Various Hook Line & Sinker Adventurers volume 1:

by Dale Hanson

HL&S: "I wanna be just like you when I grow up"

Hook: A young, low level NPC begins to hero worship one of the group's players. The NPC should be the same or a similar occ to one of the player characters. For example a low level juicer or juicer wannabe if a player is a juicer.

Line: The NPC will hang around for words of wisdom, impressive stories and epic tales from the player and will let everyone know how great the player is. The kind of praise will obviously depend on the area of expertise of the player. For example if the player is a warrior then the NPC will praise their prowess in battle. If the payer is an operator then everyone will hear about how wonderful they are at repairing and making technological devices. The player probably won't have much of a problem with the kid, because everyone likes compliments. The other players however will probably get sick of the kid quite quickly. The kid is basically a nice guy, but just wont shut up about how wonderful the player is.

Sinker: The kid hasn't just been telling the group how great the player his. He or she has been telling everyone one about the skills of the player. Each time he or she tells a story they become more and more fantastic. The kid has even offended people with his or her stories about how wonderful the player is. The people offended will want to find the player to find out how tough or skilled the player really is. This confrontation could come in many forms, and will depend on the occ of the character. From a juicer wanting an arm wrestle, to find out how strong the player really is, to a gunslinger who wants to call the player out for a duel. Or a Mage wanting the player to teach them a spell they many not even have. Or even a CS agent wanting to find out if the reports of the scholar's library of pre-rifts books are accurate.\par

The purpose of this HLS is engage in some humourous and enjoyable roleplaying. It quite suitable for those times when you have got nothing planned, or when the characters are resting in a village, town or city. This whole HLS could be played out without a shot being fired, depending on how the characters play it and on the nature of the confrontation.

HL&S: "I love you so much I just can't live without you"

Hook: One of the player characters becomes an object of desire for a deluded crazy of the opposite sex. They will probably choose the player with the highest P.B., or even better, the group munchkin. The crazy will fall deeply and obsessively in love with the character.

Line: The crazy will begin sending flowers to the player with cards filled with words of love and devotion. They will send them drinks while the players are in bars. At first the crazy will not reveal themselves, "I'm too shy...". Eventually the crazy will make themselves known to the players, but won't reveal the nature of their love. He or she will keep their M.O.M. implants hidden with a hat or a wig, as he or she has been rejected before because of these implants. They will try to tag along with the players or may even hire them for any number of false reasons.

Sinker: The crazy will eventually reveal their love for the player. They are murderously obsessive and will decide that if they can't have the player for themselves then no one can. They will then plot to kill the player's friends and lovers. The crazy will actually show restraint and will bide their time waiting and hoping for the player to realize that they feel the same way. He or she will keep sending gifts and messages but they will be far more deluded than previous messages "I hope you liked the flower I sent ya, I wanted to send ya roses but they were all out. So I got ya daisies instead, and dyed them with my own blood so that they would be red...". When it becomes blatantly obvious that the player does not and never will love the crazy, then the crazy will attempt to kill the character.

HL&S: Save the children

Hook: The players are wandering though the wilderness and pass though a small farming community.

Line: A member of the community will approach and ask for the players help. Over the last week several of their children have gone missing, along with a parent who went searching for them. Heroic characters should leap at the chance to help. If the players refuse to help then word will spread about such "heartless rouges".

Sinker: The children have been kidnaped by Desonqua cannibal woman, witch or suitable menace. She is living in a previously abandoned hut several miles in a nearby forest. It won't be too hard to find by following a relatively recently used trail. She has the children in the cellar under her small two room cottage. Unfortunately it is too late for one of the children. She also has an assistant, a small labotimised D bee. It was a single burnt out eye socket and rough stitching keeping the top of its skull attached to the rest of it's head. This servant has low M.D.C. and can use an energy pistol.

This is a simple one shot adventure that I have used couple of times and has played quite well. Its also quite good if you only have a single player. If used with a larger group you may want to beef up the villains.

HL&S: "The drinks are on me"

Hook: The players enter a small town. It has 400 people and a small militia and a reasonably powerful ley line walker defender. For some reason the players decide to spend the night here (storm, waiting to meet someone, rest, what ever).

Line: The players will come across Magnus. He is a fairly large fellow who comes across as quite jovial. Always keen on a few drinks he invites the players to join him for a drink or two at the towns only tavern. If the players refuse then Magnus will ask them again later.

Sinker: Magnus is a kind of alchemist who has just had a major falling out with the ley line walker. He has to out of the town by dusk. He will go, but first he'll cause a little trouble. The players are the perfect way to do this. At the tavern Magnus will pay for the players drinks and engage in lively and friendly conversation. He will also spike the player's drinks with a concoction of his own design. If the players will not join him for a drink he will spike to food at the only flop house in town. The drinks or food taste completely normal, and will taste pretty good after living off rations in the wilderness. Just before dusk Magnus will go on his way with a cheerful wave. Everything is normal until midnight when the magic kicks in. Any player who failed a save vs magic (14) roll suffers similar effects to the spell, curse of the world bizarre. The characters suffer from extremely realistic hallucinations that everyone in town is a vampire, zombie, robot killer or some other deadly menace. Possibly including any player characters who saved verses the magic? The players should react accordingly. Bringing them into conflict with the ley line walker, who will suspect that Magnus be responsible for the players actions. He will attempt to restrain the characters then remove their curse. However if the players kill any of the town's citizens the story may be different.

The players and the line walker will probably want a piece of Magnus over this affair.

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By Dale Hanson (leda001@asiamail.com).

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