[UA] More random plot.

[Heaver, Paul A.]

I can run a campaign off of these things.  They're great, and addictive.

Usually, I click one a day to see what creative things I can come up with.
This one I thought was good enough to share with the group, as there's an
entire adventure thought up.

A conceited international spy, a violent doctor, and a talented stock trader
overcome immense obstacles in a small airport.

Ok, the background for this is: <random name #1> (conceited int'l spy), the
Freak (in Freak-as-doctor mode, from that excellent short story, what was
the name it used again?), and <random name #2> (talented stock trader) board
a plane to the small airport near <insert name of big campaign city here>
early in the morning.  On the plane, the Freak casts some minor spell
(making a few last minute touch-ups to the character, perhaps?) and the
magic burps a little.  Unknown to him, the pilot is an entropomancer and
just buzzed another plane or something to get a pretty big charge, at
exactly the same time.  That and the casting cause one of those random magic
effects, mixing up the contents of the three characters' carry-on bags, but
keeping the actual containers the same.  The plane lands, and everyone gets
off.

The conceited spy has some delicate information in his luggage, and he's one
of those types of people that likes taking stupid risks that he doesn't have
to.  He's not magical or anything, he's too mentally stable to be obsessed
with it.  He just put documents labeled "Secret diplomacy talks" in plain
view in his luggage, where airport security would see it, if they ever
opened his bags.  And now it's gone, replaced with the Stock Trader stuff.

The Stock Trader has, again, delicate info about upcoming mergers that might
technically be construed as insider trading.  In my UA campaign (if I ran
one), he'd be a TNI accountant, making even more money specifically
earmarked to bankroll TNI stuff.  Since my PCs would be TNI operatives, when
he calls higher-ups about this, they assign the job to the local group, the
PCs.  I'd suggest against him being at all supernatural as well, although
some PCs might think plutomancer because of his obsession with money, and
because PCs tend to assume mage unless otherwise proven. :)  He has the
Freak's luggage.

The Freak just has a bunch of "equipment" that it would use for this medical
miracle schtick.  Of course, some of it looks odd, like torture devices
almost.  How did it get these past security?  The Freak wants its stuff back
on general principles, but also because there's a minor artifact or two in
the bag.  The Freak, of course, has the Spy's stuff.

So the PCs arrive a few hours later, and try to sort out this mess.  The
Trader is in the airport still, fretting about missing documents and also
holding onto items that might be thought of as deadly weapons, doesn't want
to go anywhere.  He checked around to see if anyone matching the medical ID
in the bag is walking around, but they aren't there.  He's hoping they
return.  The Freak gets back to the hotel, gets ready for the work that
evening, and finds its stuff missing, returning to the airport in another
guise and trying to find the spy, who also left two or three passports under
different names, with his picture in the bag.  The Spy gets set to give the
docs to some contact, but he leaves when he realizes the docs are gone.  He
arrives at the airport looking for a) the docs, and b) a plane ticket out of
here, with the contact following him, wondering why he's leaving, and
fearing a double-cross.  He doesn't have the stockbroker's picture, but he
does have a name.  He hides his fear pretty well and wanders around
listening for the name to be mentioned.

So, the PCs, a sweaty nervous stockbroker, a different Freak, a scared spy,
and his vengeful contact are all in an airport, looking for one another and
their bags.  The action will probably take place near baggage claim or lost
and found areas of the airport, and security and metal detectors abound.
Should be a fun way to waste an evening in a mostly non-lethal adventure,
since no one will want to get the guards riled.

Paul


_______________________________________________
UA mailing list
UA at lists.uchicago.edu
http://lists.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/ua