GURPS - Basic Set 3r..

their motives? In short, what is happening behind the scenes, and what is the "big pic -ture?" If this adventure is part of a campaign, a lot of the background is set. If it is a"one-shot," the background can be sketchy. But if you're starting a campaign, give thebackground a lot of thought.PlotThe "plot" is your plan for the things that are supposed to happen during the adventure.In a simple adventure, the GM guides the characters from one "encounter," or scene,to the next. Each encounter starts when the characters arrive; then it is played out, andthe next one can begin.In a more sophisticated adventure, the GM will have planned for certain things tohappen at certain times, regardless of the PCs' actions. If there is a murder to be solved, forinstance, some clues may vanish if they are not found in time - and others may not existyet if the characters come on the scene "too soon." The murders may even continue as theplayers investigate (that's one sure way to eliminate a suspect). Likewise, importantNPCs may come and go with little regard for the players' wishes. There is no limit to whatcan happen "offstage" - war can be declared, gold can be discovered in Alaska,Martians can land in England. All these things will present new challenges ...This sort of plot is harder to write, and more demanding for the GM during play.But it will give the players a sense of urgency that is lacking in a plain straight-lineadventure.IntroductionThe purpose of the introduction is to get the players' characters into your plot sothat the game can begin. If the players are not familiar with your game world, youshould tell them a little bit about it. If they know the game world (or are part of a continuingcampaign), you can just set the scene with a few words and start the action. Youshould not give them the whole background. In a well-designed adventure, one of theplayers' objectives will be to find out "what is really going on." Don't give away allyour secrets right at the beginning!The most hackneyed introduction of all (but still one of the best) is the Old Man in theTavern: "You are all strangers in town, looking for adventure. You are sitting in the localtavern when an old man comes up to you . . ." The old man can ask for help, order the PCsout of town, sell them a map, offer to guide them to fame and fortune ... it doesn'tmatter. Whatever he does, he will provide a mouthpiece through which the GM can givethe players a little background and start them off in the right direction. Some other good"mouthpiece" characters for an introductory encounter:An officer briefing a group of military men. supers, troubleshooters or espionageagents to (perform a mission/deliver a message/steal a secret).An injured stranger who staggers up and gasps a few cryptic last words.A strange story in the news (the "mouthpiece" in this case is the person the PCscontact to ask about it - a reporter, a scientist, etc.). Or the GM could let the party witnessthe mysterious event themselves . ..A storyteller, herald or town drunk, passing on an interesting rumor.A wealthy person who offers to hire the party for a dangerous mission.A retired adventurer telling about the treasure he couldn't quite get.An angel or deity visiting the faithful (or fairly faithful) with commands - perhaps ina dream.A villain's henchman, delivering a threat, ransom demand or boast.A friend of one of the characters - or. for that matter, a total stranger rescued fromimmediate danger - who needs help.A lawyer reading a will, which sends the party on a quest for an inheritance.The "mouthpiece" NPC can end the introductory encounter by providing the maps,passwords or whatever the party needs to start the adventure.TrapsFantasy adventures traditionally feature avariety of traps. The novice designer canoverdo this, with a crossbow behind everydoor and a pit in every corridor. If thisdoesn't kill the whole party, it will slowthe game to a crawl as they check everythingin sight for traps - and then checkagain, to make sure. But a few strategically-locatedtraps can make an adventuremore interesting.This is true for adventures in non-fantasygenres as well! A criminal stronghold ormillionaire's mansion may have unpleasantsurprises for the intruder.Primitive natives encountered by explorers,whether in Africa, South America orPlanet Zogbaum, may likewise have someupsettingly sophisticated defenses.Some common types of traps includepoison needles, hidden crossbows or otherranged weapons, hidden giant crossbows(or cannon, or antiaircraft missiles), pits(with spikes, snakes, or both), fallingweights, rolling boulders, sliding walls (ordescending roofs), explosives, chainedbeasts, slippery slides, poison gas, acidsprays and many more. Think of the lasthundred adventure stories you read!Not all traps are deadly. They can bedesigned to cripple, capture, annoy,embarass, or just frighten their victims. Aburglar alarm is nothing more than a trapthat produces only sound!Traps, like rooms, should be shown onthe map key - or a trap in a room can bepart of the room's description. For eachtrap, the key should show:(a) how hard the trap is to notice, andwhat skills can detect it(b) how hard the trap is to disable(and/or set off harmlessly)(c) what will set off the trap(d) what happens if t he trap is set off!Some GMs delight in the invention offiendish traps to test their players' wits.Such a "puzzle trap" cannot be disabled by asimple Traps skill roll, or escaped by anysimple skill roll. The players will have tothink their way out! A very simple examplemight be a sliding-wall trap that will crushthe strongest character to death . . . unlesshe opens the manhole in the floor. It's toosmall for him to fit into - but the lid is ofsuch solid metal that, if held in place, it willblock the closing walls!Much more complex traps are possible.Have fun. "Puzzle" traps can add flavor toan adventure when simple deathtrapsbecome boring.