Adventure #24

Espionage
Theme
Espionage adventures are active, grim scenarios involving spying and perhaps other cloak-and-dagger deeds such
as assassination or rescue.
Protect Endangered NPC(s)
Goal
One or more NPCs are in danger, and the characters must protect them. They might be doing this for a reward, or
because one or more of the NPCs is a friend or relative of the character. You need to decide what the characters are
protecting the NPCs from. The NPC might be a wealthy or powerful person being sought by assassins or
kidnappers. The NPC might be a whole village of peasants who are being terrorized by a bandit chieftan.
Missing Memories
Story Hook
One or more of the PCs wakes up with no memory of the recent past, and now they find themselves in some kind
of trouble they don't understand. The PCs must find the reason for the memory lapse, and solve any problems they
uncover in the meantime.
Event
Plot
For this plot, choose some sort of event -- a tournament, a holiday, a celebration called by the king, a masked ball,
or whatever -- and set the commencement of the Master Villain's plan against that backdrop.
Chase to Ground
Climax
First, you have the Heroes Chasing the Villain. The villain, after a series of encounters with the heroes, is running
to safety, to some place where he can acquire more power, or to somehwere he can accomplish some dread
purpose such as assassination or mass murder. The heroes chase him, have to deal with the obstacles he leaves
behind, and finally catch up to him before or just as he reaches his goal. Here, we have the final duel between the
villains forces and the heroes. Second, you have the Villain Chasing the Heroes. Often, in a story like this, the
heroes have found out how to defeat the villain -- such as getting to a particular temple and conducting a particular
ritual. The villain chases them all through their quest, catching up to them just as they're commenciing their ritual;
they must, with heroic effort, conclude the ritual while suffering his attacks. Third, you have the Master Villain's
Sudden Escape Attempt. This takes place in adventures where the Master Villain's identity is unknown until the
end. His identity is revealed and he makes a sudden bolt for freedom; the heroes give chase. This usually results in
a dangerous foot-chase through nasty terrain -- such as across rooftops, through the dungeons, or across an active
battlefield.
Exotic Distant Land
General Setting
The adventure will take the heroes to some fascinating and exotic distant country, where they'll have to cope with
new customs, monsters unfamiliar to them, and very colorful NPC encounters; choose one of the more fascinating
foreign lands from your campaign world.
Classic Dungeon
Specific Setting I
This would be the standard monster-filled labyrinth; perhaps it's a nesting ground for the master villain's monster
troops.
Catacombs Specific Setting
II
These can be catacombs beneath a living city or a ruined one; they can be long-forgotten or still in use.
Ravager
Master Villain
This Master Villain is like the Destroyer, except that he terrorizes a very limited area -- such as a village, island,
castle, or clan stronghold. (He may want to destroy the whole world but be trapped where he is; perhaps his efforts
to free himself constitute the adventure's plot.) He stays in his area and terrorizes whatever comes into it.
Inquisitor
Minor Villain I
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.
Corrupted Hero
Minor Villain II
This villain was once a hero, possibly one known to the players. He was seduced by the dark side of the dungeon
master. Because of his own weakness, or of a curse, he has become a villain, a pawn of the Master Villain.
Tragic Fellow Hero
Ally/Neutral
The heroes are in the company of some hero well-known to them; he may have been a companion or ally, or they
may just know him by reputation. He is a tragic figure; he may have lost his family to the master villain, or lost his
properties and titles, or be afflicted with a curse he cannot be rid of, or be committed to a quest he knows will take
his life. He's dour, and gloomy, prophesying doom and having no fun at all.
Assassin Monster
Monster
Encounter
This mosnter, at some time in the adventure, is sent by the Master Villain to attack one or more heroes when
they're at their most vulnerable -- asleep, enjoying themselves, etc. Usually, the Assassin Monster attacks, but the
hero, though injured, is able to hold it off long enough for his friends to respond to his shouts. The Assassin
Monster is usually killed by his friends, who can then speculate on who sent it and why.
Belligerent Soldier
Character
Encounter
The billigerent one has just had his ears pinned back by his commanding officer and is anxious to take it out on
some hapless civilian. If this is a city gate, he claims that the hero's papers are wrong or that he recognizes the hero
from descriptions of a wanted criminal; if this is the streets, he insults the hero's lack of military bearing, pretty
looks, clothes, smell, companion, or whatever it takes to provoke a reaction.
Demolition Zone
Deathtrap
In this classic deathtrap, the heroes are placed (usually bound and weaponless) in some building or area just as it's
due to be destroyed.
Footrace
Chase
The chase involves the characters on foot, probably through such terrain as city streets or the corridors of a palace.
One hero may realize that the's being pursued by a party of enemies and choose to run for it; the heroes may have
caught up to the Master Villain, prompting him to run for his life.
Fortune Teller Predicts Doom
Omen/Prophesy
This is an ominous encounter: A fortune-teller predicts doom for one of the heroes, or for some community
menaced by the Master Villain. Shortly after, some calamity should befall the hero: He can be attacked by an
assassin, be in a building when it is struck by fire or an earthquake, or suffer other danger. Investigation of the
events can then point the heroes toward the Master Villain as the event's instigator.
Element
Secret Weakness
The Master Villain can be banished, dispelled, killed, or otherwise defeated by some of element or item. The
Master Villain tries to get rid of all the examples of this element in his vicinity; he doesn't let his minions carry it
or bring it into his presence. But he's not stupid; he doesn't announce to the world what his weakness is. He tries to
hide his concern within another command. If he's allergic to red roses, for instance, he orders all "things of beauty"
destroyed within miles of his abode.
No Hurting the Villain
Special
Condition
For some reason, the heroes cannot afford to fight the villain directly. For instance, what if a demon possesses the
body of the child of one of the characters, or a very important child spoken of in prophecy, one without whom the
world will perish?
Respect Quandry
Moral Quandry
This is much like the Ally Quandry, only at a greater distance. The heroes have been utilizing the aid of two (or
more) powerful NPC allies. Now, in the course of the adventure, the heroes come across a task which can be
accomplished in one of two ways -- say, through military intervention or by esoteric magic. The problem is, the
NPC allies are arguing for different choices, and the one whom the heores choose against will no longer aid them.
Extraneous Details
Red Herring
When giving the heroes details on their enemy -- for instance, details they are learning from investigations and
readings -- you can give them just a few details too many. This may prompt the heroes to investigate the "extra"
(i.e., irrelevant) details in addition to the relevant onces, thus losing them valuable time.
Wanted by the Law
Cruel Trick
One final complication, one which occurs pretty frequently, is when the heroes are wanted by the law. When
they're wanted by the law, they have to travel in secret and very limited in the resources they can acquire.
Based on tables from the Dungeon Master's Design Kit by TSR, Inc.