My group is in the city of Almas doing plot stuff, which with the way they are doing it is not combat heavy. Something we are fine with as a group. They are liking the challenge and the change of pace. I do want some combat to happen though and they also need ways to make money outside of selling stuff.
So what I am wanting help with is what are some different kinds of combats that I can have happen in a city? Preferably nothing that might get them arrested.
Also what are some things I could have them do that ends in a reward? Fetch quests and the like. I need ideas. I would love to have a murder mystery but I have no clue how to set one up.
Thank you in advance
DAA
Shameless bump
Things that won't get them arrested would probably be restricted to fighting non-humanoids. Maybe a local wizard is dabbling in necromancy spells, and one of them succeeded and now he needs the party to kill the monster he created. Maybe rat swarms start spewing out of a sewer grate (how many might depend on level), and now they need to find out what's scaring all the rats. Or maybe, in the course of doing whatever they're doing, one of them simply springs a summoning trap ("Sorry, rogue, you didn't see it")-- quick way to involve some combat.
I know nothing of Almas so this is generic city encounters
Gremlins screwing with them. Their like rats, everywhere
Pickpockets can make for some good chase scenes
Politician trying to extort the players for unpaid "taxes"
Seeing a mugging
Street fights(gambling or just entertainment)
Riot
Drug deal gone bad
Cultists try to recruit whatever player is most likely to say no
Murder mystery plot hooks
Body found floating in the river. Preferably while the characters are out having a good time near the water to make it more unexpected. Bonus points if the body is mutilated
Characters are accused of the murder. Probably brought in for questioning. Could be by the design of some prior enemy
A party member hears a scream. Not as good but most players will go "Onward! Plot hook that way"
Players witness as a festival turns into an assassination against local official
Other Misc city quests
Plumbing for the local wizards guild
Arresting a few independent thieves for a thieves guild
Campaign assistance for a local politician
Delivering daily love letters so discretely that the recipient cannot find out who they are from
Persuade local authorities to expand kobold(insert traditionally evil racial minority) rights
If the city is big enough and it's legal in the city, arena battles are allways good, if the group would be willing to join. (nonlethal arenas or ones with automatic healing for unconscious participants or something, in case they are squeamish about that kind of thing.)
For murder mysteries, i recommend the module "gallery of evil", it's fun with interesting NPCs and can be put into every major town.
It's balanced for PCs around level 8.
@ SodiumTelluride thank you. My part hates swarms so that could be fun. Also there is no rouge in the party so I do not have to apologize :D
@ Dastis thank you for the list. I like the murder thing and I will try it out. Also I love grimlins and have not had a chance to use them.
@ Kalridian I actually have plans to use the Gallery of Evil once they get to Taldor but I will look though it again and maybe chance my plans. It would have to be changed in any case due to the size of the party. I love cage fights! I have been wanting to put up a tournament in Taldor so I may use the Gallery of Evil in Almas.
For those curious the group is made up of two human sorceress, one is a blast mage and the other is heavy on conjuration and illusions. A gnome ranger who is ranged. Cleric of Sarendea. A really old dwarven wizard. A half orc druid. A human magus cohort and a cleric cohort.
Mistaken identity is always a classic; some badly wanted villain happens to look uncannily like one of the party, and the law enforcement comes after the latter. Note, you only get to use this one once per decade or so of realtime with the same players, even across campaigns :-)
I recommend the party member be a cohort, since you have them, so that you can stash them in jail w/o taking out a player.
This does require some work on your part to set up the real baddy with leads and so on so the PCs can track them down to prove their buddy's innocence. Have the city or some injured private party offering a reward for the villain.
@ Fuzzy-Wuzzy that is one I have always wanted to try out and I know that I can only really use it once so I am hesitant to use it without more planning. That one need way more set up but it is on my list of things I really want to try!
@ Shoga I have actually been trying to figure out how to get the players in the sewers. So that is an option.
The inn they are staying at, the inn keepers daughter is mixed up with a local drug dealer and he wants her back.
Totally scalable with levels, can take the PC's literally ANYWHERE in the city and face anything city-related, from some toughs in a simple sewer HQ (and low level random encounters) to a guildhall and multiple complications with position and status.
@ Mardaddy that is totally an option. I may use that! Thanks
Here's a thought: Almas is in Andoran, where there is pretty heavy influence from the Lumbar Consortium and of course any large city is going to have its slums and crime lords.
The Eagle's Knights are pretty influential and an obvious presence there, too, though so to keep something from getting them arrested, how about a nonlethal encounter? Or one that encourages or rewards them for being nonlethal? You could even build a little subplot around this.
A friend that they have made in the city--innkeeper, merchant, store owner, whatever--gets beaten by thugs. Maybe he's behind on payments, threatened to go to the authorities over something, who knows. They see the beating start. Have them break it up. Point out that the thugs are using nonlethal weapons (saps, etc.), which should encourage them to respond in kind. Though of course if they go lethal, have the thugs do the same, too (but there will be a consequence for a lethal fight because the guard will show up when it's done and there will be many more questions about why there are dead people in the street, and any witnesses might see who drew blades first).
By intervening, they might make problems worse for their friend, which might trigger more encounters. Some of those might eventually turn lethal and be bigger fights with tougher foes.
You'd have to design a problem that their friend has and the way for it to be "fixed", but it's a simple trope that works well, and it can stretch out over time.
@ John Mechalas So far they have avoided the slums and questionable districts. Having them break up something like that could be fun. That is going in my notes for a few places. Thank you!