually meets his end before the adventure's climax, but he may taken one of the heroes down with
him.
Snivelling Vizier
The Vizier is a throne-room villain. Functionally, he's rather like the Hard-Eyed Advisor, offering
tactics and advice to his master; but he's an ooily, sleazy, cowardly sycophant. He's usually brilliant in
his field of advice but has no combat abilities.
Talkative Barkeep
This classic encounter is the garrulous innkeeper who has information the characters want; trouble is,
they'll have to bribe him to get it, or agree to stay at his inn, or buy a lavish meal, or listen to his
incessant stories about his career in the army, or whatever.
Assassin Monster

Encounter

This mosnter, at some time in the adventure, is sent by the Master Villain to attack one or more heroes
when they're at their most vulnerable -- asleep, enjoying themselves, etc. Usually, the Assassin Monster
attacks, but the hero, though injured, is able to hold it off long enough for his friends to respond to his
shouts. The Assassin Monster is usually killed by his friends, who can then speculate on who sent it and
why.
Blackmailer
If the party is pulling a scam, this person knows it and can tell the potential victim; if they're wanted by
Character
the authorities, he's willing to alert the authorities that they're here; if they're hiding out from the Master
Encounter
Villain, he's going to tell said villain that they're here; he may have kidnapped one of their favorite
NPCs and be holding him for ransom; and so on.
Pit and the Pendulum
Actually, we're applying this term to any of many time-delay deathtraps. In this sort of trap, the villains
Deathtrap
capture the heroes and place them in a trap which will soon kill them -- it operates on a delay, often
based on a timing device or a burning fuse.
Footrace
The chase involves the characters on foot, probably through such terrain as city streets or the corridors
Chase
of a palace. One hero may realize that the's being pursued by a party of enemies and choose to run for it;
the heroes may have caught up to the Master Villain, prompting him to run for his life.
Hero Fulfills Prophecy
Omen/Prophesy This is the most useful sort of prophecy. In the early part of the adventure, one of the heroes discovers
that he fulfills some ancient prophecy.
Secret Embarrassment
Finally, the villain may have some aberration or secret shame that will force him to flee when he is
Secret Weakness confronted with it. It could be something as simple as the fact that his nose is too big, or that he is a
small and nebbishly wizard pretending to be some vast, powerful demonic power. When his shame is
revealed, he is too humiliated to continue; this is a good option for comedy adventures.
No Weapons Allowed
Special
At some point in the story, the heroes must surrender their weapons. Perhaps they're visiting some
Condition
quarter of the city where weapons are not allowed; or a particularly peace-loving temple. In any case,
once they're there, they are attacked by enemies belonging to the Master Villain.
Ally Quandry
Moral Quandry You set up the situation so that the heroes have a good chance at defeating the Master Villain if they get
the aid of two specific individuals, probably experts in fields relating to the villains' activities. But the
two experts hate one another and refuse to work together, even if it costs them their world.
Artifact that Doesn't Work
Often, epic quests against powerful Master Villains require that the heroes find some legendary artifact,
Red Herring the only object which can defeat the villain. If your heroes have had no trouble getting to the artifact -they've effortlessly sliced through every obstacle you've put in their path and are confidently advancing
on the resting place of the magical item -- you can have it not work.
Mission is a Ruse
Cruel Trick In the course of their adventuring, the heroes discover they have been tricked into performing a mission
which helps the Master Villain.