So I'm running a game where one of the PCs is a vampire whose parents disappeared, and wants to find them, as their main concern. They're just a normal villager hanging around town otherwise (the vampirism is genetic, it's not some evil Dracula stuff).
Since this is a level 1 PC, what are some story ideas I could use to get the PC involved in the game? Maybe some way to leave town and adventure, or interesting things in town to do. Right now the player feels a bit bored since I haven't introduced anything to make it urgent to act yet; I thought they'd be happy just getting to know the town during the beginning of the game, but they want some more purpose.
Lucas Long
Maybe have them work for an NPC, who has info about the character's parents. Of course they should expect them to do something for the info, which in this case would be doing whatever your adventure is.
Do they have a home? Family friends? They could acquire a diary that belonged to one of their parents. But do things that make it so they just can't read it outright. Make it locked, and/or written in another language the PC (or someone in the party) doesn't speak.
Sebastian Sanders
They're basically an orphan who lives at the edge of town in their abandoned house. The PC has a special Vampire trait where anyplace they take up residence, takes on a gloomy atmosphere. Not supernaturally so, but like, imagine a haunted looking house. The place has peeling floorboards, mists, spiderwebs, etc. So most people don't go there.
But otherwise the town doesn't know about the vampirism so they just assume she's just an odd but well meaning kid who comes down to town to get supplies every so often.
No friends yet; I was relying on actual play to establish that, but that's going too slow it seems. Might have to start bringing some in from the backstory, like they were always friends but hadn't been introduced yet.
Incidentally, this is a 1 on 1 game for fun online, so there are no other party members. That changes the way I have to run the game a bit.
Leo Harris
Oh but those two ideas, the diary and language are good.
Tyler Lewis
b-bump
Robert Clark
>It's not evil, it's genetic
>b-bump
Loading Smite.exe.
Tyler Cook
It COULD be evil, because they still have to deal with the blood thirst. If they run around hurting people then it's evil.
So far the character just tries to nick random people while they're asleep.
Jose Jones
have a vampire hunter run him out of town, or at least attempt to
Noah Foster
>breaking and entering a persons home >taking fluids without the persons consent
Gonna start loading Cleave.exe as well then.
Also, maybe you could look into them revealing their secret to someone they've built a lot of trust with? That would give you a whole range of plot hooks and arcs to explore.
Also, ghosts and ghouly things popping up to "protect" the PC but just causing problems instead might be fun.
You could also go the Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun route and have them adventure to get their power or their parents powers back from an evil spacetime traveling dinosaur.
Justin Cox
That's a good potential option, if they let their secret get out.
Nobody they've really built trust with in game. That's what I was waiting to play out, but it's taking too long it seems. Maybe I could just insert a backstory character that knows the secret.
Blake Murphy
I wouldn't insert anything. Take this as an opportunity to create interesting NPCs and interact with your players. And to add time traveling dinosaurs and a saint in a top hat.
Easton Turner
Guess I'll have to start coming up with some extravagant NPCs.
Blake Garcia
Actually, the latest scene right now is, the PC and an adventurer they met outside of town heading into a bar at night to figure out what this treasure map they have means. There's treasure hidden somewhere in town, rumors say.
Now I just need a cast of characters to round out the bar patrons and make the place feel alive and interesting.
Cameron Hall
>starting the party at level 1
Why, you sadist? Level 3 start or bust.
Jayden Thomas
What system?
Jordan Wood
Level 1, 5e. And it's a solo game. THE ABSOLUTE MADMAN
Juan Adams
Poor thing, making them suffer through 5e.
You're cruel.
David Russell
They know what they signed up for.
Caleb Adams
>level 1 >IN FUCKIN' 5e >solo
Did they willingly request level 1?
Bentley Morris
They like level 3 but I like level 1 so they went with that.
It just means I change the nature of the encounters. Becomes less combat, more RP.
Joseph Foster
Why are you running 5e again if this is absolutely NOT the kind of campaign it was ever meant to handle?
>I like level 1 Disgusting.
Tyler Barnes
Because that's what the player wanted. So now the question is what to do with the plot, as described in OP.
Ian Peterson
Wait, that treasure could have hooks or clues. Maybe once they get there, there's some indication that the vampire parents were there? Or perhaps one of the parents is an avid cartographer, and the map is one of theirs? Or maybe the treasure itself belong to the vampire parents?
As for bar patrons... >Shady hooded fellow that sits in the corner, actually just a traveling merchant >Someone who seems like they're a traveling merchant, but actually they're a vampire hunter >A fellow vampire wanderer, so far has avoided detection by the vampire hunter - might know about parents? >A trio of entertainers (bard, dancers, what-have-you) who has become separated from their main troupe and is now waiting at the inn for the troupe to pass by. They hope word spreads quick. >A beggar that is secretly the guard chief/baron/king/foreign dignitary in disguise. The reasons for their disguise is up to you.
Bentley Cooper
All good ideas, or at least seeds to work from.
Christian Long
So they have an NPC who will be fighting with them? Also level 1?
You could make the bar into a social or intellectual encounter and have the local hunters come in to do a quick sweep and ask some questions. Would also give you a chance to drop some rumors yourself. Nasty things crawling at the edge of town, shadows flying over the roofs, etc.
