Post by DM Sol_train on Aug 28, 2015 3:15:55 GMT
This is the basis of a mini-arc in my current campaign.
1. Hook/1st Act: Players recruited by a merchant who says customers stole a bag of holding from his store. He provides directions to where they live, and also warns them he has heard they might actually be dopplegangers so they should beware and ready for a fight.
In reality, nothing was stolen, the couple in question witnessed a murder and the local organized crime ring leans on the merchant to arrange them being killed. He's not a "real" bad guy, so won't outright contract a killing, more hoping the group will just go in cross-bows blazing away w/o asking questions.
Either peaceful (as my players did) or violently (another option) the PCs will not find a stolen bag of holding. In fact, by scouting and playing cool, they find out that the couple saw someone being killed, and they gave a statement to the police. If they go in blasting, they'll miss that nugget which comes in handy later.
2. 2d Act: Players confront merchant. Will likely result in a chase scene, and catch, or if he looses them they'll have to try again later or ambush him at some point. Players can learn from him a little about a group that he has to pay protection money to, and also that he only sent them on the wild-goose chase to keep from getting killed himself. At some point after this meeting the party is confronted/attacked by a group of the thugs, maybe they're even tougher than the group and the group either runs, or the thugs depart due to town guards arriving at the scene of the fight.
3. 3d Act: Players have to research and learn more about this outfit, how the stores under their "protection" are marked, and with enough investigation will learn some of their routines, habits, and which tavern they seem to operate out of. Players can either use local law enforcement (and the ones in that neighborhood are on the payroll of the crime gang as well) or go to the main city force, or try to confront the thugs again. Option 1 or 2 could lead to a false arrest of the party by the dirty cops - would need to resolve that story arc first and perhaps involves the party escaping and having to clear their name. Ultimately party has a chance to demonstrate to the higher police/guard HQs that they were improperly arrested and may suspect or hear rumors after their arrest that these cops are dirty - at least some of them are, as the station LT is well known for his piety, charity, etc - maybe the brother-in-law of the CPT of the whole town guard, in fact the LT maybe the one who clears their name as he investigates his station. Option 3 confronting the thugs again leads to act 4.
4. 4th Act: Group confronts the crime group on their home turf. If they've done a good deal of recon and prep they should be prepared to defeat the thugs whom they've already fought once. however, if the group hasn't cleared up the dirty police aspect they could find cops in the back room of tavern conspiring with the crime gang which may make the fight too much for the group requiring them to disengage, but also then giving them reason to go direct to higher HQ. If group defeats thugs, they can turn over evidence etc to the police. However, the Boss is a high level NPC, who the PCs never confront - maybe they catch a glimpse of someone going out the back during the battle, or the cops inform them that they got the enforcers...but not the leader. If by chance the PCs think fast or chase the boss, have her easily and quickly dispatch them to neg HPs and mock their weakness, but also threaten them to stay out of her turf.
5. Long Arc. This is really just a mini-arc that then will pit the players against this OC ring's leader, who will over time become their key antagonist as she continues to try to re-establish her control over this section of town. Obviously this becomes a big story line, but one that comes and goes as the PCs defeat portions of the organization, but ultimately at some point the PCs will begin to get intel on the Boss resulting in the final confrontation.
Twist: At the final confrontation, the leader turns out to be a man disguised as a women....and its the LT station chief (and BIL of town guard CPT) who released them/cleared their name way back in Act 3.