Running out of ideas

[arouetta]

I pestered the usual GM over and over to let me run a campaign, and he finally caved and said yes. I've GM three games, the players say they enjoy it, but I'm running low on little ideas. Not the overall campaign (which we've gotten totally away from for the moment), not the alternate campaign I have (planned but yet to be implemented, that can also tie into the first campaign), but the short session ideas that can fill in the bigger pictures. On top of it, I told the usual GM that I'm running out of ideas and may need to turn the game back to him, and he said no, he's enjoying being a player too much, it's all me now. So I really need ideas, as I'm stuck in the big chair.

The background is that first session when I put the PCs together, they decided to form a mercenary company. So I need ideas that would appeal to swords for hire or ideas that involve reward. I do have enough material for the next three games (estimated), but nothing beyond.

For purposes of the two overall campaigns, I need them to travel, so leads taking place in the next town to taking something/someone to the next town are helpful, but they can't be similar or that gets boring.

[St. Evil]

A church could hire your group to bring a group to justice for robbing them.
They could be hired by a caravan for protection along a bandit ridden road.
Look at the Mercenary OCC for ideas of what they can be hired for, their is a list.

Hope this helps.

[Noon]

Do the PC's care about anything in life? Or do they just have so much money and power already they could retire right now (and also don't care about the quality of life they retire to)?

If so you've a real lack of proactive PC's there.

Generally when players figure their own idea of what their PC does, they find it exciting. Who thinks their own idea for what to do is boring, after all?

But if your players are used to following a script, they might not be proactive and are just passively waiting for the plot bread crumb trail to show up so they can follow it.

Do you always want to be the only entertainer, or would you like it if the players atleast partially entertained themselves?

[zyanitevp]

Where are you in the world? Can give you a bunch of suggestions, but need to know.

[JuliusCreed]

Ahh the joys of players starting their own merc company... how many ideas can we get... let's see...

Rival companies that have been around a while trying to muscle in on the new guys, either to wipe them out or 'recruit' them into their own company.

Players can start their own recruiting drive... some rumors about a few really good sword slingers roaming around could spur the party into trying to fill their ranks out a bit, particularly if the 'recruits' have some kind of skill the company could use or are just flat out powerful.

War is always good for business... try heading to the Eastern territory or Wolfen Empire and seeing if they could use a few extra bodies in their ranks. Front-line work, espionage and support roles can abound here

Exploration of uncharted regions is a good money maker too... Maybe the Western Empire could use a few good sword arms for their expansion plans into the Yin Sloth Jungles. Or maybe the Wolfen Empire could use them to further chart out the Northern Wilderness. Lots of fun there for Rangers in particular

Guard duty... tedious, I know, but pretty good for pay... Land of the South Winds and Timiro could always use some help with the orc and ogre hordes knocking at their gates, or there's a whole string of forts along the trade routes of the Old Kingdom... take your pick and hope they need enough help to sub-contract.

Where is your group's home base? If it's in or even near a small town or village, they could try acting as a sort of militia there. Just make sure they get in good with the local leadership first... friendly employers tend to pay more.

Caravan protection is an old staple of the merc trade... follow around a bunch of wagons cruising the Old Kingdom, make plenty of stops along the way and meet all kinds of new people, see distant lands and all... or, if you want, have them try out their sea legs as muscle for a merchant fleet... sea serpents and water monsters abound... or maybe things go south against a pirate raid and they sign on with the brigands and carry on a new chapter.

And finally (at least for the moment) How about some good old monster hunting? Arenas in the Western Empire can pay top gold for good quality entertainment... the more vicious and bloodthirsty the beast the better. This will require a bit of an investment on the part of your players for some necessary equipment such as sturdy, chains, cages, wagons, carts and the like, and they'll have to probably change their usual combat tactics a bit (A dead monster is worthless to an arena after all) but it can pay off very handsomely.

Try a few of these out and see where they go. More to come as they come to me. Good luck and great gaming!

[The Dark Elf]

I am never out of ideas with PFRPG so now you arent either but I do need to know some details:

OCC's, Alignment, Race of each character.
Where are you in the world?
What are you main plots?
What books you have.

Once I know that, I will give you some ideas you'll like.

[arouetta]

Okay, I didn't feel comfortable using the PF world as written so while I am using the rules, races, general landscapes and towns from the books, I'm using my own continent, so anything goes, worldwise. I've got a changeling disguised as a human necromancer, an elf that thinks she's a really tall dwarf (hit on the head) wizard, a wolfen mercenary, a human stage magician, and sometimes an elf thief. Right now the group as a whole are wanting horses and the necromancer is wanting body parts, which is where I've got an idea for a long-term campaign. I started with an upcoming border war being orchestrated by a noble wanting to take over, and since they're not nibbling yet, I'm switching to a seek-rare-item mission for an alchemist. I do appreciate the filler ideas though.

[The Dark Elf]

Okay, I didn't feel comfortable using the PF world as written so while I am using the rules, races, general landscapes and towns from the books, I'm using my own continent, so anything goes, worldwise. I've got a changeling disguised as a human necromancer, an elf that thinks she's a really tall dwarf (hit on the head) wizard, a wolfen mercenary, a human stage magician, and sometimes an elf thief. Right now the group as a whole are wanting horses and the necromancer is wanting body parts, which is where I've got an idea for a long-term campaign. I started with an upcoming border war being orchestrated by a noble wanting to take over, and since they're not nibbling yet, I'm switching to a seek-rare-item mission for an alchemist. I do appreciate the filler ideas though.

Ty Arouetta. Hate to ask more questions but-

Still need alignments and since its a self made world I need more info (because I know zero about it). Climate, Kingdoms, races, laws magic etc etc. Are you against them travelling? What made you pick a continent not described?

How does the group feel about necro magic? Does the dwarf hate magic or just distrust it? The elf/dwarf doesnt use any of his powers then as dwarves arent wizards? Why is the group together? What binds them? What is the item theyre seeking? why are they seeking it?

Who was in the war? What side are the players on (geographically)? What was it over? what do you intend the outcome to be if the players arent involved?

I think that your players have a great selection of OCCs that will simply make their own fillers if you leave them in a large enough town. The necro will go on hunting expeditions (and poach the lords best flock), the presti will perform acts in the square (and if it goes wrong, maybe anger a member of the audience who's item he's used in the trick), the thief will plans heists and pick pockets and cheat at cards (theives guild encounters are just the best!), the merc can pick up any "to do list" in the nearest square or will get attacked on site by wolfen racists (depending on where you are) and the wizard may try to walk into a dwarven bar in the dwarven only district (and get into loads of trouble). No plots needed just some roleplaying their charcters and once they get in trouble with one crew, follow up encounter write themselves.

[arouetta]

Okay, I didn't feel comfortable using the PF world as written so while I am using the rules, races, general landscapes and towns from the books, I'm using my own continent, so anything goes, worldwise. I've got a changeling disguised as a human necromancer, an elf that thinks she's a really tall dwarf (hit on the head) wizard, a wolfen mercenary, a human stage magician, and sometimes an elf thief. Right now the group as a whole are wanting horses and the necromancer is wanting body parts, which is where I've got an idea for a long-term campaign. I started with an upcoming border war being orchestrated by a noble wanting to take over, and since they're not nibbling yet, I'm switching to a seek-rare-item mission for an alchemist. I do appreciate the filler ideas though.

Ty Arouetta. Hate to ask more questions but-

Still need alignments and since its a self made world I need more info (because I know zero about it). Climate, Kingdoms, races, laws magic etc etc. Are you against them travelling? What made you pick a continent not described?

How does the group feel about necro magic? Does the dwarf hate magic or just distrust it? The elf/dwarf doesnt use any of his powers then as dwarves arent wizards? Why is the group together? What binds them? What is the item theyre seeking? why are they seeking it?

Who was in the war? What side are the players on (geographically)? What was it over? what do you intend the outcome to be if the players arent involved?

I made my own continent because I didn't think I could do the books justice. I would have to memorize the whole line and learn everything, and I don't think I'm capable of that. Doing a different continent, I could cherry-pick what I want and wing the rest. I expect the group will travel, so the continent goes all the way from the antarctic to the tropical.

The war hasn't happened yet, it's still winding up to that point. In the GM notes, diplomacy is still being pursued, but is breaking down because both sides are accusing each other of border raids. In truth a third group is disguising themselves as soldiers and conducting the raids. On one side is an empire that has already conquered another kingdom but is still dealing with freedom fighters and guerilla warfare, on the other is a kingdom worried about being the next to be swallowed up. A distant cousin to the king of the second kingdom is orchestrating it so that the nobles' opinion of the king will dip and he can then gain the popularity needed to usurp the throne.

The elf wizard does use her powers. The necromancer was bedded by the wizard almost on sight and has saved the group's hides a couple of times, so he's accepted. What binds them together is money, pure and simple. They've already had a couple of interactions with an alchemist so I was planning on a magic pigeon sent their way offering rewards for a rare flower that I totally made up that can only be found in the jungle regions, roughly 1000 miles away. Since in my maps, the border cuts through the jungle, I can use that to get them to the border and have them present for a border raid.

Right now, they're in an area predominantly, but not exclusively, human.

I think that your players have a great selection of OCCs that will simply make their own fillers if you leave them in a large enough town. The necro will go on hunting expeditions (and poach the lords best flock), the presti will perform acts in the square (and if it goes wrong, maybe anger a member of the audience who's item he's used in the trick), the thief will plans heists and pick pockets and cheat at cards (theives guild encounters are just the best!), the merc can pick up any "to do list" in the nearest square or will get attacked on site by wolfen racists (depending on where you are) and the wizard may try to walk into a dwarven bar in the dwarven only district (and get into loads of trouble). No plots needed just some roleplaying their charcters and once they get in trouble with one crew, follow up encounter write themselves.

Thanks for the ideas!

[Justthis Guy]

The PF books are source material. I use them for the background info. It establishes the region and encounters for the locale. They also have some decent canned adventures you can use. So you really dont need to use your own continent, since the main world is so well mapped out. Avoid the western empire cities since there is so much there. Use any city anywhere and the contents for shopping needs, but use your own imagination for the tavern they frequent, or for the local alchemist. This is not the gygax game so you dont have to do A before B!
The racial diversity of the group makes it such that they can **** off somebody just about anywhere they go!

[Ronin84]

This group sounds ripe for a dose of the magnificent 7! Make the group believe they are doing something for a great reward and really they are doing it because it needs to be done, THAT is the reward. Maybe that noble that is stirring things up is really a nasty bad guy who needs to be taken down a peg or two, after he shows his true colors on how evil and nasty he is...

I have used this with a few groups and it tends to work out, sure sometimes they balk initially but so did the guys in the western for a bit...