Here's a list of hooks for a city or town setting. Kinda like a rumor table, except with more direct hooks. Enjoy!
1.) Bloodmoon: Local cattle are found dead, slain by some terrible beast. The townsfolk relate that the killings only occur under the light of the full-moon, and they suspect that one of their own is a were-creature. A women and her daughter are accused, and the mob calls for their deaths. The town guard currently protects the women, but with the mob growing bolder by the day, they will soon be overrun. A local priest approaches the adventurers - can they resolve the situation without bloodshed?
2.) The Heretic: A fat, successful merchant is quite popular in town. He throws lavish parties, makes loans, and gives free food to the poor. All he asks for in return, is homage to his strange god. The church is concerned that this man is leading folk away from the church - and they also desire the merchant’s wealth and holdings. This man must have his reputation is ruined, and more importantly, his property seized...
3.) The Beggar: A filthy beggar plies his craft in the marketplace. One day, the party receives a note with a royal seal - it is from the beggar and he wants to meet! The mystery deepens when the beggar relates that he is the bastard son of the royal heir, putting him in line for the crown. All he has to prove his claim is a royal signet ring. Will the adventurers help this man claim his birthright?
4.) Gentle Giant: A massive stone giant is held in captivity, forced to perform heavy labor. One day the giant reaches out to the party, telling them his sad tale. According to the giant, he is forced to toil so that his wife may live. The poor giantess is held in the dungeons of the Duke’s keep. The giant seeks assistance to free his wife, and he offers a map to a potent lost treasure.
5.) Free Labor: Someone or something is stealing corpses from the city’s churchyard. The investigation points out of town, and they need someone to investigate. Following the trail, the party reaches a distant logging camp - manned by lumberjack zombies! The desperate camp-boss needs the free labor to keep costs down, and he won’t let his secret get out.
6.) Bandit Bride: The church is in an uproar! Bandits have ransacked an important caravan, and the Prophetess is kidnapped and held for ransom. Though the authorities are on the case, the church has offered a substantial reward for anyone that bring the girl home safe. Unfortunately, the Prophetess has fallen in love with the dashing bandit chief and has no plans to come home...
7.) Precious Cargo: A desperate merchant needs his precious cargo returned at any cost. His wagon was attacked by ogres in the nearby hills, and he barely escaped alive. What seems an easy task gets complicated when the party learns that the cargo is a live nymph, bound for the slave dens.
8.) Dark Army: A drunken magician’s apprentice tells a strange tale: until recently, he assisted his evil master to find a legendary army of poly-morphed warriors. In the legend, the army slumbers in the form of trees, awaiting their master’s signal. Only the sound of a certain magic whistle can wake them. The apprentice believes his master a fool, and in spite he has stolen the whistle! Perhaps he’ll part with it for the right price...
9.) Rage: Something terrible has happened in one of the town’s parks. A tree suddenly awoke, revealing itself as a treant, and then attacked! No one knows what caused this calamity, but the treant must be reasoned with or put down. In order to save the noble creature, the party must act quickly for the watch is already massing.
10.) Guild War: Someone is knocking off local guild thieves, and the bodies are piling up down at the docks. The remaining thieves each suspect the others, and are holed up in their hideouts preparing for war. There is one witness - a young thief was there when his master died, and he claims a shadowy creature did the deed. He offers his master’s stash if someone can stop the assassinations before the guild tears itself apart.
11.) Worm Food: One night in the bazaar, the party is approached by a strange old man. He has only one item for sale: a jar of faintly glowing worms. The old man claims the worms come from deep underground and that they have unique magical properties. If a worm is placed in the ear of a sleeping man, when that person awakes, they will follow any command given by the last person who touched the worm. All he wants in return is a ticket out of town...
12.) Women Spurned: A tearful young women has a big problem; her betrothed broke off the engagement. She claims that he has been acting strangely ever since he returned from his latest exhibition, and she is worried for him. What she does not know is that the young man was slain and replaced with a changeling, and that a nest of the vile beasts now infests his family’s barn.
13.) Bugged Out: The great stone mill has a terrible bug infestation. The miller was working to exterminate them himself until he spied giant centipedes coming up through holes in the cellar. The miller needs a sharp sword to clear out the old stone foundations, foundations with strange carvings and irregular angles...
14.) The Mirror: An old landlady keeps hearing strange noises in the attic of her tenement. She went to look and spied blood - blood and the corpses of hundreds of pigeons! Afraid to return, the old lady wants a strong warrior to root out what ever pest resides there. There is no monster in the attic, however. Just a strange old mirror with a trail of blood and feathers leading to it...
15.) Watery Grave: Young, healthy men are being found dead - drowned in the river. The town cannot account for this tragedy, but a little boy has an interesting story. He said that while fishing, he saw a women arise from the water and lure a man into the water. The women then drowned the poor man. No one believes the boy’s story, but the deaths continue.
16.) The Witches: A terrified baker has an outlandish tale. He awoke one night and his wife was gone. Following her outside, he trailed her to the old stones on the hill outside of town. There with other masked women, she summoned a hideous demon from a bubbling cauldron! The baker fled for his life, and is afraid to return home. He desperately wants someone to confront his lady wife.
17.) The Gardener: A humble gardener is making a splash at court. It is said that the beauty of his flowers is unsurpassed, and his bouquets are the envy of every noble lady. Other, stranger rumors, talk of fevered dreams and hallucinations after touching the mysterious plants. A local thief is assembling operatives to enter the gardener’s grounds and steal his secrets.
18.) River Pirates: A merchant (or thief) has knowledge of an immanent river raid. The merchant wants the river pirates crushed to protect his own ships, but he also wants the cargo of his rival. He will pay handsomely if the party will run off the bandits, and bring him the cargo secretly. Oddly, the only cargo aboard the ship, is a stallion with mysterious markings...
19.) Desperate Father: A father grieves for the death of his beloved daughter. He tells any that will listen, that while he was a priest he handled a sacred relic - a relic with the power to restore the dead to life. The man begged the church to use its magic, but in spite they refused, as his punishment for his leaving their order. The man is mad with grief, and will share knowledge of the church’s defenses to any who will assist him.
20.) Young Fool: A foppish young noble is looking for “experienced beast-tamers.” If the party passes his tests of loyalty, he explains his quandary. Whilst hunting in the woods, he came upon a strange cave. Inside was the carcass of a long dead dragon. Among the considerable treasure, he discovered a single dragon egg! Unfortunately the egg has hatched, and the youth needs help to transport the rambunctious dragon to his family’s country estate. If the party helps him, he will lead them to the dragon’s cave.
The Orcs of Terra Nova
The Orcs! Orcs are savage and verminous humanoids, commonly found in cold or mountainous regions. Aggressive and territorial, Orcs possess amazing fecundity and are able to quickly overrun large areas. The only check on their numbers is their natural aversion for warmth and sunlight, and their culture of violence.
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| Felldrax the Half Orc |
Appearance: Orcs resemble primitive, porcine humanoids, with thick rubbery skin and bristle-like hair. Orcs are slope-headed and snouted, with underdeveloped eyes and boar’s tusks. They are stooped and bow legged, with long muscular arms.
Society: Orcs form small tribes, lead by a single dominant Orc and his lieutenants - often assisted by a handful of mystics or shamans. Tribal groups are chaotic and unstable, and few persist for any significant length of time. Orcs consider all other life forms to be inferior, and especially despise Elves and Dwarves. Though they speak the tongue of Goblins, they are not friendly with goblinoids, and frequently war with them. Orcs do accept the company of Ogres and evil humans.
Religion: Orcs are superstitious and cowardly, and they rely on shamans or witch doctors to guide them in spiritual matters. Many Orc mythologies claim that their race is descended from Pa Kur, the human deity of war. Even more popular than the Blood God, is Gor Gromar, a unique Orcish deity of gluttony, wrath, and cannibalism.
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| Gor Gromar |
Breeds: Orc breeds or sub-species include human/orc hybrids (Half Orcs), orc/ogre hybrids (Ogrillons), and Deep Orcs (Orogs). Breeds are generally looked on with derision by pure Orcs, even though they are often hardier and more intelligent.
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| Orge Fist Tribe |
An Invocation
DM: “I am the Dungeon Master; the final authority of this universe I have created. Only I know the perilous course which you are about to take. Danger lies behind every corner, and death can come at any time. But great treasures await those who are cunning, powerful, or lucky enough to reach it. Do you accept these risks and take up the quest?”
PLAYER: “I am Character Name, Class level or title, and/of Deed Name/Patronym etc. I will take up the quest.”
DM: “Then close your eyes, open your mind, and I’ll transport you to another realm.”
Possible Adventure Paths
I've been thinking about the Basic Game a lot lately, and I've decided to offer my players a chance to vote on the next episode. Normally, these things should be much more fluid, developing naturally in-game. However, when you have a game that meets only four times each year, its nice to be able to cut straight to the parts we all enjoy. It also helps to have ample time to design scenarios that can be completed in just a single session. So with that in mind, I've developed the following three hooks, which will be voted on next session. Each is inspired by a particular module or set of modules.
The Castle - Darius Magnus of Magnus & Sons is organizing an exhibition to Old Castle Crymere, seven miles east of Parousia. The Dwarves recently acquired the deed, but found the castle infested with monsters. The word in local taverns is that they are paying large sums for “Qualified Eviction Personnel.” Other, darker, rumors suggest that the castle is haunted by the ghost of Garcon “the Lion” Crymere. (Castle Caldwell / Ghost of Lion Castle Mashup)
The Wedding - Iwai the Elf needs someone to transport an expensive gift to the wedding of the Elf-King’s daughter. According to Iwai, the maiden is preparing to marry “the Spirit of the Mountain,” an event of supreme importance to the elves. For his gift to reach the celebration in time, someone must travel up the Chlorothon River, then travel overland through the dangerous Neverwood forest.
(Rahasia with a touch of No Dignity in Death: the Three Brides)
The Investigation - Late one night you are approached by a hooded figure. He identifies himself as Sir Glenbarren, royal spy-master and advisor to the Queen! Glenbarren needs capable and tight-lipped agents to investigate rumors that the Sanctum of Sorcery (the kingdom’s highest magical academy) has fallen to unknown forces. The mission requires the upmost discretion, but the potential reward is a favor from the Queen herself. The Sanctum of Sorcery lies many days travel to the west, in the Steppes of Nyros. (This one is using Elwyn's Sanctuary as a base, but will be quite different.)
I've talked to just one player who seemed to lean strongly toward the first option. If they go that route, I may follow that up with a Night's Dark Terror adaptation for the campaign's finale!!!
Chaz
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