Welcome to the Caravan Adventure Forum

[jfrazierjr]

I find myself groaning at the thought of dopplegangers. You're right though, that would be a totally different direction from the original. (Please don't take my groaning as me being a jerk... I always respect input and opinions. It's more like a bad joke kind of groan. )

Oh, no problem. I was just trying to think of some ways to tie multiple adventures together. If you have the device tied to bloodline OR existing king(ie, either option will allow the cup to be used correctly) it could be evil uncle as previously stated or perhaps bastard son of the king who was exiled as child, etc.

[jtougas]

I think at some point we are going to have to decide whether or not we are going to keep the scenario as it is (just gear this first adventure to low level characters and build a "series" out of it. Or go with a new scenario entirely. This will give the "story" team some time to come up with something new or to revise the current outline.

[industrygothica]

I think at some point we are going to have to decide whether or not we are going to keep the scenario as it is (just gear this first adventure to low level characters and build a "series" out of it. Or go with a new scenario entirely. This will give the "story" team some time to come up with something new or to revise the current outline.

My personal vote would be to leave it like it is; have the caravan intercepted by a band of marauders. The cup gets stolen along with the rest of the loot, but the bandits know nothing of its power. Yet. The evil uncle is a background character at this point, and interaction with him would be out of the scope of this adventure (he should be way above level 1 to be an effective threat to the throne).

[jtougas]

Here is a revised Story Outline


The king's steward felt a surge of panic. The Cup Of Kings was gone. The magical cup was key to his young charge taking the throne of this kingdom someday. If ti fell into the wrong hands there was no telling of the evil that could befall the land…

In this adventure, the PCs must find and question a group of caravan robbers. The bandits have no idea that the mystical "Cup of Kings" is among the loot they have taken from the caravan and neither do the PCs.

The midsummer festival is going on in the city. The PCs will have opportunity for role play with various NPCs, most notably the owners of the caravan (who will have no idea that the "Cup of kings" has been stolen and that it has been secreted away on their caravan. Their only concern is that the band of brigands that attacked their caravan be found.

The PCs employers are the caravan owners.

The "Cup of Kings" is an ancient magical device.

The city thieves guild is just an agent of the person(s) who want the cup. They were hired to steal it and get it out of the city.

The person(s) who want the cup cannot travel into the kingdom as they are bitter enemies and would be attacked or imprisoned on sight.

The caravan is simply that a caravan that travels between the major cities of the kingdom selling goods and providing various services. The owner is a middle aged man that descends from a long line of caravan owners. His family often accompanies him on his travels as they have on this trip.

The PCs should attempt to intercept the caravan at some point before it reaches it destination.
Unknown to the PCs (and the caravan owner) a thieves guild plant has been employed with the caravan as a driver. This persons task is to see that the cup makes it way to it's destination.

The cup's destination is a city controlled by a rival to the king. The ruler there knows that with the cups assistance he can invade and destroy his enemy. As a relative to the king the cup is (he believes) likely to be that much more effective.

The ruler of the city feels slighted as he is not a direct descendant of the current royal family. He feels he should be king. He has made several attempts to seize the throne by various means in the past all of which have been thwarted by various agents loyal to the king.

If the PCs succeed in finding the bandits and either convincing (or bribing them) to return the merchandise that they stole. The Caravan owner will be most grateful and will share any information that he learns on his travels It should be noted that the Cup of Kings will not be returned with the other merchandise. If the PCs kill the bandits and take the merchandise back, the cup will not be among the merchandise having been hidden by the bandits.

[industrygothica]

I'm confused. Where will the cup be if it's not with the booty looted from the caravan?

[jtougas]

I figured it wouldn't do to have the 3rd or 4th level characters running around with it. (too much potential for one of them to drink from it and *poof* become king. I sort of left that vague so that it could tie into another adventure down the line. (The Search for the Cup or something).

[industrygothica]

That's why I was saying that you have to have a rightful claim to a legitimate title for it to be effective. Otherwise, it's just a cup. If the cup isn't going to be part of this adventure, then why bother statting it out at all? For that matter, why bother mentioning it all? If the caravan owners are the ones who hired the PCs, and the caravan owners don't know about the cup, it'd make sense that the PCs wouldn't know about the cup. Hence, they wouldn't know to look for it with the loot collected by the bandits.

I kind of feel like I'm rambling a bit, so let me know if I'm making any sense... I think I'm going to have a go at this outline as well, and maybe together we can get it nailed down.


-IG

[jtougas]

That all makes sense. I was trying to get the outline in line with the levels it looks like we are going for. I look forward to your outline

[industrygothica]

Background

Ancient druids crafted the item known now as the Cup of Kings. Legend has it that a long forgotten king of ages past saved the druids from annihilation in a war that wasn’t his. The druids presented the horn-shaped cup in a ceremony that tied their loyalty to that king. The cup itself is said to have magical properties that attunes a king more closely to his land, offering him both foresight and protection.

The cup now resides in coffers of house Arem in the city of Argria. Or it did, that is, until it was stolen. And though the thief is caught, he’s not talking. Without the protection of the cup, the child king Estis Arem is in constant danger and it is the responsibility of his steward, Kinsek Delf, to get it back. Fortunately for him, Argria’s Midsummer Festival is in full swing and the city is ripe with adventurers ready for the challenge.*

* All names were made off the cuff, and are completely changeable if need be. I just needed something to fill the blank.

Synopsis

Kinsek Delf recruits the characters to locate the Cup of Kings and discreetly return it to House Arem. After interrogating the thief Thandon Delan they learn that the cup was stowed on a caravan that left town on the previous day. The characters track the caravan only to find that it has been ambushed, and the cup has been stolen for a second time! The characters eventually track down the ambushers, and must make their way through their lair to find the king’s treasure once and for all.

[Jaxilon]

That sounds like the synopsis of what we have been talking about. At least that's how I was seeing it.