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Rolemaster One-shot set in Sanctuary Thieves' World.
Druss_the_Legend:
I created a Rolemaster One-shot set in Sanctuary Thieves' World. 3-4 players. 4 hour time limit.
Pre-generated characters are: lvl 5-6. Thief, Rogue, Barbarian, Assassin.
Adventure Introduction. You work for the crime-lord Jubal as one of his Hawkmasks - a motley band of sell-swords, thieves, and rogues. Jubal’s men are loyal, capable and ruthless. You are tasked with various underworld activities such as smuggling, spying, carrying out heists, crushing rival gangs, intimidating witnesses or punishing those who dare defy your master Jubal.
Scene One: Jubals's Estate
Jubal "Hawkmasks! Listen well. Your quarry is a cutpurse named Athuval. He spills secrets like a leaky cask. I want him brought to me by midnight tonight. Be ready to leave in 10 minutes. Any questions?"
Scene 2: The Golden Lion Inn
Layout map of the inn will be available to the leader of the party. Players will get to plan a heist to capture the mark. They will need to cover all possible 7 exits!
>> 4 upstairs windows (one into the main street outside the inn and
>> 3 into the alleyway outside),
>> front door,
>> downstairs common room window and basement (tunnel into the sewers). [/li][/list]
That's a lot of exits but 4 of these could be watched by one character waiting in the alleyway outside. With a clever diversion the difficulty of the task increases which will allow the mark to evade capture and the party can give chase via rooftops or a chase through the street. Lookouts will tip off our march and a bribed urchin will have a horse waiting nearby if needed. I'll employ a body double aka urchin in hooded cloak if needed. Also could be someone else who is wanting to avoid Jubals Hawkmasks making for some quick decisions when two diff NPCS flee the common room downstairs
Scene 3: Pursuit through Westside
This might be one foot through the streets and alleyways, by rooftop or on horseback depending on what the party have planned. If they were very thorough in cornering the mark inside the inn he will have no other option than to take the sewers via the basement. This does not appear on the map the players have and they are unlikely to think of it but if the do, i'll use a decoy of distraction to orchestrate an escape so that the adventure isnt over too soon.
Scene 3: The Maze
This is a lawless slum area of the city where muggings and murder is common. It has many twisting alleyways and if you are familiar with the layout you could easily lose any pursuers (or get cornered in a dead end alleyway if you dont). I have planned a few encounters to slow the pursuit that the players will need to deal with if they want to stay on the marks trail. Although the party leader has a map to The Maze they might be wise to secure an urchin guide because stopping to check the map is slower that using a guide who knows the place like the back of his hand.
Scene 4: The Sewers Below the Maze
The mark will flee into the sewers seeking the refuge of his employers lair. This is how the party will find the rival crime-lords secret base. Along the way they will find some dead Hawkmask allies who have been sent on a mission to find the crime-lord. The entrance to the crime-lords lair is hidden, trapped and guarded. Once the party must infiltrate the lair and gain entry (perhaps by force or guile).
Scene 5: The Beggar King's Lair
This is the final encounter where the party are met with a rival crime-lord, a number of henchmen, the mark they they are chasing and a captive hawkmask who is being interrogated. This scene will begin as a roleplaying encounter and the BBG will make the players an offer to switch sides and join his organisation. He might also threaten to kill the captive if they dont lay down their weapons. The party have some high stakes goals here:
1) save the captive
2) take the mark alive
3) join/make a deal with the crime-lord
4) unmask the BBG
5) kill the BBG
6) flee with what intel they have and regroup for a bigger assault
EltonJ:
--- Quote from: Druss_the_Legend on September 12, 2024, 04:00:28 PM ---I created a Rolemaster One-shot set in Sanctuary Thieves' World. 3-4 players. 4 hour time limit.
Pre-generated characters are: lvl 5-6. Thief, Rogue, Barbarian, Assassin.
--- End quote ---
They could use a cleric.
--- Quote ---Adventure Introduction. You work for the crime-lord Jubal as one of his Hawkmasks - a motley band of sell-swords, thieves, and rogues. Jubal’s men are loyal, capable and ruthless. You are tasked with various underworld activities such as smuggling, spying, carrying out heists, crushing rival gangs, intimidating witnesses or punishing those who dare defy your master Jubal.
--- End quote ---
Jubal something of a Mafia crime boss, right?
--- Quote ---Scene One: Jubals's Estate
Jubal "Hawkmasks! Listen well. Your quarry is a cutpurse named Athuval. He spills secrets like a leaky cask. I want him brought to me by midnight tonight. Be ready to leave in 10 minutes. Any questions?"
Scene 2: The Golden Lion Inn
Layout map of the inn will be available to the leader of the party. Players will get to plan a heist to capture the mark. They will need to cover all possible 7 exits!
>> 4 upstairs windows (one into the main street outside the inn and
>> 3 into the alleyway outside),
>> front door,
>> downstairs common room window and basement (tunnel into the sewers). [/li][/list]
That's a lot of exits but 4 of these could be watched by one character waiting in the alleyway outside. With a clever diversion the difficulty of the task increases which will allow the mark to evade capture and the party can give chase via rooftops or a chase through the street. Lookouts will tip off our march and a bribed urchin will have a horse waiting nearby if needed. I'll employ a body double aka urchin in hooded cloak if needed. Also could be someone else who is wanting to avoid Jubals Hawkmasks making for some quick decisions when two diff NPCS flee the common room downstairs
Scene 3: Pursuit through Westside
This might be one foot through the streets and alleyways, by rooftop or on horseback depending on what the party have planned. If they were very thorough in cornering the mark inside the inn he will have no other option than to take the sewers via the basement. This does not appear on the map the players have and they are unlikely to think of it but if the do, i'll use a decoy of distraction to orchestrate an escape so that the adventure isnt over too soon.
Scene 3: The Maze
This is a lawless slum area of the city where muggings and murder is common. It has many twisting alleyways and if you are familiar with the layout you could easily lose any pursuers (or get cornered in a dead end alleyway if you dont). I have planned a few encounters to slow the pursuit that the players will need to deal with if they want to stay on the marks trail. Although the party leader has a map to The Maze they might be wise to secure an urchin guide because stopping to check the map is slower that using a guide who knows the place like the back of his hand.
Scene 4: The Sewers Below the Maze
The mark will flee into the sewers seeking the refuge of his employers lair. This is how the party will find the rival crime-lords secret base. Along the way they will find some dead Hawkmask allies who have been sent on a mission to find the crime-lord. The entrance to the crime-lords lair is hidden, trapped and guarded. Once the party must infiltrate the lair and gain entry (perhaps by force or guile).
Scene 5: The Beggar King's Lair
This is the final encounter where the party are met with a rival crime-lord, a number of henchmen, the mark they they are chasing and a captive hawkmask who is being interrogated. This scene will begin as a roleplaying encounter and the BBG will make the players an offer to switch sides and join his organisation. He might also threaten to kill the captive if they dont lay down their weapons. The party have some high stakes goals here:
1) save the captive
2) take the mark alive
3) join/make a deal with the crime-lord
4) unmask the BBG
5) kill the BBG
6) flee with what intel they have and regroup for a bigger assault
--- End quote ---
ah, should be fun. Does the rival Evil Bad Guy (EBG) have magic support?
Druss_the_Legend:
Yeah Jubal is a slaver crime-lord. Hes an ex-gladiator who commands about 50 men. Pretty much a leader of a thieves guild who has the resources to hire toughs and hitmen when its required.
Cleric doesnt fit this adventure for a few reasons. Jubal has a distrust of magic and would not knowingly employ a cleric as a hawkmask. Also, because this is a one-shot designed to be played with total beginners I wanted to remove spell casters from the adventure altogether. When you are just learning what DB, half parry and manouvres are adding a layer of spells is potentially going to tip the scale of crunch towards heavy crunch. This is designed to be completed in under 4hrs so running a low magic adventure was intentional to save time and give a few less options to a beginner/novice who is playing rolemaster for the first time.
The Beggar King is a different story. He could have a spellcaster or two in his service for sure. These would be Nightblades or Monks most likely who had been recruited for their skills in subterfuge. I have left the possibility of a plot twist up in the air with the BBG being an undercover royal guard who is recruiting people to oppose Jubal with the goal to overthrow him. This could mean a magical disguise perhaps but could also be a simple disguise with a mask.
Druss_the_Legend:
The introduction/session zero includes an establishing shot of the city of Sanctuary then just prior to meeting with Jubal a Flashback scene to introduce each character.
Each player characters clear file includes:
* character sheet
* inventory sheet
* weapon tables
* record sheet (party notes, location notes, important NPC notes)
* 1-2 Fate Point tokens (the party leader has 2 tokens and is lvl6, the others are level5)
* one NPC ally card (geared to a specific location in the city that can be used once during the adventure)
* a unique Secret written on a small piece of folder paper with a special contact, in two cases the secret is related to their NPC ally card. Blind Jacob is an extra contact. The 'Spy for Jubal' is secret is not linked to any specific NPC.
Secrets are as follows:
* Underworld Ally - A retired assassin called The Butcher, is a secret contact of yours. The Butcher operates an outfitters in Westside near The Maze. He is a good source of rumours about activities in Westside and can supply discounted weapons, general supplies or specialist equipment. His shop contains a secret storeroom upstairs stocked with all manner of black market items. Jubal has given you orders to kill the Beggar King.
Courtesan Confidant - Lady Myrtis, the madame of Aphrodisia House is your secret contact. Myrtis gives you access to maps from almost any location in the city, including the Palace, The Maze and the sewers. Myrtis has hired you to find out the true identity of the Beggar King. She suspects he is someone connected to Prince Kittykat. You have advantage on persuasion checks with any guards or workers operating in the Street of Red Lanterns.
Blind Spy - You have a secret contact called Blind Jacob who works in the Bazaar selling sweetmeats. Blind Jacob is a valuable source of rumours and information. He employs two urchin gangs, one in Westside and one in The Maze as his eyes and ears. You may trade secrets with Blind Jacob and have advantage on persuasion skill checks with any urchins working for him. Jubal has given you orders to use the urchins to help find the lair of the Beggar King.
Deep Cover Agent - You are a spy for Jubal inside a rival organisation and are a member of a thieves guild called the Big Fish Gang. You know their strength of numbers and passwords. The gang's secret base of operations is the Flower Shop in the Street of Red Lanterns. They use the shop as a front for their smuggling operation. You have never seen their crime-lord leader, the Beggar King. When working undercover for the Big Fish Gang, you take orders from a dangerous swordsman known as The Scorpionfish. Jubal has given you orders to capture or kill his second in command - The Scorpionfish.
*
Each player has Specialised equipment. A mask with wings upswept which all of Jubal's men wear while on missions (unless they are off-duty or in disguise). These add 4 ranks to intimidation and persuasion skill checks versus NPCs of lower level than the number of ranks. Additionally each wing or unit has something unique from others.
>>> Blue Wing 2x deadly foe-seeking boomerangs(+25 to thrown skill).
>>> Red Wing 10x red feathered 'poisoned' arrows/bolts. (Paralysis lvl 3)
>>> White Wing 5 ranks in adrenal move strength and interrogation).
>>> Black Wing 1x superior lockpick kits (+30) and +25 in stalk and hide.
A purse of coins for bribes is given to the party leader.
Finally, I am thinking of adding a 'Traitor working for the Beggar King' secret but am reluctant to include this automatically as it sets one player secretly against the others and will need to be finely balanced. I think just giving all player characters the option of switching sides is a actually the same thing and with some subtle urging linked to their motivations may give them pause for thought and a difficult decision in the finale scene eg. The Beggar King (BBG) may have Blind Jacob on his payroll already which means this contact is automatically playing both sides.
pastaav:
A problem with Scene 2 is that lucky players might happen to capture the target if they are lucky with the dice. To some degree, you can fudge things so this does not happen, but preparing some kind of event that allows the target to escape might be a good idea.
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