@ChrisPerkinsDnD I've got two new players who are veteran D&D players. All they want to do is carouse. Any advice to get them adventuring?
— Michael Drescher (@belorinfox) November 15, 2015
Fast forward.
"After a night of carousing, you travel north. Three days later, you arrive at the ruined keep." https://t.co/AQDE66Lspb
— Christopher Perkins (@ChrisPerkinsDnD) November 15, 2015
Awareness checks. 15 or better to catch some one dropping something in their drinks. On being caught culprit squeeks out “bye!bye!” And teleports away. If failed the carousing continues. At the third drink con saves. 15 or better, they’re feeling a nice buzz, 10-14, they’re somewhat tipsy, 5-10, they’re in a stupor and cant move, less than 5 they wake up in an alley naked (or in their underware if a pg game). Obviously, they will want to take vengance on whoever robbed them. On exploring a bit, they are in a different city. Guards tell them we’ve gotten a lot of this lately. Loan standard gear and send on “filler quests”. Nothing hard, just some random stuff to eat up a session with. Rest of party investigates trying to find their lost comrades. Next session guards reward carousers with free teleportation back to where they started. Now we have several hooks here:
1. Caught in the act
2. Vengance is mine
3. Labour shortage
4. Sigourney Weaver eat your heart out
1. Caught In The Act
Track down the person who tried to spike their drinks. In an adult game they have to take down a “companionship” ring that has been drugging people and selling them off as “playmates”. In a pg game they have to track down thieves roofying people so that they are easier to rob.
2. Vengance Is Mine
On waking up in the alley find bootprints. Find den of thieves. Kill said thieves. Get reward from guards. Later meet a band of tougher thieves looki g for vengance. This can become a recurring theme throughout the rest of the campaign with random attacks by various groups seeki g vengance. It can even culminate in discoveri g a corrupt official (mayor, governor, Baron, wizard, king) seeking to hide their involvement or the involvement of a loved one with the thieves.
3. Labour Shortage
After being reunited with the rest of the party many people in the town are overneard talking about the recent abductions. Some easy rolls will have information pointing to it being a plot by the other city (on the other continent or next door, dm choice) having tried to hire adventurers and failing. Turns out all the money there is cursed. The entire party gets roofied and has to work for the other guards again to get free. This can open multiple hooks. Break the curse, find out how the gold keeps getting re-cursed, shut down the abductions operation (hak an slash or expose them to the king), discover we’re not in kansas any more (a good way to force players into other realms they don’t normally play in) forcing a quest to get home.
4. Eat Your Heart Out Sigourney Weaver
They wake up in the town they were carousing in and after regular awareness rolls ( dm choice how many it takes to kick in) feel ill. No con save works. To make them imune. Nat 20 only means they don’t feel ill untill the big burst is upon them. Infection can be revealed through spells, roll play or via npc if they’re not getting it.
Carousing is a great way to toss players in a situation they never expected. Wake up covered in blood next to a dead body. Instant framed for murder adventure. Can you say fugitive?
Secretly inducted into the kings royal secret agents . . . weather they want to or not. Bourne again?
Tossed in a drunk tank and caught up in a runaway escape attempt by the shades of knight. Robinhood men in tights? or prince of thieves?
The possibilities are endless.
Mighty Doug
Thank you