L'amore tra i mostri
(Love among the monsters)
Genre: Traditional FantasySystem: D&D Next Playtest
Style: Italian Comic Opera
Solo Engine: The 9Qs
Idea Generator: Rory's Story Cubes (all 3 sets)
Heroic Motivation: Find True Love
Setting: Vitalia, Avanti
Starting PCs: Captain Orsini, Guglio, Don Pantaloni, Sister Ysabel
NPCs: Created by my Quick NPCs with Story Cubes
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Be the GM first:
Story Cube: submarine
Encounter: an enemy pursues new goals
Place: La Piazza Avanti, late afternoon
It is a glorious summer day in the piazza. The rays of the Vitalian sun have produced a lovely afternoon that warms the people of the Frontier city of Avanti. Unfortunately, the waters of the piazza's fountain suddenly produce a maniacal bullywug awkwardly riding a giant crab! Women and children scream, the bullywug croaks, and the giant crab just kind of gurgles.
Be the PCs next:
Captain Orsini, Guglio, and Don Pantaloni emerge from the inn in response to the chaos, while Sister Ysabel exits the Church of the Protector to do the same. Ysabel casts a Command spell on the bullywug to make it flee, causing the creature to abandon its mount and start splashing about in the fountain. The giant crab charges the men, and they meet the snapping claws with sword, hammer, and magic missile, taking it down. Orsini tries to gently talk to the bullywug to figure out where it came from, but the creature's response is to leap at Orisini and rudely bite his head. The captain is forced to slay the vile beast.
Be the GM once more:
Count Cabravino and other citizens of Avanti reenter the piazza to figure out what has just happened. Everyone is stumped about the attack because the fountain seems to be just a fountain. The Dwarven chef of the inn calls dibs on the giant crab.
2. What overtly troubling event remotely tied to the results of Question 1 occurs, confirming that something seriously adverse to the heroic motivation is afoot?
Be the GM first:
Story Cube: letter
Encounter: intrigue & pursuit
Place: La Piazza Avanti, same time
After thoroughly examining the fountain, Count Cabravino and the others remain baffled by the materialization of the bullywug and crab. They can detect no magic, traps, or tricks. Soon, a stranger [Obvious NPC Elements: masked man/beans/reading] enters the piazza wearing the black leather garb of a rogue. He claims to be a humble man of the country, but he speaks with an eloquence of one who is well-educated. He introduces himself as Ponzetti, and he has a message for Don Pantaloni. Ponzetti states that Don Pantaloni's past is going to catch up to him very soon in a most unpleasant manner. Ponzetti points to the bullywug and crab as just the beginning. The rogue further asserts that he can help Don Pantaloni avoid this terrible fate if Don Pantaloni helps him first.
Be the PCs next:
Don Pantaloni tries to charm more information out of Ponzetti, but the newcomer is well informed about the elf's smooth ways [Don Pantaloni at Disadvantage] and nothing is learned. Orsini, however, is able to coax something more about Ponzetti out of the smug mystery man. Ponzetti reveals to the captain that he is [Personal NPC Element: airing laundry (yes, that's an actual Story Cube icon)] a broker in sensitive information pertaining to the rich and the powerful. During recent business dealings, he learned that a person of significant power wants Don Pantaloni dead. Learning this piece of information - given the difficulties he's currently facing - was an excellent stroke of luck for the rogue, and here he is now in Avanti to attempt a mutually beneficial deal
Be the GM once more:
Ponzetti claims that he has scandalous information which, if used, would make Don Pantaloni's problem go away for good, but the rogue reiterates that he will only assist the elf if Don Pantaloni does a favor for him first. Ponzetti exits the piazza with an invitation for Don Pantaloni to meet him on Hunter's Road on the edge of the northern wilds tomorrow morning if interested in the deal.
3. What elements of the results of Questions 1 and 2 suddenly get twisted in a surprising manner, increasing the danger to the heroic motivation?
Be the GM first:
Story Cube: fighting
Encounter: revelation & combat
Place: The inn in Piazza Avanti, later that evening
While enjoying a dinner of really big crab cakes, Orsini, Guglio, and Ysabel question Don Pantaloni about his past, but his numerous conquests of women - especially those already promised to other men - make it impossible to narrow down the suspects. Before the four friends can finish their meals, one of the innkeeper's cupboards suddenly bursts open and two cackling goblins emerge, each riding on the shoulders of its own bugbear! The bugbears charge at the heroes' table.
Be the PCs next:
Don Pantaloni quickly casts Disguise Self, but the magic fails to trick one of the bugbears and the monster clobbers the elf before anyone can help! Orsini bull rushes the attacking bugbear - pushing it away from Don Pantaloni - and engages it while Guglio closes with the other one. Ysabel takes shots at the goblins with her sling, and she's quite effective! It's a tough fight, but the heroes prevail. Orsini is sure that another attack by oddly mounted monsters must be a clue to the identity of Don Pantaloni's secret attacker, but the group is still perplexed.
Be the GM once more:
With innocents at risk, Count Cabravino reluctantly insists that Don Pantaloni must leave Avanti before monsters start popping out of every crate, closet, and cooking pot in the city. Until this problem is solved, he may never return. It would seem as though the elf has no other choice but to meet Ponzetti in the morning...
(NOTE: To keep the length of this post somewhat reasonable, I didn't include explanations of how I determined such things as bullywugs riding on crabs or Ponzetti's offer. Feel free to use the comments to ask questions if you need me to elaborate.)
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