Baalak on 19/11/2007 at 18:36

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As I wrote in my (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118075) thread about trying to figure out the greater Thief world's Mythos, I am trying to run a role playing game set in the Thief universe, or at least a close approximation thereof. I have two players, and have sent them on two missions thus far- Breaking into the basement of the Blue Heron Inn, and infiltrating Building A of Rampone Dockside Shipping. Both times they escaped without raising an alarm, though both times they cut it very close.

I was worried about my game, as until very recently I was having writer's block when I tried to decide what adventure to prepare for them. I decided I could send them to the Rumford estate, but I think I could use a little help rewriting the mission to make more sense as a real place, and not a construct to facilitate Thief's gameplay.

A little background first:
[INDENT]One of the player characters is the tutor of a nobleman's young daughter. Said daughter moonlights as a pickpocket and cat burglar, and the PC and she went together to infiltrate Rampone's. Well, the nobleman was recently invited to a party at the Rumford estate, and will of course be taking his daughter. Something will happen there to sour his daughter on the Rumfords, and she will decide that they need to be taken down a notch or two. To this end, she will attempt to orchestrate a break-in a week or so after the party, to steal/plant/destroy/discover something which would publicly embarrass the Rumfords when it comes to light, and she'll make sure it does.[/INDENT]

Given this setup, I'll be using the mission itself as a blueprint for my map, but I still have all sorts of details which I need to hash out, and I could definitely use some assistance in that endeavor.

Could anyone direct me to copies of the Rumford Manor's map online? I think giving the PC's the first and second floor (but not the basement) maps would make sense, as the nobleman's daughter could have seen those areas and drawn a map, but wouldn't have had access to the servant areas in the basement.

Who uses the workshop in the basement? Do the Rumfords have a tinker on staff who created their dumbwaiter and maintains their machinery, or does Lord Rumford (is there a Lord Rumford? Garrett only speaks of the Lady) have a hobby? What does all the machinery in the basement do? What sorts of things might the nobleman's daughter have seen or overheard at the party?

While I suspect that I'll be able to finish my work here before Friday, when we play, I don't believe I'll do as good of a job alone as I could with even one person's suggestions helping me. I like to add a little intrigue to every mission I create, and I want to make sure I have time to give that the thought it deserves at the same time that I'm making sure I can answer all the asinine, non-game-progressing questions my players might ask (how does this work, why is this here, who put that there, and the like).

I hope there's some interest in this project.

[RIGHT][INDENT]- Baalak called Slave Laborer.[/INDENT][/RIGHT]

Baalak on 19/11/2007 at 21:18

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It's a popular idea around here, and small wonder why. I think anyone who enjoyed Thief could enjoy playing in a Thiefey RPG. Running one is a whole other matter, though, as it's a lot of work! It is, however, proving to be worth it.

I'm using a heavily modified d20 system with new combat rules, new magic rules, new classes, all homebrewed together. A big hodge podge which make the game dark, gritty and scary. (For instance, one of my PC's was nearly killed by a tiny monstrous spider because it got the jump on him.)

I don't think it fits the character of the Order of the Hammer to be coming to nobles houses to repair their machinery, though the Mechanists do strike me as the type, especially if they charge through the nose for the privilege. However, my game is pre-Dark Project, so there are no Mechanists in the world (although Brother Karrass is presently trying to perfect his designs for a mechanical eye).

I must admit, having servants use the room to repair furniture and such had never occurred to me. Thank you for that idea- it's so mundane it seems exceptionally likely to be true. Although, because the PC who is the nobleman's tutor was also hired to be a tinker and inventor in his services, and has since constructed him a working elevator and is trying to implement a system of pneumatic tubes through the manor, I think it would fir the flavor of the game to have a tinker on the Rumford payroll, if only to give the PC a rival. (He broke into Cid Capezza's workshop in Rampone's Dockside Shipping and stole his secret blueprints. Cid's gonna be furious!)

This makes sense, thank you for reminding me of the guest list.

While I had meant to imply that the workshop was Lord Rumford's personally, you bring up a wonderful idea by way of the spoiler text. I'll probably make it an Order of the Vine shrine, and give the PC's opportunity to get the embarrassing dirt on the Rumfords through it. But how could that knowledge be used to their advantage?

The Rumfords DO have an indoor water closet with plumbing, you're right, but there are an awful lot of machines for the dumbwaiter and lights alone. Two and a half full rooms of them! I think there's something else going on here, I'm just not sure what.

I concur with you, in that the nobleman's daughter (dammit, her name is Alicia, and that's SO much more convenient than referring to her as "The Nobleman's Daughter") will probably be accompanied much of the evening, especially if the Rumfords or other guests bring children, and she's expected to socialize. If she can sneak off alone, it would probably not be for long, and she'd be reluctant exactly because she wouldn't want there to be gossip about her snooping around. If you're gonna come back to steal from the estate, you don't want anyone having ANY suspicions about you.

Haha! I read that thread's new posts every day. As fascinating as it is, I don't think it involves the in-game maps of the missions in its deliberation, and I'd be reluctant to interrupt them to ask for something so out of topic. I'm hoping that someone who has a digital copy of it will reply to this thread or at least tell me how to get it off the CD myself (I really have no idea there).

Thank you for the swift reply, Meisterdieb! You've got some good ideas there.

Baalak on 21/11/2007 at 03:45

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Thanks, Solabusca. jtr7 sent me a private message earlier today with his floor plans. They're just beautiful, and they'll be immeasurably helpful to me. He cut at least 6 hours of mapping out of my schedule, and I'm very grateful. I hope he can make floor plans like that for all the DromED missions.

Your ideas for the party aren't bad at all, though I want to apologize for not being clearer, and clarify that Alicia, the nobleman's daughter who'll be attending the party at the Rumford estate, is an NPC. As such, the party will occur off camera, and the adventure hook should be easier to set, given that Emmett, the inventor and tutor hired by Alicia's father is taking a shine to the young burglar and would probably want to follow along if only to keep her out of trouble when she breaks in. Now if only I could figure out how to get the other PC, a street rat by the name of Solomon, along with them.

I like the Mapping Out the City's suggestion that the Rumford estate is a new building, possibly because the Rumfords are new nobility. Given Alicia's noble background a pretentious newcomer would ruffle her feathers even without a personal slight. My mind keeps drifting back to the other children invited to the party, possibly so the Rumfords could learn more about the next generation of nobles and look for future spouses for their kids, to cement their status. She would resent having to suffer their presence for any length of time, being the type of teenager who fancies herself an adult already.

The music room is definitely on my mind. Had the PC's gotten to Blackheart's studio when they broke into the Rampone building, I'd be more likely to use him, because he'd be recognizable, but I suspect the players glossed over him entirely. I need to give them a map of that place next time they try to break in. Anyway, I think Lady Rumford giving a personal performance would be exceedingly annoying.

I'm rambling now. Back on task. I still want to figure out exactly what happened at the party. I imagine they would serve a meal, offer time to socialize, have a musical performance, more gossip time, and call it a night. So, why will Alicia consider them worthy of a break-in? Slighting her father? General arrogant pompousness? Of course her adventurous spirit and curiosity, but that's not enough by itself.

[RIGHT][INDENT]- Baalak called Undecided.[/INDENT][/RIGHT]

Baalak on 25/11/2007 at 20:04

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In the last mission my players went on, they aided an associate who had been given a tip that there were things worth liberating at the Rampone Dockside Shipping facility. I sent them through Building A on a low difficulty, but given how sparse the mission was, and how, in my mind at least, unrealistically understocked and underutilized most of the suites were, I spiced things up a bit and added in some intrigue.

Lady Angelica, in my adaptation, is not merely an experimental alchemist, but also runs a small smuggling operation supplying herbs and alchemical compounds to various chemists and alchemists in the City who use them to produce shall we say less-than-legal substances. She doesn't make her own illicit substances as the supply business is fairly lucrative and she is afraid of being caught- with good reason.

Robert "Bob" Rampone, the owner of Building A, discovered what Angelica Jabril was going and made her a business proposition. He would expedite her smuggling, and oversee her movements as to help avoid the guards and other tenants, in exchange for a hefty portion of her profits. Threatening her with eviction and revealing her operation to the Blue Coats, he coerced her into agreement.

I added a basement to the building, with an entrance underneath the stairs up from the first floor lobby, with a sewer access through which goods could be run. I also removed the space under Noah Jerm's office and made that a secret room accessable from the hallway leading from the front lobby to the back alley. With a concealed trap door from the basement to the secret room, the drops could be made covertly.

Lady Angelica was also attempting to blackmail Sven Mynell, threatening to reveal the source of his steaks, and promising to keep quiet in exchange for "certain humors that you've been sliding down the garbage chute for months." Their deal was to go down the night after the break-in, and now things are a little hectic.

Not only did the characters discover the secret door, they took a good deal of the documentation that Rampone had made about the operation. They have enough to incriminate, but probably not enough to expose their clients. The PC's intend to use the information they have to blackmail Lady Angelica and Robert Rampone, but they'll probably take a few days to set their plan in motion. There will be fallout in Building A in the coming days.


Many people within Building A will be pointing fingers at each other. Sven Mynell was hit pretty badly, losing the money in his safe but also his notes and recipes for his steak business. Given what Angelica is trying to do, he will be awfully suspicious of her.

Angelica, for her part, was broken into, but nothing but paperwork was stolen. Some of her belongings were vandalized (failed attempt at bypassing security). Because she got off so easily, more suspicions will be raised.

A valuable vase in Robert Rampone's office was taken, and his business reports were rifled through, but nothing else of his that wasn't in the secret room was touched.

Cid Capezza (not a Mechanist this time, just an inventor focused on optics) had his entire suite nearly cleaned out. He lost prototypes, materials, his hidden blueprints, even his tools. Given that Angelica and Rampone had been giving him a hard time lately, complaining about noise and the like (because he maintained the machinery in the basement and no one could predict when he'd be down there and what he might see) he is likely to suspect the break-in was their idea, and to try to find a way to make their lives miserable.

Noah Jerm lost many of his lenses (made into spectacles or spyglasses) in the break-in, despite having requested and received an additional guard to watch his area. As could be expected, said guard (who just happens to be named Benny) will be fired with extreme prejudice.

Lucky Selentura was robbed, but as he was being evicted anyways, and was known to be a dirty rotten scoundrel and more recently a wanted man, some folks may begin to wonder if it wasn't he who broke in and made life difficult.

So, given the above, how do you guys think things might go? Half the tenants furious, half the tenants scared, things are not looking too good for Bob Rampone.

[RIGHT][INDENT]- Baalak the Blackmailer.[/INDENT][/RIGHT]

Baalak on 26/11/2007 at 22:27

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I'm pretty sure that N. Rampone is the president, and R. Rampone is the vice President. R is for Robert, and thus, Bob. Given that there are just the two of them, and Robert has Building A to himself, I figure he could divert a lot of attention away from the real problem areas, but his brother will be breathing down his neck for a while, so he'll be rather agitated.

At the risk of sounding stupid, who is Osterlind? Is he mentioned in Building B? I never mapped that area out, at all, so he didn't come up. The group looked into Building A, and didn't even complete their search.

Angelica hasn't had an opportunity to test any potions, but she'd expecting to dump any deadly results into the ocean, with Bob Rampone's help. I do have this note I left the PC's to find, so they'd be careful with potions if they got any:



[RIGHT][INDENT]- Baalak the Miscible[/INDENT][/RIGHT]