So my PCs have just arrived in Korvosa from Cheliax searching for a "secret police" administrator who's gone AWOL. (The PCs are good guys who have been doing what they can to hinder or fight against Thrune and 'general Evil' in Cheliax. And now this monstrous villain no longer has the protection of Cheliax-- Thrune, the HellKnights, the Church of Asmodeus -- thus he can be captured and made to answer for his horrible crimes against humanity. (Think the hunt for Adolf Eichmann post-Nazi Germany.)
So, the PCs have just arrived in Korvosa knowing only the name of this tiny village somewhere deep in Varisia where this villain has gone in hiding. Now, the obvious thing for them to do to learn where it is is to roleplay for three minutes a search in the Korvosa University, or city records, or somewhere for a detailed map of Varisia and find out the location of this tiny village. Then leave Korvosa behind.
Here's the rub: After the PCs "deal with" the villain in this tiny village way out deep in the Varisian wilderness, I want the next chunk of the campaign to take place back in Korvosa. And I want the PCs to already have a good potential base of operations, several contacts, a working knowledge of City politics and operations, and a good feel for the atmosphere and, er, theme of the city. Korvosa is a Big part of the later campaign. It has to come alive with detail and development.
So I want to develop Korvosa a bit while they search for where this tiny village somewhere in Varisia is.
--And that doesn't happen if they roleplay for three minutes looking in Korvosa University for maps of Varisia and then immediately leave.
So what can I "throw at"(?) my PCs in Korvosa that will make them have to explore and/or make contacts and/or learn about Korvosa in the process of researching where this tiny village in remote Varisia is?!
All ideas, suggestions and advice VERY welcome!
Thanks.
Don't give them all the information in three minutes or one check. Make them find clues that lead them on a chase throughout the city. Breadcrumbs if you will.
That way they have reason to explore districts, make contacts, etc.
Even have some of their leads find dead ends, retrace their steps. Who is the next dude we need to find and bribe, threaten, etc.
Have the final guy waiting for them and have a big showdown just in time for him to get away, or they have to capture him alive because he needs to show them where it is or how to get to it himself.
Maybe it is a place inside a pocket dimension and they have to learn how to get there, etc. etc.
Make it a mystery and suspense sequence... cat and mouse... a simple check can't get you the information if it simply isn't there to get.
Is it possible that the name of the village turns up nothing either because they were misled or the name of the village has changed over the years requiring them to get more scholarly help?
Have someone take some of the information they are looking for. Then, make it a cat and mouse sorta thing, like DM Asmodeus said.
Give them a reason to interact with the city now
1) Someone steals from them
2)Someone needs their help
3) The information they need is obscure and they need to find he right person and pay their price
4) Their enemy has allies here who try to slow the pc's down
5) Someone important wants to meet them (if they are famous)
6) They come across evidence that someone else or something else they are looking for is in the city and they can get it if they act now
7) As above but it looks like the person they are tracking is in the city and the trail to the village is a trap
Also be open to the possibility that the players don't want to return to Korvosa. Don't invest all your time and planning into it just in case the players and the game present other interesting avenues.
@ DM Asmodeus:
I think this is solid, great plan. Maybeaybe they can get lots of geographical info on Varisia at the University but no mention at all of Avenia. But they hear that so-and-so in Korvosa may know more -- and also in the such-and-such private library there may be more info -- that kind of stuff. Then individual PCs can go seek out different clues. I think small, private libraries and unaligned-with-the-University individuals could be the way to go.
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Is it possible that the name of the village turns up nothing
No. The adventure is inspired by "Lady of the Mists" by Peter Aberg in Dungeon 42. The town is Avenia and it's the crux of the first half of the campaign.
Great idea it just can't work in this situation.
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@ Ultra Geek:
Ooh, I Really like this. At some point they get a map and then someone steals it and they have to track that NPC down. It also fits perfectly as the PCs are NOT the only ones searching for this guy hiding out in Avenia.
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@ John Hawkins:
Yeah, it looks like I'm going to have quite a bit of prep work this week but you're absolutely right. I'm going to have to use a handful of those ideas. But that's exactly what I'm trying for.
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@ Coffee Demon:
Always a fear. That's one of the reasons I really want to have a good, fun roleplaying experience in Korvosa. ....But ultimately I've learned from my Players that as a group they want a designed adventure more than a Sandbox. They rely on a DM that's pushing some kind of campaign, though obviously no specific scenario-railroading. In the past when I've given a completely open situation and a multitude of choices and wide-open direction, the game slowed down and became somewhat directionless.
--Different groups for different styles of play ....(But you're right; it's always a fear.)
Thanks for everything guys -- Great Ideas!
(I don't know why I was so stuck on this one but I feel much more confident now.)
take a clue from Call of Cthulhu. Yes, you can learn a lot from a library search, but maybe, the resource you need has been 'liberated' by someone and you need to track that person down. Have them have to go interact with, you know...a person, instead of getting that information from a book or a map. Perhaps the village isn't on a map, and they need to hunt down a sage, who tells them that th epeople of the village are very superstitious of outsiders, but will allow you to spean if you offer them certain gifts, which you need to go talk to another local to get. And said grandmother asks for payment of that knowledge, by retreiving something from somewhere in Korvosa which puts them in conact with someone else. yada yada yada
Thanks Carson!
One last one.
All the libraries that could have the maps are shut down for some mysterious reason...
I don't know much about the campaign but you could always send them on a bit of an errand run.
go to the library to gain information, find out about a map maker.
go to the map makers house, find out that he's missing and has a gambling problem.
go to the casino and discover the map maker is forced to work there until he pays of his debt
the map maker is unavailable to help unless the players strike a deal with the casino owner
the deal is to escort and bod guard the boss's daughter to a fancy nobleman's ball
discover and thwart an assassination attempt, become heroes in the eyes of the nobles....
I've kind of just run out of steam but you get the idea, its a way for the players to have to mingle with all walks of life of the city and its a great way to get across how the city works.
I'm not that familiar with the University in Korvosa but is the library there open to the general unwashed masses of the public? Or is access restricted to University students/faculty/guests?
Because then the quest becomes how to GET access to the library. And you can send them all over the city making the friends and contacts they would need to get their library cards.
All good ideas, thanks.