I run a homebrew Pathfinder RPG game set in a dense urban setting. The game boarders on a evil campaign, where the players are mostly LE/NE/CN. This makes it pretty hard to lift from published materials as 1) most material I've found is written from a LG/NG perspective and 2) most material isn't set in an urban setting, or is only briefly.
Here's the problem: I have a pretty well developed setting for the campaign, but I'm lacking the inspiration for actual adventures. Unfortunately my players aren't really into the "intrigue/mystery" games, or at least I've had a hard time pitching it to them.
Any suggestions on books, movies, tv shows, songs, comics, etc. that might inspire adventures, would be great appreciated!
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I run a homebrew Pathfinder RPG game set in a dense urban setting. The game boarders on a evil campaign, where the players are mostly LE/NE/CN. This makes it pretty hard to lift from published materials as 1) most material I've found is written from a LG/NG perspective and 2) most material isn't set in an urban setting, or is only briefly.
Here's the problem: I have a pretty well developed setting for the campaign, but I'm lacking the inspiration for actual adventures. Unfortunately my players aren't really into the "intrigue/mystery" games, or at least I've had a hard time pitching it to them.
Any suggestions on books, movies, tv shows, songs, comics, etc. that might inspire adventures, would be great appreciated!
First thing that comes to mind with those alignments is selfishness. You may ask the players to sketch out some character traits they want to portay that fits their chosen alignment and then work from there.
I expect that the idea behind them is selfishness and not a desire to kill wantonly.
So based upon selfishness, just about any advenure involving tomb raiding, or getting loot would work.
Perhaps they pick a pocket and find a map to a tomb of a saint that has a holy diamond buried with the saint's body. The PCs can violate the sanctity of the tomb to recover the diamond.
Perhaps once they have the tomb they are approached by two factions, one Good and one Evil, seeking the diamond. Each side attempts to recover the diamond from the PCs. Money is exchanged for the diamond, then they are hired to get the diamond back after they sold it. Or something like that.
CotCT would work for them as an adventure as they try to set themselves up to be in positions of power when they overthrow the current monarch.
Anyway just a couple of quick ideas.
Also, just because they're evil doesn't mean that they can't do good things...as long as they're getting paid for it. (Kinda like Jayne in Firefly) You could probably use an adventure intended for good characters as long as you added the twist that they are being paid well for this mission.
Thanks for both the suggestions!
I like the idea of the the gem. That's typically what I try and do with them, is let them act of selfishness (steal something, break into somewhere, work for someone, etc) and then force them to make a tough decision based on their actions.
In terms of the mystery/intrigue. I'm sure I could get them into it, if I had a good story to tell. In other words, they aren't interested in, or have little experience in, investigation. They tend to take things at face value. So a deceitful NPC will pretty much always dupe them. I'll look into the book.
The Iron Kingdom: Five Finger: Port of Deceit is large inspiration for the setting, unfortunately they never really did any adventures for it.
Depending on how evil you want to be, there's nothing like revenge to motivate a little foray into the investigative. Let them get duped. Let them find out about it. Have it have nasty consequences. (Arrested, or with a price on their heads.) In order to prove that they didn't so it, they have to find out who did...and refrain from killing them long enough to get their names cleared.
At one point, my DM used this gambit to get my CN champion of chaos character to help a temple of St Cuthbert. I was pissed, but it did make for a fun session.
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Depending on how evil you want to be, there's nothing like revenge to motivate a little foray into the investigative. Let them get duped. Let them find out about it. Have it have nasty consequences. (Arrested, or with a price on their heads.) In order to prove that they didn't so it, they have to find out who did...and refrain from killing them long enough to get their names cleared.
At one point, my DM used this gambit to get my CN champion of chaos character to help a temple of St Cuthbert. I was pissed, but it did make for a fun session.
hehehe I like that...
Those are good points. I never thought switching out the motive could turn it into a very different game. I think I might revise some of the urban adventures out there again.
PS did I mention I'm excited about the Consul of Thieves AP? :)
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I'm reminded of the saying "You can't cheat an honest man".
A group of NPC hustlers realise that the PCs are both rich and unscrupulous, and decide to con them. I know very little about such things - and what I do know I learned from American Gods, by Neil Gaiman - but I think some version of the "stradivarius" con would work well.
NPC 1 has a violin of "purely sentimental" value, and a cash flow problem e.g. sick daughter needing expensive medicine.
NPC 2 has identified the violin as a priceless masterwork, and will pay a great deal of money for it.
The PCs "stumble" across both pieces of information (insist on Skill Checks to make it look genuine!), and pay over the odds for the violin expecting to sell it to NPC 2 at a handsome profit.
Instead NPCs 1 and 2 disappear, with the PCs money. The PCs are left with a mundane violin.
The PCs then track down NPCs 1 and 2, and (eventually) create a new saying "It's a bad idea to cheat a homicidal maniac". Given that the NPCs are members in good standing with the local Thieves Guild, planty of "innocent" thieves are likely to get served with rough justice on the course of this quest, and the PCs might even get a reward from the authorities at the end for their crime-fighting exploits.