So, yeah.
Wow.
I'm the DM for a pretty randy bunch of PCs running through the Shackled City. It's pretty complete already, yeah, but I need a little help from the source. See, I want to put in a bunch of side-quests, bounties, romances, all that crap. Which brings me to several points:
First off, I need IDEAS for some of these useless side-quests. What do you guys recommend?
Second, how does one move romance along in a tabletop RPG? I'm a second bass and bigger than all of my players, so there's no way in Hell I'm speaking in-character for Jil or Celeste. Just letting you know now...
And finally, does anybody have a piece-by-piece soundtrack for Shackled City? I know it's been asked before, but I've been looking for suggestions ever since I saw the soundtrack for Savage Tide in Dragon. Not really necessary, but fun to speculate.
I need IDEAS for some of these useless side-quests. What do you guys recommend?
I wouldn't recommend useless side quests.
What I would recommend are sidequests that assist/foreshadow the main story or embellish the overall enjoyment of the players. There are ample discussions on this forum specific to certain places in the story (i.e. lots of Flood festival ideas, possible romantic interests, an entirely different storyline by Delvesdeep and others, along with some other adventure ideas taken from Dungeon magazines). We have had a couple of people starting their SCAP recently so reading those threads would help.
Second, how does one move romance along in a tabletop RPG?
Romance is one of the most difficult concepts to get across in tabletop RPG, as it is an emotional involvement that some players and DMs have trouble dealing deal with. When a game is about stats, rolling dice and killing things, romance doesn't quite jibe the same. If you have players that are interested in roleplaying romance, the first step is to make sure you have pictures of the romantic interest. Secondly, it is the emotional impact and the specifics of what is being said, not the voice, that gets across a romantic interest.
Obviously, if you are not motivated in role-playing the romantic interest so that the character is interested, the player will be disappointed. By the same token, if you or the player are uncomfortable role-playing the conversations of such an encounter, it will be difficult to proceed. So up front, everyone must agree what is acceptable and what isn't.
I like the stuff you are talking about (though my players are indifferent).
For your first part, here are a few suggestions.
1) I would expand your information about the guard. There are really only two contacts (Skylar and Skellarang) but there is fruit for so much more. For example, Drakhthar's Way would be perfect for introducing more guards than that. Perhaps a wise-cracking guard member (like Lenny Brisko from Law&Order). With that foundation in place, you can use those NPCs as set-ups for little mysteries later. Like the mysterious dark woman who hangs out by the Lake (Shensen) or the cold case of the death of the two clerics of Pelor.
2) One of my players was a druid and I really had to work to bring stuff in from the surrounding wilderness. There is a lot of talk about the Demonskar but, in truth, the players don't see much about demons. So I had a couple of cases where the druid and friends visited exotic locales where it looked like demons were or had been. Specifically, a large waterfall and gorge (similar in surroundings to the end of the Fellowship of the Ring). What they found there was an abandoned camp that was used by demons and from which they set up an ambush.
3) Tygot was an underused resource, also. If he had something stolen, the players could come in to conflict with either of the two theives guilds. If he wanted something transported, he might hire the PCs. If he was looking for something specific, the PCs could go on a hunt for it.
4) I like your bounty idea. If you have anyone escape from Thifirane's party, that might be a good way to clean-up, particularly, if Mhad can escape.
As for romance, I agree with Section 8. It is difficult for me and I typically try to keep the emotional impact in place, but not necessarily the words. For example, one of the PC's has a crush on one of the Stormblades. It's easier to make an impact with describing actions rather than dialogue (in the case of romance).
I often play with stereotypes, even though that isn't very creative. So, at the Demonskar Ball, it is easy to invoke the awkward high school dance moment. The first signs of interest are fairly easy (showing up at the same taverns, making a point to cross the street in town to say hi, etc.). Later in the campaign, when the Stormblade is throwing rocks at the PC's window, it evokes a set of emotions and expectations and I can introduce a meaningful experience and hopefully not ruin the moment by huskily confessing my undying love.
We have had a couple of people starting their SCAP recently...
People such as myself. We have done two sessions so far.
I am playing this campaign completely reactively. I know what is going on and what the NPCs are doing. I am allowing the players to run around doing whatever they want, though NPCs have requested things of them. In this way I can move along the main plot while reacting to what the players want to do.
For example, right from the get go the elven paladin was romantically interested in Sir Alek. I can now exploit her interest in that storyline into a subplot, one that will have tremendous payoff once they reach the Demonskar...
Also I have a Drow who is making a list of all the people who have pissed her off so she can return when she is more powerful and take her revenge. She, like her surface dwelling sister, has created plenty for me to react to and exploit.
The other players have not found things to jump on yet that have lasted more then a couple of hours of play but I am sure they will. The dwarf said his parents worked in the mines of Redgorge and, since I started the game with The Burning Plague, I was able to have him find the dead bodies of his parents in the mine. He flew into a rage and slaughtered Jakk, the orc villain, but that didn't have any long term consequences yet.
Perhaps you could take this same approach. This way if the players feel like chasing and creating subplots you can accommodate without forcing them into plot lines they are not interested in.