Suggestion for random events, please!

[Remgain]

Ciao!

I'm planning a pulp adventure organized on 3 scenarios, and I need some suggestions on random events, triggered by counters (as foreseen in .45 Adventure).

The first scenario will take place outside a city building, when the bad guys will try to steal some precious/magic/whatever artifact from the hands of the good guys.
So I'm thinking of random policemen, more bad guys, bystanders, etc

The second scenario set is the docks, where the good guys have to retrieve (look: bad guys steal, good ones retrieve!) the artifact stolen before, and/or some more stuff (books, scrolls, etc). My ideas are a drunk man, some sailors that will join the fight, etc.

The last scenario depict an house in which our heroes have to banish a supernatural creature, using the stuff collected in the previous scenarios, but the players are not aware that the creature is hidden in the house itself!
Random events: strange noises, useful books, a corpse...

So, let your immagination run!

Thank you!
Marco

[Aaron]

Depending on the time and locale you are using, how about a boat load of rum-runners turn up at the dock and suspect that anyone lurking there is a revenuer?

The city scene could be interrupted by a gangster drive-by shooting, a car accident, a water main break.

The old house is a bit tougher. Bats and other wildlife are the only thing springing to mind.

[Tom Reed]

The city scene could have some guys lugging a pane of glass or maybe some piano movers. Of course there is always the runaway baby carriage.

The dock scene could have a newly arrived african Gorilla (or other such animal) break out of it's cage.

[Remgain]

Great suggestions!

BTW the scenario will be a no-Indiana Jones, so inter-war era.

Marco

[gamer Mac]

Encounters we use in the games are not always extra fights. We sometimes use things that slow players down or give them an advantage.
In the city they could be
Slow downs
A nun asking directions
Find a wallet – money or clue
Stunning woman – male players are stuck in place for a round, female players ignore.
Paper boy – selling a paper, it could have a clue

Advantages
   Shortcut to objective
   Clues for a future part of the campaign
   Doctors surgery – will heal up the character finding it

On the docks
Slow downs
   Guard dogs
   Custom officials
   Spilled oil – slip and spend a round getting up

Advantages
   Weapon crate – extra ammo
   Clue something dropped by the baddies, will give an advantage in the next game
   Others things like rope or ladders that will let player go somewhere unusual.

In a house
Slow downs
   Creaky floor boards –player waste a round going slow to avoid alerting the baddies
   Light bulb bursts leaving the players in the dark Wooooooo

Advantages
   Hear voices letting the player know where the baddies are or what they are up to
   Extra weapons


Some times you can just use a nothing happens encounter but if you use to many players will stop going for encounters. You do need to have the advantages to encourage player to go to encounters.
Hope that is of some use.
Good luck with the campaign.

[Heldrak]

Given that in fiction haunted houses seem to attract children like a magnet (sometimes quartets of teenagers with a talking dog...), you could have a group of children exploring the house as well and the Heroes would have to rescue the children from the summoned entity/entities as well as disrupt the summoning ritual.

Other haunted house encounters could revolve around creepy caretakers and/or servants.

Remember that "encounters" also don't have to be people or monsters, they can be events like a traps (plenty of opportunities for those in a Haunted House, from secret doors to dilapidated areas that collapse when approached) or other atmospheric elements (fluctuating power levels that cause the lights to go out plunging rooms into darkness, spooky noises, ghostly manifestations, etc. etc.).

[Remgain]

Yes!
I totally agree about the fact that the encounters could range from enemies to allies, from hints to misleading informations, animals, noises, etcetc.
And I agree again on useless counters, as players usually are more than happy to run to serch for counters.
But after the first nasty encounter, their behaviour became a lot more cautious.

Marco

[Hammers]

The city scene could have some guys lugging a pane of glass or maybe some piano movers. Of course there is always the runaway baby carriage.

The dock scene could have a newly arrived african Gorilla (or other such animal) break out of it's cage.

Along these Charlie Chaplin/Harol Lloyd ideas: a dropping safety box, getting stuck on the arm of a wall clock, hit in the head by a pawn shop sign (you know, the three golden spheres, highly comical, that...)

[Aaron]

Along these Charlie Chaplin/Harol Lloyd ideas: a dropping safety box, getting stuck on the arm of a wall clock, hit in the head by a pawn shop sign (you know, the three golden spheres, highly comical, that...)

Funny, that made me think of a comedy trio close to my heart. Three guys trying to lug a block of ice or carry come plumbing tools into a building can cause quite an obstruction!

[Traveler Man]

A broken down vehicle can be used as a hindrance or an asset. It could block a street or alleyway, taking a turn or two to pass. On inspection it could be easily repaired and hot-wired by a character for their use. And who knows what may be hidden in the glove compartment or trunk..? 

[fastolfrus]

For another easy dockside one - how about seagulls.

For comedy effect just a fly by bombing run (must affect your concentration - or at least your aim, and certainly messes up your suit) or on a more serious tone have an angry adult protecting a fledgeling (and some gulls can be big and aggressive).

Town centre - you could go with a carnival parade bringing in crowds, roadworks, pickpockets or other minor crimes, beggars, street vendors. Salvation Army band or end of the world preachers (or both).
Blind war veteran with a cane would be a good obvious passer by to divert attention before anything kicks off.
Depending on the season you could also consider snowball fights, Santa, Chinese New Year dancing dragons, July 4th parade (but obviously not all at once unless you are setting the game in some kind of Disneyland)

[Bako]

In the house, perhaps a black cat to make those who's path it crosses cross themselves? Drunkards that aren't particularly nice to anyone in town?

[Bulldog]

Perhaps a man driving a truck wildly through the streets trying to evade the gangsters who are tailing him?  Maybe a novice dabbler in the darker arts has unintentionally unleashed a sudden downpour or created a heavy fog?  Mayhap there is simply a dame's loud scream from nearby, disorienting all in the area?  Or maybe some, up-to-no-good children are throwing water ballons off the roof or from a window?  Maybe a cranky stray dog comes out and bites somebody.  how about a dimesinonsional portal opens up and simply transports a figure in a random direction a few inches (darn mad scientists and their wacky experiments).

[tima113]

I think it's important to evenly divide the encounters among helpful, potentially harmful and neutral for each scene. While it won't guarantee your players will not try to avoid encounters, it will at least provide an equal opportunity for each type of encounter.

Have you considered wandering encounters (markers move 3 inches at the  end of each turn) or encounters trigggered by proximity(if a character gets within 2 inches of a marker) rather than contact? Moving encounters tend to work better in close quarters where they can be positioned to block passages. Proximity encounters work well in oopen areas. These options can keep the players off balance, especially when they try to squeeze by the first proximity encounter.

[Remgain]

Moving encounters tend to work better in close quarters where they can be positioned to block passages. Proximity encounters work well in oopen areas. These options can keep the players off balance, especially when they try to squeeze by the first proximity encounter.

tima113,

this is a brilliant idea!
Very interesting, thank you!

Marco