ADVENTURE # 84

Action/Adventure
Theme

Goal

Story Hook

This is the most common and straightforward sort of adventure there is. In the Action/Adventure scenario, you present your characters with a task and
then confront them with obstacles to overcome in order to accomplish the task successfully.
Thwart Monstrous Plan
This is a classic fantasy-adventure plot: The characters learn of some horrible plan made by a monstrous enemy, and must thwart it before the
kingdom is lost or the world is destroyed. This is an epic goal, and usually requires that the characters go to all sorts of places, rounding up allies and
artifacts, before being strong enough to face their enemy.
Legend and Rumor
In this classic story hook, the hero stumbles across some new or long-forgotten knowledge that promises great treasure or gain.
A-B-C Quest

Plot

This is an epic sort of plot. In it, the heros are given (or undertake) a task to perform: The taking of a city, the rescue of an innocent, the destruction of
a monster, the creation of a magical item, the defeat of a Master Villain, etc. But the path to victory is not a simple one. To get to their goal, Event A,
they find that they must first accomplish some other task -- Event B. But when they undertake the task of accomplishing Event B, they find that they
must first accomplish Event C. This goes on for several encounters, until the heroes accomplish all the obstacle events which prevent them from
returning to Event A, their original goal.
Scattered Duels

Climax

In this climax, the heroes have gotten to the end of their quest -- they may have broken into, sneaked into, or escaped from imprisonment within the
villain's citadel, or have marched into the little town where the villain is holed up -- and they become separated. You can separate them by having
traps and tricks break the party apart, by having them see two or three things they must resolve (such as danger to innocents or the appearance of
minion villains) pop up simultaneously; they'll have to run in all directions at the same time or suffer failure. Once the party is broken down into bitesized chunks, you confront each individual or small group with the enemy or enemies he most deserves to face -- his personal enemy, the monster
which defeated him before, etc. -- for a grand series of climactic duels.

Cosmopolitan City
General Setting 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.
Military Encampment
Specific Setting I This is best used in an episode involving warfare; it could be the good-guy army's encampment, from which the heroes launch their adventures, or the
villains' encampment, in which case the heroes might have to sneak in on a mission or escape from it if they're captured.
Mansion of a Lord
Specific Setting
This can be the home of a villain -- the characters may have to break in and rescue someone or steal evidence, or break out if they've been captured -II
or of a heroic ally, in which case it may be used as the headquarters for the heroes' plans and activities.
Lovable Rogue
This Master Villain isn't really evil -- he's just chaotic and fun. Cheerful bandits in the forest who rob from the rich and give to the poor, singing and
Master Villain rope-swinging pirate kings, and romantic, sophisticated duellists all belong to the category of the Lovable Rogue. Often, the Rogue will not be behind
the nastiness the heroes are encountering; he may be in competition with them for the prize they're seeking. Often the heroes and the Rogue (and his
minions) will have to team up to succeed at their task. Just as often, the Rogue will try to get away with the whole treasure.
Childhood Friend with a Dark Secret
Minor Villain I This Minor Villain is like the character of the same name from the Allies and Neutrals section. However, the heroes find out early on that he's really
working for the Master Villain. He may not wish to be helping the villains; his family may be held hostage, or he may just be too frightened of the
villain or otherwise weak-willed to refuse. Alternatively, he could actually be evil now.
Inquisitor
Minor Villain II This villain is the one who interrogates the heroes and NPCs captured by the villains. He accompanies the other Minor Villain out into the field and
works on anyone captured; he enjoys inflicting pain and suffering.
Villain Ally
Ally/Neutral

For some reason, the heroes find themselves in the company of a villain. Perhaps he's a minion of this adventure's master villain; he may be guiding
the heroes to wherever they must leave a ransom, or, if the master villain is forcing the heroes to perform some mission, this villain ally is along to
make sure they do it right. Whatever the reason, he's competent, unpredictable, and out for himself.

Monster
Encounter

Foreshadowing Monster
With this monster encounter, combat may not be necessary. This monster encounter exists to alert the characters to the fact that something unusual is
going on, a foreshadowing of their upcoming conflicts with the Master Villain.

Character
Encounter

Thief
At some point in their adventure, the heroes have a run-in with thieves.
Pit and the Pendulum

Deathtrap

Actually, we're applying this term to any of many time-delay deathtraps. In this sort of trap, the villains 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.
Special Terrain

Chase

You can make any chase more memorable by having it take place in a setting to which it is utterly unsuited. For instance, horse chases are fine and
dramatic when they take place through the forest, out in the open plains, or along a road -- but they become diabolical when they take place inside the
Royal Palace or in dangerous, labrynthine, treacherous catacombs.

Innocent Fulfills Prophecy

Omen/Prophesy An innocent could fulfill a prophecy -- one which endangers his/her life. This innocent might, for instance, be the one who is supposed to slay the
king, but is not a mighty adventurer able to protect himself from the king; the heroes may find themselves sheltering and helping this poor dupe.
Secret Embarrassment
Secret Weakness Finally, the villain may have some aberration or secret shame that will force him to flee when he is 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.
Special
Condition

Coping with a Curse

The curse might be making the hero progressively uglier, might be draining out his life-force (he's losing experience which will be retruned if he

succeeds), or might be making him progressively insane. Each day, as he sees his reflection in a mirror or pond or fountain, he'll know himself to be
less than he used to be.
Saving Quandry
Moral Quandry Finally, another classic quandry puts the heroes in the position of choosing between a grand opportunity to hurt the Master Villain -- or saving the
lives of a number of individuals.
Lying Rumor
Red Herring

This is the worst and most useful type of red herring -- the interesting rumor which just happens to be false. In adventures of this sort, the best Lying
Rumor concerns the Master Villain; it gives the heroes some "important" information about him which later turns out to be useless.
NPC Turns Traitor

Cruel Trick

He may alert he enemy when the heroes are planning a raid; he may steal the artifact and take it to the villain; he may stab a hero or important NPC in
the back (literally) before departing.