Quick Adventure Ideas

Originally posted on 24 February 2000.

Here are some ideas for several quick adventures for _2300 AD_. This article was originally to be entitled "Five Minute Adventures", but many of the ones listed here will take considerably longer than that to prepare, so the title was changed. It is designed to give harried Referees a list of 50 quick adventures that can be ready to play in a fairly short period of time... Each idea has several variants, and contains an "Estimated Time Required:" entry, along with a brief, general list of items that will have to be developed prior to play. Almost everything here, along with a major dose of imagination and two hour's work or less, can be turned into a ready-to-play adventure (many of which your players may not have experienced, before).

The easiest way to use the following list is to simply look at the Estimated Time Required: entry, and find one that lists a "Five Minute Adventure". These take little time to set up, and can last for several hours. After noting which ideas fit the available time, look through the list to see which one(s) fit your (and your players') preferences, and select the best one. With a little development, you'll have the basis of an afternoon or evening's fun, in only a few minutes.

If you have a few hours, look through all the ideas, pick and choose what appeals to you, and combine the ideas as you see fit... You may come up with a really good one all your own, and develop something that's quick, easy, and more in line with your group's style of play. If you come up with something really good, maybe you'd even like to E-mail me the idea, for inclusion here.

None of these ideas are spelled out in great detail, and this is done intentionally. These ideas form the bare framework, upon which the Referee is supposed to nail all sorts of things, such as background, detail, setting, NPCs, maps, floor plans, and treasures (what the PCs gain for living through the adventure). This includes how the PCs are introduced to the scenario, and a plausible method for conveying to them the information that they need to know before beginning the mission (NPCs and a few Information Gathering or Computer tasks work well, here). In general, you can add "Introduction for the Players" and "What the Players Know" to all of these entries.

The "Estimated Time Required" entry assumes that the Referee has a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of the _2300 AD_ rules. Anyone who ran one game, four years ago, will have to spend more time getting reacquanted with the rules system. It also assumes that you use GDW's quick "Green/Veteran/Experienced/Elite" NPC system, and have the players bring their own pre-rolled, fully-equipped PCs to the game with them. If not, you may need to spend a lot more than the estimated time. Allotments are made for sketching simple maps and floor plans, but if you have access to USGS Topographic maps, you can use them to shorten that time. If you like to draw fancier maps, critters, or add more details, it will take you longer.

  1. Ambush: Somebody (or some group of somebodies) is in dire need of a good womping, to say the least...
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: Either the attackers or defenders, along with their means of transport (if any), their weapons, armor, and any other equipment affecting combat. A map of the terrain where the ambush will take place. Some tasks for determining who surprises who.
    Notes: Maybe the PCs have been too cocky, and left some "unfinished business" with someone who hires a few Mercs (or some po'boy with an old hunting rifle who decides to take matters into his own hands). Maybe the PCs have had it too rough, and are out for revenge. Maybe the local Kafer problem is just acting up, again... or maybe the local drought has driven all of some hungry critter's prey out of its hunting territory.
  2. Arson: Something's burning...
    Estimated Time Required: One hour.
    Other Development Required: A factory, home, ship, shop, store, or other likely target, complete with deck/floor plans. Type of building and the materials it's constructed out of (details of how it'll burn), locations and types of goods or cargo inside. Plans for the immediate vicinity of the building or ship (means of escape, etc).
    Notes: Arsonists may be caught in their own blaze, by the police, or by the PCs (unless the PCs are the firebugs)!
  3. Assault/Raid on a Fortress: A heavily fortified compound needs taking out, for some reason. On the other hand, maybe it's just a probing raid, to get info, supplies, intel, or whatever...
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Maps of the Fortress (possibly floor plans, as well). The locations and capabilities of offensive and defensive weapons & forces. The locations of critical items (Command Post, Ammo Dump, Duty Stations of the elite forces, etc).
    Notes: Remember, this can be used in many ways... Military Ops (3W's _Operation Overlord_ is an "Assaulting" adventure of this type), a Merc scenario, thieves robbing the armory, etc. Also note that the PCs can be members of the military force manning the fortress, the Mercs attacking it, the thieves robbing it, or the ones holding something worth stealing (I once ran this as a "Penetrate, Explore, and Report" scenario with PCs on both sides)!
  4. Assault/Raid on a Ship: A ship needs destroying, or has something aboard that needs removing (but not just general Piracy - see below).
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: If it's an Assualt (where the target is to destroy the ship), little preparation may be needed. Stats for the ships involved, and the crew quality. If someone's going to sneak aboard and plant charges, however, more work will need to be done (deck plans, the locations and capabilities of offenses, defenses, safety, and security systems, the locations, weapons, defenses, readiness, and responses of the crew, the locations of critical systems (fuel, controls, entries and exits, computers), as well as tasks for dealing with each).
    Notes: Ships may be naval vessels or starships. The PCs may be attacking or defending. The object may be to get something aboard, off, or simply to destroy the ship.
  5. Assaulting/Raiding a Town: Somebody thinks that some backwater, somewhere, needs taking out (or at least raiding).
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: A map of the town (gas stations, etc., will sometimes give you one for free). Floor plans of a few random buildings (for when fights go inside). The locations, stats, and weapons of the forces involved. The locations of any critical items (Fire and Police Stations, Hospitals or Doctors' Offices, local Hunting Clubs, City Jail, Sporting Goods stores selling guns and ammo, etc, and floor plans of the important spots).
    Notes: This one's less likely a military matter, but may be used as a Kafer Invasion scenario (such as Craig Sheeley's "Bug Out" or Clare W. Hess' and Mike A. Bozulich's "A World Invaded" in _Challenge_ #35, pages 34 - 45), or maybe just the 24th century equivalent of the infamous motorcycle gang, come to get all the wine, women, and money they can carry. Then again, your PCs may have a grudge against some town, and decide that they need to wipe it off the face of the planet...
  6. Banditry: Someone is transporting something somewhere. Somebody else wants it.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: Composition of the attacking and defending forces, who has what cargo, and some plan of attack/defense.
    Notes: If your PCs are Auroran Convoy Runners, you may have run this one to death. If not, here's a good way to get a PC with a high vehicle skill involved in a short adventure. The PCs could also be the bandits, raiding a convoy, or a lone truck taking (say) their reposessed vehicle (or Body-snatched comrade) to parts unknown. Think _Road Warrior_, and go from there.
  7. Body-snatch: Someone needs some info, and the best way to get it is to ask someone who knows... The only problem is, "someone" is unable (or unwilling) to come along.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Who needs snatching and why, what information they have that's so valuable, who has them (and is it willingly or not), and how is the place defended.
    Notes: This can be a military raid like any of the above, corporate espionage, or even getting back a child from the legal guardian's Ex (as in Andy Slack's "Repo Men" in _Challenge_ #69, pages 48 - 50).
  8. Bounty-hunting: Some armed and dangerous sort is on the loose, and needs hunting down. Maybe more than one. Somebody might even be willing to pay for'em.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Either the wanted person(s) or the bounty hunter(s), their gear, a map of some area, and some tasks for gaining information on where they went. These could involve Computer, Information Gathering, Streetwise, Tracking, or many other types of skills.
    Notes: Have your PCs been misbehaving, involved in too many illegal activities (such as ambushes, assaults (and batteries!), muggings, robberies, and skirmishes)? Perhaps the local populace gets tired of it. A high enough price on their heads may just solve the problem (or give the PCs an excuse for an assault on a town). On the other hand, the PCs may want to do a little bounty hunting, and most Auroran towns will pay a fee for Kafer-killing.
  9. Brawl: Cliche'd, melee-only combat.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes
    Other Development Required: Typically, a floor plan of a bar (showing where the tables, chairs, bottles, any swinging chandeliers, pool cues, and other such items are), along with a list of opponents, what they're armed with (and the DPVs), etc.
    Notes: This could also be a street where a gang, angry mob, or group of disarmed Kafers is. Maybe even an escaped bunch of circus, farm, or zoo animals, for a wierder one? Brawls can occur any place you like, including the police station.
  10. "Cattle" Drive: a herd of critters has to be moved from one location to another.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes?
    Other Development Required: A buyer and seller (sometimes, a herd may only have to be driven off), beginning and ending points, a map of the terrain in between (noting any hazards), and a few problems to be overcome. A deadline (or bonus) and a few predators (rustlers or otherwise) makes for a more interesting story.
    Notes: The "Cattle" may be Terran cows, Beta Canum Buffalopes or Bounders, or even Dunkelheim Arabians. The "Cowboys" may be riding horses, motorcycles, small helicopters, or some strange local mount. They may have a chuck-wagon, or have to hunt local food as they go. Maybe there isn't even a path, yet (see Trailblazing)!
  11. Chase: Basic pursuit, or E&E (Escape and Evasion).
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes to an hour.
    Other Development Required: Either the pursuer or pursued. A fairly large area (with obstacles and tasks) through which to chase or be chased. It's a really good idea to have some geomorphic modules ready for plotting out the course, or at least a map.
    Notes: The PCs do a lot of chasing and getting chased. This could be on foot, in a car or hovercraft, air pursuit of a ground target, or being pursued by a Hunter-killer or minichopper, or merely the angry owner of the restaurant you just smashed up.
  12. Convoy Escort: The PCs are helping get supplies somewhere.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Composition of the convoy or attackers, which vehicle has what, the values, and defenses (including plans).
    Notes: In this one, the PCs get to protect the convoy. If they want to knock one over, see Banditry, above, instead. They may be mercs, merchants, or relief workers. Their cargo can be food, medicine, machinery, trade goods, etc.
  13. Coup d'etat: Some region with a ruler to be discredited, overthrown, or otherwise removed from power.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour?
    Other Development Required: Information on the region (which may be as small as a piece of inner city turf, to as large as an empire) and the ruler (who may be as small-time as the leader of a neighborhood street gang to as large as Nicolaus Ruffin). Info on the people and politics around the leader (policies, enemies, allies, and how they inter-relate).
    Notes: The PCs will rarely be rulers, so they won't usually be subject to a coup d'etat. If they are the higher-ups in some business or political system (Law Enforcement, Lawyer, Diplomat, or possibly even Doctor), they might be subject to a little "office politics". More often, they could be involved in overthrowing some local crimelord, crooked politician, or evil corporate monopoly.
  14. Courier: A message or small parcel must be delivered to someone (generally with all haste, and/or security).
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: Something to be delivered, information on who, where, when, and under what circumstances to deliver it (to), an employer and terms. Possibly the person to deliver it to, and any opponents along the way.
    Notes: This can be bicycling across town (avoiding bad drivers), motorbiking or driving a mail route, riding a hydrofoil to the next continent, or hopping a flight with a mysterious case handcuffed to one wrist (and someone else has the key)! On a more interstellar basis, PCs may be part of the crew of a Courier vessel, getting much-needed information or medical supplies to someone, somewhere. Whatever the PCs are carrying (and they need not know about it), if its worth enough, someone will surely show up to at least attempt to steal it!
  15. Deputized: Local law enforcement has a need for someone with exactly your very capabilities! Someone with your level of skill is just so hard to find (you know what they say about good help, these days)! We're so glad that you've volunteered to help out!
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Usually, this will be used to get your PC(s) involved in an investigative Law Enforcement adventure (especially if they have recently ended up in the slammer, for some reason). This could be the Tanstaafl Free Legion recruiting Kafer-killers, or the local district marshal drafting the local doctor and PI to aid in investigating a murder, or whatever. If your PCs are Law Enforcement, they may need to find a certain expert, such as a forensic pathologist, nuclear physicist, or expert tracker.
    Notes: There are plenty of ways to go with this one, which is why it takes so long to set up. Skills beyond those normally used by police officers are required, and the specialist will need hands-on access to the scene or evidence (this works especially well aboard a starship, where local expertise may be minimal). An anthropologist might be needed to interpret cult (?) symbols, a biologist to identify tissue samples found at the scene (is someone's trained pet whatsit stealing jewels?), a chemist may be needed to help determine if the stains on a pin are poison, a demolitions expert required to tell whether a wired package is a bomb, an engineer to determine whether or not a damaged building is safe to enter, etc. Obviously, anyone with a high Sidearms or Combat Rifleman skill may find themselves along for the final shoot-out, regardless.
  16. Duel: A one-on-one, mono-a-mono duel. Usually either hand-to-hand, or with the one being challenged allowed to select the weapon(s).
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: A real or imagined slight (some PC dallying with some lord's lady, or simply not showing the proper respect, perhaps?), a challenge, the challenged or challenger (and their second), a time and place for the duel (maps are generally not required), the judge, any rules involved, and what's to come afterwards (in America, for instance, "Dueling" is a crime, with both parties - assuming they survive - being subject to arrest, and imprisonment of from one to seven years, if convicted)!
    Notes: Duels may sometimes involve more than two people (see Rumble, below). PCs may challenge someone to a duel, but these will usually be declined. PCs are more likely to be challenged, and declining a challenge may lead to a loss of social status (or not, as the Referee determines). In general, the more peaceful, law-abiding PCs should be allowed to talk their way out. Most PCs in my experience will accept. Duels may be simple fisticuffs, limited to such melee weapons as rapiers or foils, or may be pistols at twenty paces, etc. They may also be to first blood, or to the death (the Montañan duels with native Sword-fronds are generally only to first blood, for example).
  17. Exploration: To boldly go... somewhere, survive, and bring back information.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes to years, depending upon the size of the area to be explored, and what's there.
    Other Development Required: A commission to explore, a region to be explored (from an arm of space, down to a possible site for a mine or cabin). Any NPCs to be taken along. Equipment lists.
    Notes: "The Tricolor's Shadow" was initially an adventure of this type, which quickly became something else, after a unique discovery.
  18. Feud: Two warring factions.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: The two sides in the conflict (The Hatfield family and the McCoys, or two rival corporations, etc.), their motivations, a brief history of the feud, and reasons why the characters might get involved. Important NPCs the PCs might encounter, and the resources they can bring to bear on a situation. How they might react, and tasks for changing things.
    Notes: This can be escalated to full-scale War, but in that case, you'll have to do even more work, and increase the time needed.
  19. Frame: Either the party is out to get someone by nefarious means, or someone is out to get them!
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes+.
    Other Development Required: The target(s) or perpetrator(s), the plot and whatever is needed to carry it out, the law to bring the framee(s) to "justice", tasks for determining the truth, where and what the evidence is and how to find it, etc.
    Notes: Yet another adventure idea to use only once in an adventurer's career, and tread lightly with. This may be someone's idea of Revenge, or the party members' way of taking on an opponent too powerful for them.
  20. Gadget Test: Someone has invented a new whatsit that needs testing. Maybe someone's testing it on the PCs?
    Estimated Time Required: One hour?
    Other Development Required: The whatsit (new weapon, whatever), some tasks or malfunction tables, etc.
    Notes: Any type of gadget will do, but it needs to be interesting, and lead to adventures. A new tape recorder just won't cut it.
  21. Hijacking: Someone doesn't want to pay, for their ride!
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: A vehicle to get hijacked. A reason for the hijacking. Either Rules for Vehicle Combat or floor plans of the vehicle's interior (as required). A plan for attack or defense. Attackers or defenders, with necessary equipment. Where the vehicle's occupants will be, and how they'll respond.
    Notes: Carjacking is quick and easy. Hijacking anything bigger than a truck (such as an airplane, train, or starship) should be tough.
  22. Holiday: PCs are people, too! Don't forget Valentine's Day, Independence Day (for all those nations!), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. What about new, Colonial holidays, or nationalistic ones (like Bastille Day or Cinco de Mayo). Any day can be a local holiday, with banks and offices closed, etc.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: The holiday, date (second Tuesday in Nov., etc), what's done on that day, etc.
    Notes: A good excuse for a party, closing the shops, giving gifts to the PCs (and eating up some of their spare cash), and other such stuff.
  23. Hunt: Some critter needs killing, or maybe just capturing.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A sponsor, a critter, a reason to capture or kill it, the location of the animal (or its lair), some obstacles for the PCs to overcome, and some prize to be gained for all the effort.
    Notes: The creature may have to be caught and returned alive (such as in Bloody Monkey Business!), or it may be more a variation on Search and Destroy (such as finding the lair of a Beta Canum Night Stalker and killing it). Many animals (especially mounts) can also be worth quite a lot, but this can also be a high-risk venture. Always remember that terrain and weather can also make getting sample critter a tough job. Some even carry diseases and have poison.
  24. Impossibility: Hey! That's just not possible!...
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: A pseudo-scientific explanation for an utterly impossible event (of which there are already several in the 2300 AD universe). A way to introduce the PCs to it. Possible explanations for it, and tasks for coming up with them. The mystery need not ever be resolved.
    Notes: The AGRA Intelligences of the _Bayern_ adventure featured several of these, as did the Medusae of the _Nyotekundu Sourcebook_. Ideas along these lines include teleporting man-eating critters, invisibility, psionics, time travel, etc. These things strain the "harder science" fabric of 2300, but similar things have also been used in 2300 "Canon" adventures. Use them sparingly, and always allow for a "scientific" explanation that we haven't found, yet.
  25. Infiltration: Some organization or place hostile to the party needs further investigation, by the "inside man".
    Estimated Time Required: One to two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: The organization/place needing infiltration, the characters involved with it, ways in and out, tasks for the infiltration, a list of things that will give the party away, and another of things that will help them fit in.
    Notes: This is everything from a very advanced Spying scenario to escaping the Bandits or Pirates by becoming one, catching the Smugglers by pretending to help them, etc. Some enemy might also be making nice with the party in order to learn more about them!
  26. Intrigue: Someone has a nasty plan, not necessarily aimed at the palace.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: A nasty plot (aimed at someone else) that the PCs accidentally uncover. How they came across the info. The conspirators and their plans. The opposition and theirs. Defenses of the defenders, and tasks for getting past. Stats of important NPCs.
    Notes: The PCs may warn the target, or join the conspiracy. This scenario usually involves the wicked relative (such as a step-mother) of the ruling family attempting a coup d'etat, or somesuch.
  27. Jailbreak: What self-respecting PC is going to wait for a Public Defender and the hired PIs to bumble their way through finding the evidence to prove their innocence, when (s)he could be out finding it, themself? The "Escape from Detention" charges will be dropped, once they find the real perpetrators, anyway, right? Why should the PCs let the so-called "justice system" unjustly imprison their friend(s)? Surely they can break him, her, or them out, with a modicum of effort...
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour, plus.
    Other Development Required: A map of the jail, defense scheme for the local constabulary, the locations of all prisoners, cells, and guards (and any useful items that they have, such as shivs or keys), and the intel available to the PCs.
    Notes: The PCs may be guards, inmates, or someone breaking in (usually to get someone else back out, again).
  28. Kidnapping: A body-snatch for reasons other than intelligence.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A victim, floor plans and maps of their location, tasks for getting the drop on them, any defenses, bodyguards, or other security. Ransom demands?
    Notes: A PC could be kidnapped, or may do the kidnapping. Either way, this may have legal repercussions. Being shanghaied to work aboard ship is yet another type of kidnapping.
  29. Lawsuit: The PCs are suing, or getting sued!
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: Defendant or Prosecution/Plaintif, reason for and history of the suit, possible evidence, what's known, and tasks for finding the rest, some means for determining who wins.
    Notes: Boring if done very often, but a wonderful way to keep rowdy PCs more under control. Once/group is probably all it takes.
  30. Love Interest: One of the PCs has attracted a genuine Love Interest, not to be confused with a mere object of desire.
    Estimated Time Required: Over two hours.
    Other Development Required: The Love Interest should already exist, but careful attention to her (or his) background, family history, personality, convictions, wants, needs, desires, and preferences is critical. MORE THAN two hours should be spent developing this character, and the relationship between them and the PC.
    Notes: You will never pull this off without the cooperation of your players. If they aren't willing to develop a love interest for their PC, you CANNOT make them do it! If you have a roleplayer who can handle it, though, it is a great handle, and provides innumerable possibilities and scenario hooks. Instead of introducing "an old friend" of the PCs (who the players have never even heard of before - something I always hate to see happen), you can introduce the NPC as an old friend of the love interest. Plots that the PCs would never get into may occur in the life of one of the PC's gentle lady, drawing them in, against their will. NPC love interests also require some "maintenance time", and will get annoyed if they are ignored, their beau leaves town (let alone the planet) without even telling them, etc. They may also dislike the PC's deadbeat friends, quibble that the PC should "get a real job!", and provide wise advice that the PC wouldn't think of, on his own... (imagine the former Pirate dating a lovely lady lawyer, and how it might affect his revenge plans, for instance). Careful design of the NPC is absolutely necessary - opposites attract, but the lovers need some things in common, to bring them together. The proper balance will complement both.
  31. Madman: A local loonie causing problems.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: One crazy, with a workable plan.
    Notes: Insert mad scientist, Provolutionist stooge, religious cultist, crazy janitor with home-made nerve gas, etc. Mark Galeotti's "Manhunt" adventure is a longer and more complicated scenario of this type.
  32. Madmen: More of the same.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: More than one crazy, with a workable plan.
    Notes: Insert mad scientists, Provolutionist stooges, religious cultists, crazy janitors with home-made nerve gas, etc. As bad as before, just more powerful in groups. Maybe some internal dissent can slow them down long enough for a group of do-gooders to stop them all? Well, maybe not...
  33. Mob: A large group of angry people.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes or less.
    Other Development Required: An angry mob, a reason, and the history behind it. What weapons (if any) they have. A leader, if there is one.
    Notes: This may be a lynch mob, a riot, looters, or Doctor Frankenstein's pursuers. The PCs may avoid the mob, join it, incite it, or try to stop the looting, etc.
  34. Mugging: Some poor soul (PC or otherwise) has something that (s)he needs to be relieved of.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: A victim or attacker, along with their gear and loot. A general map of the local terrain should be handy, just in case a chase ensues. Some tasks for determining who surprises who.
    Notes: About as classic a scenario as the Skirmish, below. Every seedy starport, dark alley, or dive has one (or more) such individual(s). Maybe the PCs want to generate a little fast cash, and aren't particular how they do it. Maybe someone else has noticed an interesting item in their posession. Maybe the mugger was hired to get something, or just to rough someone up... Now who would do such a thing?
  35. Murder: Somebody needs killing.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes?
    Other Development Required: An employer and victim. Location, stats, and security for the victim, including the plans of any guards. The tougher you make it, the more work (and time) it'll take. A lone assassin with a plan can be generated in under 5 minutes.
    Notes: This could be a simple hit, or a variation on Search and Destroy (where the target is powerful, far away, and well-protected). The PCs may also be the targets (as in the _Deathwatch Program_ or the final episode of the _Beanstalk_ module). This one is definitely not to be overused (your players will hate you, if you keep murdering them off)!
  36. Narcotics: Someone's selling drugs.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: Nature of the drug(s), who's selling or buying, why the PCs are involved, who the other players are, etc.
    Notes: "Narcotics" need not be addictive recreational drugs; they can be prescription drugs, poisons, vaccines, or any other natural or inorganic substance. The evil PCs could be selling them (supplier required) while the poor, overworked cops try to stop them, the PCs' friend could have died from them, a new attribute-booster may have just come out and the PCs want to find a source, etc, etc.
  37. Native(s): A newly discovered intelligent species?
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Whether or not not newly discovered race is actually sentient (if not, see Xenomorph(s)). If so, its history, physical structure and appearance, psychology and attitudes, senses, speech, society and customs, and level of technology (if any). Notes on how they'll react to the PCs. Statistics for combat, if needed.
    Notes: The "Little Guys" episode of the _Bayern_ module is an adventure combining the themes of exploration, native, and personnel escort.
  38. Operation: Either a PC needs one (Cyberpunk?), or must perform it on someone else.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: Type of operation, tasks for it, list of equipment required, a doctor (if needed).
    Notes: Good for altruistic PCs, or as a stopper for out of hand ones. Often, striking an important NPC with appendicitis will stop a rampaging group of PCs.
  39. Personnel Escort: Someone else needs the PC(s) to excort them elsewhere, for some reason.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: Person or persons to be escorted, an employer and terms of service, a purpose for the journey (medical treatment, holy pilgrimage, etc), and a reason to make it all interesting.
    Notes: This may be bodyguard duty, accompanying an invalid or prisoner, or anything else you can think up. The PCs may have escorts or guides, or may be escorting others. Maybe someone hires a personal trainer, language touter, or skills instructer?
  40. Piracy: Anywhere there's shipping, someone will try it.
    Estimated Time Required: One hour or more.
    Other Development Required: A vessel (deckplans and stats), a cargo, its location and route, crew, defenses and security, etc.
    Notes: The PCs may try Piracy, if they like, but must pay the dues if they are caught. More likely, a ship they are on will be accosted. If they are part of the crew, conduct space combat until destruction or boarding occurs. If not, conduct a boarding action and let the PCs react as they see fit.
  41. Posse: Some armed and dangerous sort is on the loose, and needs hunting down. Maybe more than one. The locals are forming a posse to chase'm down. If the PCs aren't the targets, they can be involved willingly (as friends of the victim), or get "drafted" as experienced gunslingers.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Either the wanted person(s) or the posse, their gear, a map of some area, and some tasks for gaining information on where they went. These could involve Computer, Information Gathering, Streetwise, Tracking, or many other types of skills. Maybe someone has a pet bloodhound, burrowvarg, or other such creature? What about transport?
    Notes: Have your PCs been misbehaving, involved in too many illegal activities (such as ambushes, assaults (and batteries!), muggings, robberies, and skirmishes)? Perhaps the local populace gets tired of it, and decides to give local law enforcement a few extra hands. They could give the evil PCs some real problems (or just an excuse for an assault on a town).
  42. Prison Camp Breakout: Someone's in a prison camp, and either needs to escape, or to be rescued.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A map of an enclosed prison camp showing the locations of guards and defenses. Items each carries. Plans for handling break-ins and break-outs. Locations of cells, prisoners, security devices, and any places or items of interest (see also Jailbreak, above).
    Notes: Once again, the PCs may be trying to get out (as in "The Rock" in _Rotten to the Core_), or trying to break in so that they can get someone else out. Kafers have prison camps, don't they? Anyone want to rescue a fair damsel in distress? In any case, good luck to the PCs on this one!
  43. Quest: Info, an item, or items needed. Go get'em.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: What's needed, where it is, what (if anything) guards it. What it takes to get there, get it, get out alive, and get back with it.
    Notes: Quests can be for items, information, or the destruction of same. Unlike the literary quest, quests need not be major undertakings with far-ranging effects and life-altering changes. They should simply be a story element important enough for a chapter all their own (finding the arch-enemy's lair, for example).
  44. Race: Get from point A to B faster than the competition.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A path through some territory, with several obstacles requiring Athletics or vehicle skills rolls.
    Notes: This can be a sponsored race for a prize, an obstacle course set up by a potential employer, or just an athletic event. It could also be a race against time (such as finding the antidote before a plaque kills all the (N)PCs, etc).
  45. Recovery: Some item(s) are in need of retrieval.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: The nature of the items, their locations, the history of how they came to be there, an employer or another means of learning about them, maps of the area, and floor plans (if required). Since someone else would have already gotten them if it were that easy, some tasks for getting to or retrieving the goods are also needed.
    Notes: This could be an ancient treasure lost down a well, a small fortune left in a bank's safety deposit box (as in Andy Slack's "Diamonds from Premiere" in _Challenge #66_, pages 38 - 41), stolen property, or the remnants of an ancient civilization. "Recovery" usually implies that someone once had the whatsit, and wants it back (although the original owner(s) may be long dead, and the PCs will have to do).
  46. Rescuing Prisoners: Someone's holding somebody that somebody else wants back!
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour?
    Other Development Required: Hostage(s) and either captor(s) or rescuers, maps or floor plans, equipment, personalities, and plans for all involved.
    Notes: This can be a single hostage held by a lone gunman, or a group of missionaries held by the local natives, a busload of tourists held by terrorists, or an entire town surrounded by an enemy force.
  47. Rescuing Disaster Victims: Something has gone terribly wrong, and courageous men and women are needed to help those less fortunate.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour?
    Other Development Required: An accident, blizzard, chemical mess, disease, earthquake, fire, flood, meteor or nuclear weapon strike, plague, wreck, ad nauseum. What happened, what the PCs know. The location of the disaster, someone (or something) that needs rescuing, what needs to be done, and the obstacles.
    Notes: Less altruistics PCs may want to "rescue" the goodies from the vault, while everyone else is occupied (which is more of a Robbery). PCs might be part of the national guard or local militia pressed into emergency duty, part of a MedEvac unit or private firm, firemen, police officers, or medical personnel, etc. Even a hardy colonist with a rope, flashlight, and first aid kit may be better off than the general populace! PCs being the paranoids that they are, will almost always be better prepared than your typical NPCs.
  48. Revenge: Someone's been wronged, and demands satisfaction.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes if using a previously-generated NPC who has been "wronged" by the PCs, more, otherwise.
    Other Development Required: The wrongers of the party members, or those they have "wronged". Plans for revenge, where and when to spring them. Any items, skills, spells, and/or sidekicks required to carry it out.
    Notes: Every successful party has enemies, and evil ones have many more. The victims of every pickpocket and the "involuntary amputees" the fighting men leave behind will all want a piece of the action. The smarter ones may choose more clever methods, such as Framing them for a murder, leading to a Whodunnit or Jailbreak adventure.
  49. Robbery: Some building contains something that someone wants to steal.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A building (bank, jewelry store, used hovertank lot) and its general environs, including a detailed floor plan (did the (N)PCs scout before entering?). The building's defenses and goodies. Plans for attack, or the reactions of any guards.
    Notes: The PCs may want to steal what they can't afford to buy, or cannot legally obtain. They may be working security for some place when the big hit happens. Maybe the target is their base of operations.
  50. Rumble: A many-on-many, or team duel.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A "home team", and the map of the turf upon which the rumble will occur. The weapons, equipment, and tactics to be used in the fight. Any "rules of engagement" (sometimes gang fights are limited as to types of weapons, etc). If gunplay is involved, it's more of a Skirmish than a rumble.
    Notes: This is sort of a Brawl or a Skirmish out in the open, but generally involves two gangs, of some sort, and is generally limited to cheap melee weapons, such as bottles, rocks, chains, knives, and clubs. It also has some sort of "rules" or "code", on many occasions, and is rarely to the death.
  51. Sabotage: Something either needs messing up, or has already suffered it.
    Estimated Time Required: One hour?
    Other Development Required: What, where gets targetted. Deck or floor plans for the ship or building showing the locations of the target, any guards or security systems, etc. Any NPCs and their equipment. Tasks for entering, performing the nastiness, and getting out alive. Map of the surrounding area (for escapes), etc.
    Notes: The PCs may suddenly get the desire to perform a little sabotage, or have it done on them, or a ship or building they are guarding. The miscreants will have to avoid any obstacles, the law, and the effects of their own perfidy.
  52. Salvage: What once was lost now is found... recovery is another matter!
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes, plus.
    Other Development Required: An item (vessel, vehicle) lost in the wilds, and some means for the characters to locate and possibly retrieve it.
    Notes: Lost starships are a good one, but sunken treasure ships are a staple! Downed aircraft (especially spy planes) are another good choice. If there once was a valuable cargo, it may still be there (or not), but it may also now be worthless (sensitive electronics ruined by sea water, for instance, or once-priceless materials so long out of date as to be almost worthless, by today's standards). In any case, salvage is a high-risk endeavor, both financially, and physically. Don't forget the difficulties of international law, which may be tougher to overcome than the salvage operations, themselves (who owns that German spy-sat that crashed in British terrain after the French shot it down, anyway?)
  53. Scam/Sting: A crooked plot, or a plot to catch crooks.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: Sucker(s) and a clever plan. Tasks required to pull it off.
    Notes: The PCs may be the scammers, or the ones conducting the sting. Some simple scams include: Bait and Switch (show the "mark" a product, then make an excuse to rush them out. Switch the goods for junk, then sell'em the junk in a hurry and disappear with their money and the product, before they catch on), selling forged autographs of someone whose real autograph the mark has never seen, creating cheap knock-offs of scarce and expensive items, or putting all your money in one bag, then giving the other guy a look-alike bag, etc.
  54. Search and Destroy: Something, somewhere needs to be sought out, then obliterated. Somebody has called in the heavy weapons.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: An employer. An objective, and the reason(s) for its destruction. Intel on it for the PCs. Sources of info on its current location. Maps/floor plans of the final confrontation area. Any defenses and/or security measures in place. Plan of attack/defense.
    Notes: Unless your PCs are in military careers, they should never be the subject of a Search and Destroy mission more than once in their lives (unless you're just trying to end your campaign). Alien creatures can be the targets, as can Kafer patrols, etc.
  55. Skirmish: A classic firefight with a small, generally (para)military force, of some sort.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly an hour.
    Other Development Required: A terrain map for the encounter area, a listing of the force and its weapons, armor, and equipment, as well as some basic plans on how they'll respond to various situations.
    Notes: Crossing someone's borders without the proper forms? You're likely to run into a border patrol. Doing something illegal? You may run into the local constabulary, or even a SWAT Team! Doing anything on Aurore? Kafers are everywhere. There are even pellet-firing lifeforms on some worlds (such as Kormoran's Nightmares) that might make good skirmishers.
  56. Smuggling: Less-than-legal importation of some form(s) of goods.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: A source for the goods, a means of acquiring and transporting them, a route from source to market, someone to buy them, a good plan for doing all of the above under the authorities' noses.
    Notes: Smuggling is one thing, making a profit is another. The longer a smuggling ring is in operation, the greater the chance that someone will catch on, sell them out, or other underworld competitors will object. The PCs may smuggle, or try to stop the smugglers. The contraband may be ammo, animals, drugs, electronics, guns, insects, plants, rockets, star drives, or almost anything else.
  57. Special Forces: The PCs become part of some special force for handling a certain type of problem(s).
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: A purpose for the team (SWAT, special investigations unit, elite troubleshooters, Auroran rapid response unit, or something similar). Team leader (may be a PC). Some scenario(s) to start off with. Base of operations, equipment (including any transport and starship(s) available), resources (including NPC aides), someone to answer to, availability of repair services and replacements, etc.
    Notes: One campaign that I played in (see BC NPCs) was based around this theme, with our VERY diverse group being a troubleshooter team working for a Lt. Colonel in the French Space Military. We handled problems where French military involvement was undesirable, and performed many different types of tasks. Other possibilities include a scientific unit, "Black Ops" military and intelligence forces, a multinational Anti-Provolution Task Force, or (for the more academically oriented), some secret research project (into the Ylii, perhaps). Any good excuse to lump together a relatively diverse bunch of PCs will do, but be sure to choose something that allows for several career types to work together, instead of limiting PCs to one career path!
  58. Spying: Going someplace you're not allowed, getting the information someone else doesn't want you to have, and living to tell about it.
    Estimated Time Required: Roughly one hour.
    Other Development Required: A mission, means of infiltration, and escape. Floor plans and maps are generally required. A spy, or target.
    Notes: This may be a military mission to spy on the enemy, corporate cloak and dagger, PI or undercover police work, or just a PC surreptitiously scouting a site, for some reason of his/her own. PCs may also be spied upon, if the Referee likes (give them a Reconnaissance, Stealth, or Streetwise task to detect the spy).
  59. Tax: Someone is levying a new tax upon the party.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: Who is taxing, why, how much, how it is computed.
    Notes: The Prince may be getting married (for the 34th time) and taxing the inhabitants yet again. The local powers may be taxing all spellcasters in order to fund a new Wizards' Guild to regulate their craft. The local Nobility may be trying to disarm the citizenry by taxing all swords mercilessly! Some kingdoms may declare that 50% of all ancient tresures recovered belong to the crown! The reasons for a tax are innumerable. You can use this, occasionally, to deprive party members of "too much" wealth. The adventure may center around collecting/avoiding the taxes, or changing the taxers' minds.
  60. Tax Refund: Someone is giving money back?
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: Who is giving, why, how much, how it is computed, who is eligible to receive it (resident who have lived there six months, or more, etc).
    Notes: The Prince's father may be refunding the monies his brat son just extorted from his subjects, the local equivalent of the Infernal Revenue Service may have been legislated out of existance, the ill-gotten gains of the enemy army may be being distributed to the war-ravaged peasants, etc. There are as many reasons for a tax refund as a new tax! You can use this, once in a while, to aid a penurious party. The adventure may center around getting the most wealth, or discovering why someone is giving away wealth.
  61. Tournament: Events of all kinds, for an afternoon of light competition!
    Estimated Time Required: About an hour, depending upon how complex you want to get.
    Other Development Required: A variety of events to engage in (foot races, horseback riding, fencing, jousting, archery, shooting matches, sailing, swimming, log-splitting, pole climbing, etc), and rules for determining a winner. Possibly a map of the fairgrounds or renaissance town, etc. Some NPCs to compete against may be needed.
    Notes: This is a good way to have PCs meet NPCs, outside of a "normal" adventure. Races may be handled as above. Fencing and jousting can be handled via the melee combat rules. Archery and shooting matches can be handled via the ranged combat rules. Axe-hurling could be handled via the thrown weapons rules. Sailing, swimming, and pole climbing can have new rules developed, or be treated as races. The Referee will have to create rules for log-splitting, underwater basket-weaving, and what-not...
  62. Trailblazing: Finding a way from here to there, and leaving a trail for others to follow.
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes.
    Other Development Required: A previously unexplored (or impenetrable) area, a need for getting through it, an employer willing to hire the PCs to find a way, terms, and a map of the terrain for the Referee (with the path and any pitfalls clearly marked).
    Notes: Finding a way through shouldn't be all that easy (or someone would already have done it). Making a trail (maybe even building a road) should be even harder, and more dangerous. Even marking a trail could be weary, dangerous work!
  63. UFO: What is that thing, anyway?
    Estimated Time Required: 5 minutes or more, depending on what it really is.
    Other Development Required: What it is. How the PCs find out. Possibly deck plans, if required.
    Notes: UFOs could be unknown alien craft such as in Michael LaBossiere's "Drifter", an unknown Kafer ship (like in "The Tricolor's Shadow"), smugglers or pirates, hoaxes, or just someone out where they're not expected.
  64. Vandal(s): Slashers and smashers.
    Estimated Time Required: One hour?
    Other Development Required: One or more perps, equipped with whatever they need. If they smash the PCs' gear, the PCs will want to rumble with them, later. Have some tasks to find them handy!
    Notes: The evil PCs can be vandals, too, but is that an adventure? Save it for when they're parked on the bad side of town, have ticked off the local street urchins, etc.
  65. War: Somebody big, with lots of resources to waste (a nation, corporation, etc) decides that they want to waste them, and some other group, in the process.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus (probably more).
    Other Development Required: Who's fighting. Why. Brief history of the impetus, and war. Forces on both sides. Important NPCs. Ways and means of getting the PCs involved. Events that'll happen along the way. A list of the comparative strengths and weaknesses of both sides in the conflict, including their assets and plans. What the PCs can do to affect the balance of power.
    Notes: _Invasion_ gives a good start for the Kafer War, but you can also start a local corporate war, gang war, or have a couple of greedy crimelords warring over something, if you like.
  66. Whodunnit: The infamous murder-mystery.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Who died, who killed them and why, what clues point where, and how to find them. Suspects. The murder weapon, etc.
    Notes: Another cliche'd classic, with about a buzillion variations.
  67. Xenomorph(s): A new creature is encountered.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Varmints are not sentient (if they are, see Native(s), above). The physical structure and appearance, senses, habits and habitat, breeding and feeding habits, etc. Notes on how they'll react to the PCs. Statistics for combat, if needed.
    Notes: You can generate a quick random critter in five minutes or less, but developing a good one can take hours. If a xenomorph is the basis of an addventure, it should be more interesting than most Terran lifeforms. An adventure based around a zebra, platypus, or kangaroo isn't too interesting. One based around a man-eating tiger or an at least semi-intelligent Dragon-Bat would be. Think something more than a tiger, but less than Aliens.
  68. Yank: Some force is used to make someone do something.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: The yank, the yanker(s), the effects, ways out of it (if any), tasks for the same, what happens if you can't get out.
    Notes: Being drafted or Deputized is a yank, as is being arrested, kidnapped, shanghaied, abducted by pirates, etc, etc, ad nauseum.
  69. Zoogeographical Survey: Find where a creature lives, if a creature lives in an area, what creatures inhabit a terrain type, or if a species is extinct.
    Estimated Time Required: Two hours, plus.
    Other Development Required: Maps, varmint(s), tasks for answering the question, an employer, terms, equipment (including transport).
    Notes: Great for Biologists, Civil Inspectors, and NARL employees.

Examples:

Looking for a quick adventure, the Referee checks the Ideas chart, and quickly determines that the following are "Five Minute Adventures": Ambush, Brawl, "Cattle" Drive, Chase, Courier, Duel, Exploration, Hijacking, Holiday, Lawsuit, Madman, Madmen, Mob, Mugging, Murder, Narcotics, Operation, Personal Escort, Quest, Salvage, Scam/Sting, Trailblazing and UFO. He could put most of these together into one giant adventure campaign by having the PCs be hired to explore an area, searching for a path through it in preparation for a cattle drive, when they are ambushed by a group of madmen, who chase them off after a brawl. After the fight, one of the (N)PCs in the party needs an operation to save their life. Meanwhile, one of the madmen has made it into town on Christmas Eve, where he poisons the water supply, driving all the drinkers mad! The crazed victims go on a rampage, beating and murdering whoever they can catch. They hijack a bus and head for the next town, preparing to dump more poison. The PCs join with the unaffected townsfolk (acting as bodyguards) and salvage a wreck from the junk yard, so that they may act as couriers of the bad news to the nearby towns. They set up a scam on the madmen, fighting off the mob (thus opening themselves up to several wrongful death lawsuits by family members, at a later date), and are challenged to a duel aboard his strange flying craft (which turns out to be a LTA Helicraft) by the remaining leader. After that, they can try to find a cure for the poison!

The plot elements used above, in order, are: Exploration, Trailblazing, "Cattle" Drive, Ambush, Madmen, Brawl, Chase, Operation, Madman, Holiday, Narcotics, Mob, Mugging, Murder, Lawsuit, Hijacking, Personnel Escort, Salvage, Courier, Scam/Sting, Mob (and probably Rumble), Lawsuit, Duel, and UFO. After that, if they don't already know all about the poison used, they can Quest for the cause of the mess, and then for an antidote. This, too, could have been incorporated into the campaign.

The required development includes: (Exploration) A commission to explore, a region to explore (large-scale map), an employer and terms, any NPCs, and equipment provided. (Trailblazing) Area (already done!), need to blaze the trail (see "Cattle Drive, below), employer (done!), terms (done!), map with paths and pitfalls (mostly already done). ("Cattle Drive") Buyer, Seller (done!), route with hazards and problems (done!), deadline and/or bonus for early completion, predators (see Madmen, below). (Ambush) Attackers (see Madmen, below), their transport, weapons, armor, and equipment. Small-scale map of the ambush area, and some surprise tasks. (Madmen) A group of Mad Scientists and their plan. (Brawl) Opponents (done!), brawl terrain map (done! See Ambush). (Chase) Pursuers (done! See Madmen), area with obstacles and tasks (the map's done, just add some tasks, and obstacles as needed). (Operation) Type (stitches?), tasks, and a list of required equipment. (Madman) The plan's basically done, just design the head Mad Scientist for later use. (Holiday) Date (done!, it's Christmas Eve), what's done for the occasion (describe the decorations, maybe have a parade in progress, shoppers, perhaps have a Santa getting a Mugging or fighting off the Mob?). (Narcotics) Nature of the poison, who's buying it (done! No one is, the Madmen are dumping it in the water supply!), who's selling it (done!), why the PCs are involved (done! They stumbled onto the Madmen). (Mob) A generalized mob (Green Physically-oriented NPCs?) with weapons (table listing a 1D6 roll for items such as dagger, club, hand axe, etc?), and the reason why they're rioting (done! No leader required). (Mugging) Attackers (done! See Mob), defenders (with stuff), small-scale maps, surprise tasks (done! See Ambush, above). (Lawsuit) Plaintif(s), lawyers for both sides, reasons for and history of the suit, possible evidence, what the plaintifs and PCs know, tasks for discovering more, means for determining who wins. Maybe a judge. (Murder) Victim(s), location(s), stats. (Hijacking) Bus stats, reason for the hijacking (done!), rules for vehicular combat (you can use mine, if you like) and/or floor plans for the bus, if the PCs want to assault it, plan of defense (if the bus is attacked), the defenders and their equipment (done! See Madmen, above), their locations in the bus, and how they'll respond. (Personnel Escort) Person(s) to be escorted, purpose of the journey (See Courier, below), reason (done!). (Salvage) Stats of the bus to be fixed (done, assuming they're the same as the Hijacked bus), and some repair tasks. (Courier) Message to be delivered (done! The warning about the Madmen and the poisoned water plot!), who, where, and when to deliver it to (surrounding towns, ASAP!), opponents (done! See Madmen, above). (Scam/Sting) Suckers (see Madmen), a plot, and some tasks. (Duel) Imagined slight on the head Madman by the PCs (done, if they foiled his/her plan!), the challenge, the mad scientist's second, a judge, rules (if any), and what happens, afterwards. (UFO) What is it (done! It's a Helicraft), how the PCs find out (see Duel, above), deck plans for the climactic encounter. (Quest) The unknown info sought on the poison, where and how to get it, and what it takes. Total Time Required: Less than two hours.

Naturally, any one adventure would have been enough for a brief roleplaying session, so let's pick just one idea, and develop it more in-depth. Suppose you want to have a mugging... Choose an NPC from a previous adventure who has a reason to hold a grudge against one or more PC(s). Use him or her (it saves time generating an NPC), and figure out what they're after (simple revenge, money, an item, or some combination?). Then plot where the attack will occur, and develop some tasks for the surprise attack on the poor PC. If it succeeds, the PC will certainly want to attempt to find the perpetrator. If it didn't, then a chase is likely. In either case, an adventure is underway! Since the PC is the victim, and a previously-generated NPC is the attacker, all the Referee needs is a list of the NPC's equipment (which may already exist), a map of the area where the mugging will occur (including the surroundings, in chase a chase occurs after a failed mugging attempt), and a few tasks.

As another example, the _Deathwatch Program_ involved a Personnel Escort that turned into a Chase and Skirmish, then Harefoot's cyber-Assault/Raid on a banking facility, where an Intrigue was discovered, leading to a Search and Destroy and at least one Murder, followed by a couple of more Chases and attempted Search and Destroy/Murders. Then came yet another Murder, and a chance to solve some of the mysteries. There were many possible muggings along the way.

Here's yet another example, using a PC's "Love Interest" in several ways... The PC's LI comes to him with the diary of the great grandaddy of an old friend of hers. It seems that her friend is going to lose the old family home that they just inherited, because of the unpaid back-taxes. While having coffee together one day, her friend happened to mention that great grandpa's old diary was found in the attic, and showed it to her. She recognized the ancient tongue it was written in, and her friend loaned it to her so that she could translate it. While doing so, she discovered that dear old great grandpappy made a fair fortune, and never seems to have spent any of it, except for some notes on buying land. Her friend knows nothing about any other land, and so the LI comes to the PC, asking if he can help her track down any land transactions (hopefully finding the missing cash, or land bought with it - enough to pay off the back taxes, and save the old homestead before the fast-approaching deadline).

A few checks with the appropriate land office (Information Gathering task) reveal that there are no records of land in great grandad's (or his wife's) name, but a fire destroyed some records roughly ten years after his death... The diary gives few clues, except to mentioned that the old man bought the land he could see from "my cabin in the hills". No one seems to know anything about that, though! The only option is to journey to the area, and wander through the hills, looking for a 100 year old cabin somewhere in the hills nearby the house!

If the PC doesn't want to help, his LI will be miffed, but not enough to break up with him. Instead, she may decide to go off and spend the week with her old friend, and try to find clues, herself. If he does agree to help, both she and her old friend will be grateful, and will probably accompany him on the trip. The old homestead is so far off the beaten path, that the path stops several day's travel before it gets there! Access by sea is much easier, and a hovercraft or boat will get everyone there.

A search of the old homestead turns up nothing more, except for an old painting of the house in its early days, with one of the mountains as the backdrop. Any paths from "the old days" are long overgrown, and an Impossible Tracking task to find. Only a careful search of the area will (days later) turn up an old ruin of a cabin, half-covered by trees, in some hills halfway up the lower slopes of the mountain in the picture. The place is now a roofless ruin, but a careful search will reveal a formerly boarded-up rock passage (beside the chimney) going back into the mountain, where a large crack was used as a storage chamber. Among the many items of stored hunting gear are worthless, rotted pelts and rope, old candles, a lantern, oil, rusted tools, an old cedar chest with hunting clothes, papers and photographs wrapped in an old skin, and some crumbling bars of lie soap, an ancient broken-down vehicle (still in fair condition, but non-operable), rotted food stores and food drying equipment, butchering tools, a few old, rotten trophies that only an expert Biologist could guess the species of, and several bundles of oilskin, tied with twine that falls apart when touched. The players may investigate, as they like.

The crack goes back maybe 20 meters, getting smaller as it goes, and eventually ends (way too small for PCs to fit into, by that point). It is 10 meters at the widest, narrowing as it goes back, and roughly leveled. The pelts, ropes, food, and trophies are all worthless. The candles are crumbly, but will still work, if treated with care. The oil is mostly evaporated, but enough remains for about an hour's light. The lantern's wick wheel is rusted stuck, but can be loosened with some oil (and elbow grease). The tools are well-rusted, but anything without a blade is still usable (if you don't mind risking tetanus, or wearing gloves). The cedar chest's hinges are rusted closed, but either they or the lid may be broken to gain access. Inside are hunting clothes long out of fashion, many illegible papers of no historical interest, hundreds of old photographs of hunters (a few of which are recognizable as Great Grandpa, the rest of whom no one knows, assumed to be some of Great Grandpa's old hunting buddies), each holding a dead animal native to the area, the skin of one, etc. The soap is worthless and unusable. The vehicle is not operable, the (petrol) fuel tank is empty, and the oil is dried up, after a century of neglect. Despite that, a few hours of hammering, success in a Routine Mechanics task, an oil change and some fuel will leave the PCs with a working antique that many would pay upwards of Lv 10,000 to possess (the friend will not want such a rusty old thing, unless (s)he learns of its value before giving it away). The butchering and food drying equipment is also rusty and generally useless. The oilskins contain 1D10 150 year old big game rifles, almost perfectly preserved (1D6 will be missing some parts, awaiting repairs when stored). The LI and her friend will both be very excited by this, as they know such antiques will be worth a pretty centime, at some auction house (these won't be given away)!

Still, the deadline is only a few days away, and there's not enough time to organize an auction and get the money to save the homestead... Only a careful examination of the photos will reveal any clue. One of the "skins" that Great Grandpappy is holding up is actually a scrawled land grant (which is nearly illegible in the photo (Difficult task, adding only the INT bonus and Eyesight Modifier)), but 24th-century photoenhancement could bring it out. Once the PCs find this (IF they do!), they can have someone attempt a Difficult Bureaucracy task, and if successful, will be able to determine that such land grants were given by the AR-I to the earliest explorers of the planet (those who stayed, once the surveys were done) as a reward for their work. Since such land grants were supposed to be tax-free in perpetuity, an enhancement of this photograph would, in effect, totally wipe out the back-taxes, and save the old homestead!

That would satisfy the PC's LI and her old friend, but it still doesn't answer the question of the family fortune, and missing land... The truth of the matter is that the old skin that the papers and photos were wrapped in IS the old land grant, but it now so brown as to be utterly unreadable. The Referee may allow anyone who inspects it to attempt the same task as used on the photograph, and if they succeed, tell them that it looks like the same type of skin as the one in the picture. No writing will be visible, but a chemical analysis of the skin (in a professional laboratory) would allow the skin to be returned to readability. If that happens, the original land grant number would be revealed.

Once that number has been found, not only will the old friend's great grandad be revealed as one of the world's original colonists, anyone with a background in exploration will know that the AR-I should have records of land transactions. A check of dusty old databases not used in decades will reveal that not only did Great Grandad never sell his place, but that he later purchased almost every square centimeter of land visible from his old hunting cabin, and the PC's Love Interest's old friend is entitled to a lot more land (once back-taxes on it are paid), and will soon be VERY wealthy! The AR-I will forward copies of their records to the land office (replacing the ones lost in the fire).

News of all of this will quickly spread (once the group arrives back in civilization), and the land grant photo will be a hot item. Everyone will want to interview "The Heiress" (who will happily comply, telling all about just how helpful her friends were), her friend who translated the diary, the PCs who found such amazing clues, etc. If the skin was recognized, the AR-I and a local museum will all want to buy it. Lots of antique dealers and collectors will be interested in the rifles, and some in the vehicle (if the PCs brought it back). When all are sold, the friend will have enough to pay off all the back-taxes on the non-granted land that her great grandad bought, and still pay her new friends for all their expenses.

One thing still bothers her, though... Great grandad's fortune still doesn't seem to be accounted for. What happened to the rest of the money? (Not that the new land baroness needs it, now, but maybe a 10% finder's fee would interest her new friends?) Also, might someone else be looking for the old man's money, now? Were those guys in the photos all other old explorers, too? If so, what are the photos worth, historically? Would the PCs know? (I bet the AR-I does!) What if one of the great grandkids of another old explorer recognizes one of those rifles as his ancestor's? Might (s)he try to steal it? Might they file a law suit to get it back? Has anyone been wanting that land that great grandpappy bought? Might they kidnap the new heiress in order to get it? What if some evil type KNOWS where the old man hid his missing fortune, and his family burned the records so that they could lay claim to the land after the old explorer died? What if they arranged for that, too?

This idea is basically a Recovery, based around a Love Interest. The old vehicle could be a Salvage, and complications might include a body-snatch (someone wants to know where great grandad's gold is), kidnapping or lawsuit (someone wants back the land/one of the rifles, or else!), or even a murder (how did great grandad die, anyway?).

As you can see, one simple scenario can become the basis for an entire campaign, if you want. Perhaps another photo shows a hidden drawer open, or somesuch. When the PCs go back to investigate, perhaps they find a hidden "safe" with a keyhole, for instance. Only an exhaustive search uncovers the key, hidden in the once-soft wax of a crumbling candle. Inside the panel are the missing paper deeds to the purchased land, a paper copy of the land grant (with the number on it), and a map to some type of storage chamber on the then-newly purchased land. What's stored there, and why was the old explorer such a secretive old hunter, anyway? Only the Referee even has a clue...

For a more completely fleshed out version of this scenario (including tasks and NPCs), see Lacy's Friend in the Adventures Section.

A Few Helpful Suggestions:

For those who don't mind a little more work, there are lots of things that can be done in a few hour's worth of advance preparations that will help to keep a game from bogging down. Having some maps of various types of terrain handy will help to keep the game from grinding to a halt while the harried Referee hastily sketches one. As previously mentioned, the USGS (United States Geological Survey) Topographical maps are good for this. You can get maps of wilderness or city terrain, with roads, buildings, etc. all clearly drawn in. You can fold over any parts you don't want to use, put parts together, and make photocopies for your game. For city or town use, the bland maps sold or given away in many convenience stores and gas stations (the ones which only show the streets) are great... just get ones from different cities and towns, so all your adventures won't take place in an area that your PC's players are intimately familiar with!

Next, some geomorphs help in quickly laying down an area, so that you don't have to totally spin a scene out of whole cloth when something catches you off-guard. Geomorphs are fixed shapes (I prefer squares, but others like hexes) that fit together no matter which end is "up", and can be placed end-to-end in a random fashion in order to create the area surrounding the PCs. Create different wilderness, city, and perhaps town hexes. Wilderness geomorphs feature terrain features, while city and town geomorphs feature roadgrids (which fit together at the edges) and buildings (with the occasional empty field, park, ruins, etc). When something happens in an area for which the Referee has not prepared a map, (s)he can simply whip out a geomorph and announce "You are here!" Eight squares around the first quickly show the players what their PCs can see. If desired, a "map" of an entire city can quickly be generated by using a sheet of graph paper with a fairly large size set of geomorphs, and recording the number of the geomorph and the number (1-4) of the "up" direction for each on every square of the map.

Depending upon how complex the Referee wants to get, several sets of geomorphs can be made (Swamp, Forest, Jungle, Mountainous Swamps, Hilly Swamps, Flat Swamps, Mountainous Desert with Road, Industrial District, Residential District, Warehous District, ad nauseum). This can be used with the Building Geomorphs, below, to allow the larger-scale geomorphs to not only show the lay of the land and buildings, but also to give an indication of what they are. For instance, a "Industrial District" geomorph might have room for several buildings on it, labeled "LIC" (Large Industrial Complex). the Referee could then have floor plan building geomorphs for use when a PC runs off the street, into a building. Depending on which floor plan (s)he draws, this could be a steel mill (ala _Terminator 2_, or some other such plant. It would not be a home or shop, however, as those are "Residential District" and "Commercial District" geomorphs!

The geomorphs can take a lot of time and work, if taken to this level, but are also very powerful. With a large enough set, entire cities can be mapped in a very short time (although you pay for that with the time spent creating geomorphs). When creating geomorphs, try to include everything that you can think of... dead-end street, empty lots, large ans small businesses, fancy, medium, and ramshackle homes, houses and apartments, shops, warehouse, bus and train stops, parks, sidewalks, bicycle and foot paths, etc, etc. Tables listing which geomorph to use (based on a die roll) are nice, especially if they also allow for a chance to use a geomorph tile from another deck, and a chance to switch from deck to deck (changing from one district to another).

You may never want to get this far into it. Some larger-scale city/town and a few wilderness tiles may be all you ever need. Perhaps you think fast on your feet, and enjoy making things up on the spur of the moment. If so, you may never need these suggestions. If you ever do, however, here they are, waiting to be used. Take what you need, and leave the rest...

Another helpful thing to keep handy is a file of NPCs from previous episodes (once you've created them, keep them handy). Also, some generic NPCs to pop-up, as needed, should be added to this file. A generic mugger, pickpocket, merchant, mechanic, technician, bureaucrat, doctor, lawyer, security guard, locksmith, salesman, gunshop owner, etc, will allow you to whip them out and proceed with the action, without having to stop and generate another one. Using the NPPC System makes for even more detail, at the expense of your time, but these are also good for handing out as PCs to late arrivals, players' boyfriends and girlfriends, etc.

Finally, a set of "Encounter Tables" for different areas and times of the day or night will allow you to roll for random encounters while passing through various terrain types, if desired. These can be ignored during an adventure, only to be pulled out and used when things get slow. This makes simply wandering around a town an interesting experience (and one sometimes frought with danger, if the wrong parts are visited)! Don't forget to add things like weather, malfunctions, and a few odd occurances to your encounter tables... I like to use a D100 system, for mine, so that I can throw in a horde of events.

Taken singly or together, the maps, geomorphs, NPCs, and encounter tables will save time during play, and help breathe more life into a flagging old campaign. Each takes some time and work on the Referee's part, but will more than pay off, in the long run.

Back to One Man's Views of _2300 AD_.