Topic: How best deliver Plot information?

[IronSoul_AMS]

I am writing a campaign and thus far as per my plot the PCs who are in the Eshidorian Army (My creation)) have been indelibly labeled as traitors. Now they must flee I have several scenarios written out for them depending on their reactions. What I do not know what to do is how to deliver the plot information.

The core of the campaign is for the PCs hunting down the pieces of the Magnum Opus. Which are three items.

Canvas of Possibilities
Brush of Reality
Palette of Never-Ending.

If someone paints a picture using them the picture becomes absolute reality. How best can I deliver this information? That they were framed in an effort to recover not only a piece of the Magnum Opus, but to intentionally start a war? Also I am using GreyHawk as a world and 95.99999% of its content. Not sure if it helps or not.
 

[jdale]

That's pretty open-ended. Some classic methods might include:
* They intercept (perhaps inadvertently) letters revealing some of this information.
* They seek information about who framed them, and discover information (e.g. letters, scrolls).
* They meet an oracle or fortune teller who gives them clues.
* Someone in the know feels remorseful about how they were treated and tries to give them a way out.
* Someone believes they know something important and tries to get the information from them, revealing the names of the items or other similar clues. Could be someone trying to buy the info, or even kidnapping one or more of them to interrogate it out of them.
* Someone seeks revenge against them and, in a fit of monologing, reveals information that means more than intended/expected.
* They overhear someone talking about it in the tavern.
* They get hired to carry out revenge against the culprits... the patron doesn't realize it's them, but hopefully they figure it out quick!

For your particular items, you might also have them encounter a work of art created using just one or two of the items. Not quite real, but it might have obvious properties, e.g. a moving painting or one usable for scrying, that might get them wondering where it came from. You could even have this work of art be aware and wanting to be completed, but it's not real enough to act on its own (e.g. it's a person who is unable to leave the picture frame), trying to persuade them to help.

[yammahoper]

When found include a stack of paintings of historical events. the paintings are amateur, signe and dated. the dates are all before the events occurred

[IronSoul_AMS]

The Pieces create a Pentimento which exisit in the world as is is. The are paintings which vary in size and shape. Each Pentimento is an expression of a universal truth, math,sciences,reason,or spiritual concepts. Some care easy to grasp, others most of the time are a danger to look at. By default Pentimentos exist simply because they do. Nothing creates them...the just are.

The ability to create a Pentimento is the ultimate weapon as they can create something and make it Law, and Reality.

At this time the PCs will be in the middle of a highway with a caravan and discover they have been framed. That their last delivery of supplies was a trick. They are at this time in the middle of nowhere really.

They can march back to the castle which they will find a destroyed castle.
Flee to someones home they meet at a Bazaar, which will trigger a subquest.
Or...flee to the river...and end up in the GreyLands another subquest.

Should reference of the Pieces be in the ruins of the Castle? If they opt to not return how else can I deliver the information?

[jdale]

A bazaar is a good place to find art or to overhear loose talk. To be offered employment, to be sold rumors, to get a fortune told.

A destroyed castle could have things left in the ruins, or there could be survivors who are motivated to get revenge, or aid those who will get it for them. It's also possible one of those who helped destroy it has come back to find something in the ruins and could be caught in the act.

The Greylands... I don't know anything about Greyhawk really, can't help with this one.

[IronSoul_AMS]

Greylands is something I made up.

How it lays out .

Soldiers head out to deliver caravan>Stop at a Bazaar to resupply> Head to castle and deliver caravan of goods.> PCs head home> Soldier from another company stops them telling them its a trap.> PCs choice of actions.
 
PCs are aware of this betrayal and know they are wanted dead.
Return to Castle> Castle ruined and massacre> How to deliver plot information?
Head to Lucian house> How to deliver Plot information?
Head to Greylands by river boat> How to deliver plot information?

[markc]

I like jdales ideas and also thought that they could ask the dead if they had the right magic items and or spells other wise I think he hit on all of the ideas that pop'd right into my mind.
MDC

[HawksNut]

How about captured and put into hard labor. A wise convict or another convict who was equally framed gives them some clues.

Similar to the Count of Monte Cristo?

[Witchking20k]

They find a scrying stone surrounded by scorch marks.  The stone (an heirloom of the kings?) reacted to the massacre (absorbing a portion of the conciousness of some individuals; a maid, a scribe, a knight...noble) and can recall the events around it....but the PCs must attune to it and win the confidence of the spirits contained before it will divulge the clues (all from the spirits perspective).  I am currnetly using a variation of this
   

[Bruce]

Greylands is something I made up.

How it lays out .

Soldiers head out to deliver caravan>Stop at a Bazaar to resupply> Head to castle and deliver caravan of goods.> PCs head home> Soldier from another company stops them telling them its a trap.> PCs choice of actions.
 
PCs are aware of this betrayal and know they are wanted dead.
Return to Castle> Castle ruined and massacre> How to deliver plot information?
Head to Lucian house> How to deliver Plot information?
Head to Greylands by river boat> How to deliver plot information?

1. Why is it a trap (why were they framed)? Maybe the soldier knows something about why they are being framed.
If the soldier doesn't know much except they are being framed then the PC's would have to investigate why.
2. Does this magnum opus have anything to do with why they are being framed? It makes sense that it should otherwise why would they seek out these art items?
Also, don't count on the PC's following any of the choices you put out. 90% of the time the people I have GM'd for end up doing something completely unexpected.

I would say the soldier NPC knows something that may help out the characters. If the art stuff was used to frame the party then the soldier might say something about a magical painting being involved. One of the PC's may have a contact in their background that may help.
FYI I usually add some minor details to the PC backgrounds so as to add plot hooks that I can easily snag them on when needed. If your group does not usually do backgrounds (it is somewhat of a requirement in my "campaign" games) then you can just add that one of the party members knows of a mage that specializes in magical art.

If you have a plot outlined that you can relay to me then I could help out better if you would like. I would suggest PMing me or someone else as you never know if any of your group is on these forums.

FYI I am about to hit a year on this HARP campaign I am running. That is apparently a record for the people in my group. When I run a campaign they tend to run for a while. I ran a RM campaign that lasted like 3 years in the late 90's. My longest campaigns are D&D 2nd ed with about 5 years and a Marvel Superheroes for about 6 or 7 years in the 80's.

[Druss_the_Legend]

Bit late to the party here but...

I use rumours to give generic information and some valid story hooks to the players.
works well. im also using informant NPC's to drip feed plot info.
one of the pc's is a sleeper agent, who gets intel/secret missions from the enemy (various factions are vying for control of the city, among these are two rival assassin's guilds and a crimelord who employs mercenaries to carry out illegale operations like smuggling).