WANTED: Mercenaries

[Warden]

Anyone can be a hero but how fun is that? Anyone can fight evil, slay monsters and save the day by doing what they're told, follow the clues and kill the bad guy... but it's dull. It's all been done. You want something interesting that gives you what you really want. Money, power and all the magic items you can carry, am I right? Mercenaries are just like heroes 'cept we don't worry about morales and setting a good example. We're there to get the job done for the right price.

Interested? Good 'cause I'm looking for some pros for a snatch-and-grab. There's a client with the inside scoop on a land baron's personal stash. He'll give you the directions to get inside and take whatever you can carry in exchange for a cut of the profits. The risks are high - if you get caught, it's a death sentence for you. But if you succeed, you can make off with a pretty coin. You want in? Sign up.

I'm running a playtest one-shot adventure called The Endless Vault in preparation for a new line of adventures from Emerald Press (http://www.emeraldpresspdf.com) and need some players in the RPG Den. Approx. 4-6 PCs at various levels (see the schedule below for character levels). The catch to this one is that it's a mercenary adventure - no alignment restrictions and no limits so long as we have fun. But there are some guidelines...

1. Have fun! While merc adventures seem a little PVP, they're actually a lot of fun so long as everyone playing remembers that it's just a game and the primary goal is to enjoy it. You still need to work together to get the job done and going on your own will only get you killed. Trust me.
2. No one can take an action against a PC without the other player's permission. That includes backstabbing, pickpocketing and any action made against a character's defenses or requiring an opposed skill check. Plus, the DM has the final say on any PC-on-PC action.
3. Evil characters have feelings too. Evil characters are more than welcome in a mercenary adventure but that doesn't condemn them to be "the bad guy." Evil characters are just as capable of working with anyone else and can even work with a good-aligned paladin of Bahamut when they have a common goal. As a merc, you're there to get paid just like everyone else. How you get the job done is what makes you unique.
4. Establish boundaries before the first dice rolls. Everyone has their limits - some jokes don't work on everyone and some actions just don't fly with certain players. While Caught In The Middle does not feature any questionable material from this writer's POV, let everyone know any areas that are off limits to you and/or your character. It all goes back to Rule #1.
5. It's still D&D. Mercenaries are just like heroes in many ways - you fight monsters, loot dead bodies, explore dungeons, and collect XP. The only difference is the storylines and NPCs. For example, you could be working for an orc to steal a portal key from humans.

If you have any other questions, please post them here. I've been running these mercenary adventures for a year now and we've have a lot of fun with them. There's also more details coming up on our website (http://www.emeraldpresspdf.com) as we're getting ready to release our first full-length adventure this month.

SCHEDULE
The Endless Vault is designed for a trio of levels and we're looking to play them all over the Game Summit weekend. Everyone's welcome to play multiple sessions but be sure to share the love too. The following levels will be playtested at the following times in the RPG Den (more details will be provided as they become available):

Level 5 - Saturday, May 12th @ 10:00 am - Table A (Aeofel)
Level 10 - Saturday, May 12th @ 3:00 pm - Table A (Aeofel)
Level 15 - Sunday, May 13th @ 3:00 pm - Table A (Aeofel)

PRE-GENS AVAILABLE
There will be 6 pre-gens for each level made available. If you have your own character, contact me thru warden@emeraldpresspdf.com or post it below. Everything will be made available but you will need to bring your own dice, pencils and any good luck charms.

See you there!

[PrinceofDarkness]

Just a quick note, the morning sessions start at 10am and the afternoon sessions start at 3pm.

This looks awesome, can't wait to see this in action!

[Warden]

Please note the adventure's name has changed to "The Endless Vault." Same game, just a different name. Cooler too.

Details to come within the next week or so.