Need help designing a steampunk one-shot

[Goblingreen]

So, I'm supposed to run a steampunk style one shot tomorrow evening, but have run out of ideas. It takes place in a industrial age fueled by alchemy, where one giant company holds a monopoly over the production and sales of alchemical goods and accessories. This includes horseless alchemically powered carriages, trains, and airships.

The party has been hired to steal corporate secrets from this company, and they are supposed infiltrate their headquarters to do so. I know what the final encounter is going to be, but I'm having trouble building up to that. Its a level 7 game. Any suggestions?

[saundby]

Whatever the company makes, or makes things for that they are likely to work with regularly, assume that they've weaponized some of it and build encounters with both traps and constructs from those items.

If they're a monopoly, they'll have "friends" whose pockets they're lining. Perhaps the party can encounter a group of crooked politicians and their bodyguards on the premises. There should be some reasonably tough hombres among such a group.

And a lab with a secret, incredibly powerful, but temperamental weapon. Like I needed to tell you that. ;)

[blackbloodtroll]

You can steal encounters from 3.5 Eberron adventures and with a quick update and reflavoring, have a rather steampunk themed one-shot. A good dm knows how to steal material, and players are never the wiser. You might want to alter the proficiency needed for some of the more steampunk like weapons, such as pistols and ripsaw glaives. Maybe downgrade to martial. Also, be sure to establish what kind of "steampunk" you are playing right away. This might seem odd, but ask yourself what fantasy means to you, and how it might mean something else to another.

Don't forget to steal.

[Nearyn]

Sounds like a great one-shot campaign.

Here's my suggestion:

The big evil coorporation is building a new type of golem to revolutionize the industry. The new workforce will be untiring, wont get sick, will be 100% precise and will put hundreds of thousands of people out of a job, sending them into poverty.

The heroes are supposed to steal the plans for this golem, that it may never be constructed, but along the way they learn that a prototype has already been finished, and using the template from the prototype, the coorporation will be able to continue production on schedule, plans or no plans.

The final encounter could be the chief scientist, who just stands there, cackling manically while your PC's fight his Golem prototype.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/golem/golem-cl ockwork

Good luck with your campaign mate.

Cheers

-Nearyn

[Irontruth]

A fight on top of a moving vehicle. Allow for the players to ask strange questions, if they ask "do I see (blank) ahead" say yes, and tell them it's just up ahead, ask for a DC 20 or 25 skill check to take advantage of it.

[Goblingreen]

Thanks for all the tips, I think this'll be a good one.