I Just Gave My Players Mythic Abilities. What Next?

So, in our last game, the players were rewarded by the keeper of an artifact with Tier 1 Mythic abilities. This adventure was an unusual one for them as they rarely actually "go adventuring", but prefer to stay in their home city and have urban games with lots of roleplaying and behind the scenes manipulation rather than out and out fighting. I'm personally getting a bit tired of of it, but it's what they want to do with this campaign so I try to accommodate them, as long as they actually get out and get their hands dirty once in a while.

But my conundrum is this; how do you challenge Mythic characters in an urban environment? There are only so many clandestine cults they can expose, so many gang wars they can instigate, and so many kidnapped children they can save. They've recently made friends with the new Emperor, so I guess I can have my fun outside the walls adventures as things he's asked them to do, but beyond that I'm kinda stumped.

So, any ideas for Mythic urban games?

You can tie some of the past events to a much larger conspiracy, which pushes them to multiple metros and/or other locations to gather clues - eventually pulling them to a ruined city or plane-shifted prison. If they really like behind the scenes role-playing, then kudos to you for delivering on this.

If you're looking to adapt something, the first four installments in the Warhammer The Enemy Within campaign can be mined for material.

I'm trying to think of good story cycles, but coming up blank. If I think of some, I'll post.

Thanks. Your initial idea is a good one!

You need a BIG conspiracy. Like Illuminati Wizards, or a cult dedicated to an active Elder God that will send Byakhee to chew investigators' faces off.

Or ninjas. Ninjas are always good.

I was actually looking at something from Indian folklore, The Nine Unknown Men, who supposedly held between them all the knowledge in the universe and who also controlled the world. So we're on the same page with big conspiracies here!

Well, while listening to old Manowar records, I think the song "Dark Avenger" just gave me an idea.

Dark Avenger - Manowar

If they stick to one place like that, surely they have begun gathering a reputation?

If they start to demonstrate mythic powers, that will only add to the spread of stories about them.

Funny thing about building a reputation is that people begin to seek you out. People in need of help, and beings in search of a challenge can both come a calling. Having a permanent address makes mythic figures easy to find.

Good point!

What about tying outside adventures to the city? A spurned mage has spent the past year trying to bring a meteor down on to the city, and they have to stop it somehow. Godzilla attacks. A portal to the Abyss or the Nine Hells opens up by some cultists and they release demons into the city. The Modron March comes to the city, innocently doing damage everywhere (edit: fun things to do with the modron March is to threaten the modrons from an outside force so the PCs have to deter the modrons while at the same time protect them).

You can keep the urban setting and just bring the threat to them. All of these are appropriate for mythic adventures.

Look into the Vilderavn. Could really shake things up in a urban setting and turn them on their heels xD

I did a similar thing in an earlier story arc, where an arcanist used a wish to summon dragons to attack and destroy the city. Most of the city was burned to the ground, and the players have been actively involved in the rebuilding the city and rehoming the refugees and helping the wounded by spending their own cash and setting up trade with other countries to help bring in relief supplies.

I'm a little hesitant to bring another devastation on the city so soon after the dragon attack, but there are rumors of war coming from the Hobgoblin nations after the players embarrassed their emissaries and sent them home in disgrace in a recent adventure. So an outside threat is building, but hasn't attacked yet. I'm actually thinking of an adventure where they go to the Hobgoblins and offer an olive branch, but if the offer of peace is refused then war will probably be inevitable.

You know, a good old fashioned war is always a good campaign arc. Bring back the classics.

That too.

Have your seen the 2012/2013 The Three Musketeers? Those guys acted like royal troubleshooters for France. Given the players new relationship with the Emperor? Makes sense to replicate.

Could go neverwinter nights style and say that a mysterious plague is starting to appear in the city and no cleric has been able to cure it , the high priest made contact with high outsider powers and heard that , the way to save the city is to go into a dungeon to recover said cure.

Or you could also change and instead of a dungeon say that a certain nation has said cure and the adventurers must be the ones sent to get it.

Or you could pretty much put anything here :P , be it a plane travel...

This shouldnt cause devastation to the city if you say they noticed it early and still should give the players a sense of urgency so the plague dont become said horror.

I like it.

Instead of conspiracies, why not upstarts? How about new enemies are trying to get settled into the city?

Instead of conspiracies, why not upstarts? How about new enemies are trying to get settled into the city?

Also a good idea. I just sent my group an email that "foretells" them of the types of upcoming challenges they will soon face. New foes inside the walls of their home city is certainly something they can look forward to dealing with.

Perhaps a shadow city version of the city they are in needs to be destroyed or saved. They could discover that their city is on top of an ancient megadungeon and you can just drop an entrance to something like Rappan Athuk or the Grande Temple of Jing into the game.

Pulling them into a nice planar adventure is a good option. Something like Beyond the Vault of Souls is a nice way to send them across the planes. You could also just pull them straight into Wrath of the Righteous.

Send them on a series of mythic trials across your world like the Trials of Hercules. The gods force them to leave their city. That would drive me nuts if they never wanted to leave. I think I'd start a new group. lol

Is this Golarion based or homebrewed? If it's homebrew, you have your work cut out for you and cannot take advantage of all of the great lore already laid out for you.

What level are your PCs currently?

It's homebrewed, set in a world I created over 20 years ago, though in a different part of the world than where I originally ran my older games.

The PCs are 11th level/Mythic 1 now. The party make up is a Psion Telepath, a Pugilist (3PP class), a Bard with the Investigator archetype and a Rogue. As for starting a new group, I've been with these guys nearly 30 years. I almost can't imagine gaming with anyone else.

I always find it easier to adapt adventures rather than build them from the ground up. That might not be what you're looking for, but I'll throw it out there.

The Demon Within is an 11th level module that you could re-skin for your world easily. Also, Beyond the Vault of Souls starts at 9th level, so with a little CR bump, it would be easy to adapt as well. Since it goes planar, the setting won't really matter.

The Grande Temple of Jing is easy to slot in anywhere and has enough crazy stuff in it to challenge even mythic characters. It's also a very interesting setting with its own puzzles and mysteries.

When I gave my players mythic abilities, they eventually learned they were granted by Golarion itself to help deal with an influx of evil mythic powers coming into the world. So they served as antibodies to deal with a disease to their world.

There are so many ways you could go. Just depends on what you want to do. Just don't forget to give them a study influx of mythic foes to oppose them. I drop in one or two per adventure, so they get used to fighting normals and then BAM! They run into a mythic wall and realize they have to take it serious.

I've got a little store credit, so I may try and pick up The Demon Within or Beyond the Vault of Souls. I'm not much good at running published modules (never have been. Not sure why) but I've read good things by people who've run them so I might give one of them a shot. Thanks!

Paizo sells those old gamemastery modules dirt cheap from time to time, so they're definitely worth grabbing. They're easy to update to PF as all you have to do is add in the CMB/CMD and mark the new bestiary page entries.

In The Demon Within, the players go to a ceremony with a great paladin order, so just reskin it for your world. And in Beyond the Vault of Souls, they get recruited for a planar mission.

Good luck!