Sunday 29 March 2015

Major Investigating Powers

In There is Therefore a Strange Land, going through portals may draw the attention of other investigators in the city - attention which is likely to be unwanted. These investigators are typically rich and powerful individuals from the upper echelons of society, who have considerable resources - both supernatural and mundane - to draw from.

Whenever a PC returns from the Strange Land and either consults an expert or fence about an item, or sells an item, there is a 1 in 6 chance of drawing the attention of an investigating power with the relevant specialism. How he/she acts depends on the DM: it may be making contact, sending spies to observe, or simply an assassination attempt.

Dice
Appearance
Personality
Quirks, Motives
Class (level 2d6+1)
Specialism
1
Grossly fat
Pompous and pretentious
Believes him/herself to be made of glass
Cleric/Satanist
Coins
2
Skeletally thin
Lascivious and suggestive
Addicted to opium eating
Cleric/Satanist
Art
3
Strikingly handsome or beautiful
Blunt and dismissive
Believes the real world is a dream and hopes to someday dispel it
Cleric/Satanist
Furniture
4
Goitred and deformed
Boorishly talkative
Has a pet which he/she dotes on
Alchemist
Weapons
5
Decrepit and old
Quiet and reserved
Intends to dispose of all rivals
Alchemist
Coins
6
Wiry and sinuous
Hateful and suspicious
Secretly works for a member of the royal family
Alchemist
Art
7
Muscular and powerful
Flies into impotent rages
Plans to summon beings from the Strange Land to do his/her bidding
Tarot reader
Furniture
8
Missing an eye, ear, nose or tongue
Friendly and welcoming
Is a serial killer
Tarot reader
Weapons
9
Youthful and fresh-faced
Nervous and constantly sweating
Has an identical twin; nobody else knows
Tarot reader
Coins
10
Red-nosed and consumptive
Shifty, never making eye contact
Was long ago possessed by a spirit from the Strange Land
Dilettante
Art
11
Warty and ugly
Aggressive and confrontational
Is a spiritualist who can communicate with the dead
Dilettante
Furniture
12
A small person
Painfully shy
Is an important celebrity (artist, poet, opera singer, etc.)
Dilettante
Weapons

2 comments:

  1. This is starting to sound really interesting. I especially like the idea here, that after an adventure the characters may find themselves on the hook once they've returned to the "safety" of the city. I always liked campaigns that mixed city intrigue with dungeon crawls.

    The GM might consider randomly generating one of these investigators and re-using them later. In other words, the Tarot reader who specializes in art might return after another adventure if the PCs return with a haul containing a curious art piece.

    I could see negotiation being a major strategy for these investigators, even sending the PCs back through another portal to fetch more treasures the investigator has an eye for.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, that's kind of my idea. There is this big extended network of people investigating what lies behind these portals to other realms, along with fences and collectors and whatnot, and those might end up being allies, patrons, rivals or enemies. And some of them will be connected to actual real world powers like politicians or even royals. So the city is in its own way just as dangerous as the other realms, but equally ripe with the potential to make money and expand influence.

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