To Clear the Accused...

jedion357's picture
jedion357
November 22, 2011 - 6:35am
Set up is an NPC is going to be on trial. He espouses his innocence. He or a family member has put up the funds for the defense and the lawyer and or family member are hiring some individuals (the PCs) to do the leg work to run down the evidence that will clear the accused.

Perhaps the accused is implicated as a traitor during the Sathar War and is facing a death penalty. Perhaps there is corporate shenanigans involved. Perhaps there are powerful people in politics that dont want the truth to come out.

Is it likely that mooks and thugs will attempt to dissaude the PCs from clearing the accused? Very, in fact hostile negotiations are almost certain.

Adventure/ campaign will be set up like an ABC quest. And each stage of running down leads A, B and C can take 2-3 or more sessions. One twist could be that the PCs recieve some aid from a rising crime lord known as the Malthar during one point in the adventure.

I would make the out come of the trial dependent on PC actions and their success at running down the leads. Out comes could be: Cleared, Life or 20ish years in prison, or Death penalty.

Adventure doesn't stop with the end of the trial. They can keep fighting to get the convicted NPC off, If he's under a death penalty they have a time pressure to fix their failure and save him. He could escape from prison and show up on their doorstep looking for aid. Someone might make an attempt on his life if he's cleared.

Could start out one PC as a family member of the accused (make it a personal stake in the outcome for that PC).

Could start out one PC as owing a personal debt to the accused (the accused saved the life of the PC's cousin, sister, father, etc.)

Or its just a money relationship- the PCs are hired investigators.

Makes for an ideal RPG party. Could even allow for side quests when someone doesn't attend a session their character can be running down a lead- if player and GM are game they can handle brief role play encounter between the PC and an NPC by email before the next game session.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!
Comments:

jedion357's picture
jedion357
November 22, 2011 - 6:40am
For a really long running campaign- make it that the NPC is actually guilty and the PCs get him off. Latter they discover that he was guilty and is now wants to shut them up. He also has some other neffarious plan he's persueing so that now the adventure involves surving his assassination attempts and stopping him.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!