Page 187 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

vehicles and grand melees in dramatic locations. Action I N TRIGUE
doesn't have to mean combat, but ensuring that the
world is in constant motion around the player characters Stories in the noir tradition tend to start slowly and
is a good way to keep their interest high. build gradually as the mystery gets deeper and more
convoluted, until the situation erupts in a climactic con­
KICKING OFF THE ACTION frontation. In contrast to the pulse-pounding action of a
When you begin an adventure with a bang, you catch the pulp adventure, noir typically relies on intrigue-in ev­
characters up in the action right away, grabbing their ery sense of the word-to keep the protagonists engaged
interest and sending them off on a wild ride. The Story as they move deeper into the story.
Kickoff table offers some action-packed ways to get
things moving. SETTING THE STAGE
Putting a mystery in front of the characters at the very
STORY K I C K O F F start of the adventure sets the tone for what's ahead and
draws them in to the story. The Story Opening table of­
d6 Event fers some ways to draw the characters into the mystery.
On a quiet night, the tavern door bursts open and a
group of soldiers calls for one of the party members STORY O P E N I N G
by name. d6 Event
2 An explosion rocks a market, sending things flying. The party receives a detailed reading from a street
3 A vehicle crashes near the party: people are hurt fortune-teller that lays out the start of the adventure.
and need help, and whatever caused the crash is still
2 A courier escorts the party to an elemental airship,
around somewhere.
where a wealthy patron outlines their mission.
4 Two groups of people start fighting each other, blood 3 At an extravagant costume ball, a masked guest asks
is drawn, and bystanders are getting hurt. for the party's help.
5 Chanting words of the Draconic Prophecy, a dragon 4 In a seedy section of town, the disguised heir of a
appears and starts causing mayhem. dragonmarked house approaches the characters with
6 A tavern patron suddenly leaps up and attacks one of an offer.
the adventurers, scratching and biting in blind fury.
5 A homunculus delivers an anonymous letter that
contains an offer of employment, but no clue to the
KEEPING THE ACTION GOING
author's identity.
"When in doubt, have a man come through a door with 6 A professor from Morgrave n iversity reaches out to
U
a gun in his hand." Author Raymond Chandler offered
this advice to writers of hard-boiled fiction, but the ad­ one of the party members, a former student, to ask
vice applies just as well to an action-driven adventure. an important favor.
Whenever the pace of the story lags, a new injection of
excitement keeps things moving. 'THE PLOT 'THICKENS
A new arrival on the scene might be an integral part of A key point in most intrigue adventures is a significant
the plot or an independent event. The New Development plot twist. As you plan the trail of clues, events, and
table presents some ideas. interactions, consider a point where you can shake
things up with a twist like the ones shown on The Plot
N E W D E V E L O P M E N T Thickens table.
d8 Event
TH E PLOT TH I C K E N S
One or more minions of the adventure's primary vil­ d8 Plot T w ist
lain arrive to put a stop to the party's meddling.
The apparent victim in the situation is actually the
2 Someone else with the same goal as the party shows
villain.
up to get them out of the way.
2 A supposedly valuable object is actually worthless (or
3 Someone is out for revenge against the party for a
vice versa).
past wrong (perhaps something that happened in a
3 A valuable object doesn't belong to the person who
previous adventure).
claims to own it.
4 Someone has a violent argument with an N P C in the
4 What's actually precious is not a work of art but
same room as the adventurers.
a map or other information hidden on it (inside a
5 Someone wants a special item carried by one of the
statue, behind a painting in the frame, and so on).
characters.
5 Someone is in love with one of the party members, or
6 A jealous person thinks one of the adventurers is
meddling with the person's romantic partner. with the villain.
6 Someone is a relative of one of the party members.
7 A person in love with the villain tries to stop the party
from interfering with the villain's business. 7 A friend or former ally is working with the villain.
8 The initial plot is a distraction from the actual plot.
8 A monster bursts in looking for food.
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