5 Second Hooks

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:03 am

Someone Awakened the entire non-human population of the Royal Zoo, and both the mammals and reptiles are starting to form gangs a la West Side Story. Reverse the spell before newts start breaking into overwrought ballads.

Guyr Adamantine · Post by **Guyr Adamantine** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 3:50 am

The son of a powerful orcish warchief wishes to see the cities of mankind. Protect him as he lives, learns and loves among humans who try to kill him at every opportunity.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:36 pm

A group of bards is organizing a large concert located by the ocean, on top of a large cliff, with free admission! The bards are secretly harpies in disguise, planning on flying over the ocean, using their captivating song to lure the crowd to their deaths.

Desdan_Mervolam · Post by **Desdan_Mervolam** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:38 pm

Everything is normal when you go to sleep. When you wake, you're on the floor of a wealthy merchant's inn room. He's dead and there's evidence of evil ritual all around. Suddenly the innkeeper enters the room with the merchant's breakfast.

tussock · Post by **tussock** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:47 pm

I kill the innkeeper. No witnesses.

I kill the bards. Wait, they were harpies?

I kill the Orc, duh. All those other folk can buy me an ale.

I kill the animals at the circus. Wait, what's a zoo again?

Sigil · Post by **Sigil** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:49 pm

Fantasy video games can usually be turned into 5 second hooks, take Crypt of the Necrodancer.

"The necromancer bard has raised you as an undead abomination, you must now fight to the beat!"

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:43 pm

Damn, my daughter is the king of coming up with these. I have a bunch of fantasy-oriented ones jotted down that I may not use now that CotEotM is becoming "little-kid-Gamma-World". Let's see...

"Hunting Me, Hunting You": The PCs encounter a group of hunters tracking an ankheg. Not long after, they encounter another group of hunters hunting a giant centipede. Both groups are tracking each other, and must be reunited to stop the whole silly enterprise. Then giant insects attack.

I'll type up some more later.

Desdan_Mervolam · Post by **Desdan_Mervolam** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:48 am

Nothing is happening.

Nothing. The local savage tribes are minding their own business. There's no cult activity in town, and not even any thieves' guild activity. There have been no monster attacks in weeks, and no scheming masterminds are attempting to hold the town ransom or experiment on their children. No strange underground structures have been found. Nothing is happening, not even pickpocketings at the market.

So, what do you do?

Corsair114 · Post by **Corsair114** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:37 am

You've each been hired by different barony to investigate a sudden halt of goods coming from a major trade hub that connects to each of the different baronies. Upon arriving you find the town-

-under siege by orcs. You're behind their lines, not far from their siege engines. Was that a rustling you heard in the brush?

-a frozen wasteland with a massive tower of ice protruding from the center with dragons circling near its peak. One of the dragons is diving towards you!

-deserted. There appears to be no one and nothing moving. As the breeze begins to pick up, you hear the creaking of a sign and hint of brimstone and rotten meat wafts your way.

Vebyast · Post by **Vebyast** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:13 am

You have managed to disarm all the ancient traps and are now the proud owner of... a single thirty-three ton gold ingot. In the middle of a hydra-infested swamp. Surrounded by angry lizardfolk. Have fun spending it.

fectin · Post by **fectin** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:22 pm

Desdan_Mervolam wrote:Nothing is happening.

Nothing. The local savage tribes are minding their own business. There's no cult activity in town, and not even any thieves' guild activity. There have been no monster attacks in weeks, and no scheming masterminds are attempting to hold the town ransom or experiment on their children. No strange underground structures have been found. Nothing is happening, not even pickpocketings at the market.

So, what do you do?

We meet at the inn. The elves start whittling dice, and the wizard draws up character sheets...

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:54 pm

fectin wrote:
Desdan_Mervolam wrote:Nothing is happening.

Nothing. The local savage tribes are minding their own business. There's no cult activity in town, and not even any thieves' guild activity. There have been no monster attacks in weeks, and no scheming masterminds are attempting to hold the town ransom or experiment on their children. No strange underground structures have been found. Nothing is happening, not even pickpocketings at the market.

So, what do you do?
We meet at the inn. The elves start whittling dice, and the wizard draws up character sheets...

New meaning to the term metagaming, huh?

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:19 pm

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:25 pm

And also this:

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:27 pm

Vebyast wrote:You have managed to disarm all the ancient traps and are now the proud owner of... a single thirty-three ton gold ingot. In the middle of a hydra-infested swamp. Surrounded by angry lizardfolk. Have fun spending it.

Two words: Shrink Item.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:49 pm

Darth Rabbitt wrote:
Vebyast wrote:You have managed to disarm all the ancient traps and are now the proud owner of... a single thirty-three ton gold ingot. In the middle of a hydra-infested swamp. Surrounded by angry lizardfolk. Have fun spending it.
Two words: Shrink Item.

Pro: it would only weigh about 16 pounds!

Con: you need a CL of about 27 to affect it and you don't care about gold at that point in your career.

Sigil · Post by **Sigil** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:16 pm

Cut it into X manageable pieces, cast Shrink Item X times.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:29 pm

The drow matron wants a specific jewel necklace for a party. The necklace belongs to a nearby svirfneblin hermit. But the hermit is on route to Waterdeep. You have 1 day to get it back.

Sigil · Post by **Sigil** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:36 pm

You won the fight, but due to that Sword of Sharpness, none of you has a full compliment of limbs any longer. No one around here knows how to cast regeneration.

Vebyast · Post by **Vebyast** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:04 pm

You won the fight, but thanks to that mad druid, none of you have the right complement of limbs any longer. It doesn't seem to be wearing off.

Corsair114 · Post by **Corsair114** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:18 pm

You few, you happy few, you band of badass hobos have joined the Great Wvern Hunt where whoever brings in the most wyvern-hides before the end of the month gets to have their own county to rule over.

erik · Post by **erik** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:44 pm

Desdan_Mervolam wrote:Nothing is happening.

Nothing. The local savage tribes are minding their own business. There's no cult activity in town, and not even any thieves' guild activity. There have been no monster attacks in weeks, and no scheming masterminds are attempting to hold the town ransom or experiment on their children. No strange underground structures have been found. Nothing is happening, not even pickpocketings at the market.

So, what do you do?

This is how bad things start. When my gaming group couldn't find trouble we made trouble.

fectin · Post by **fectin** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:02 am

Mostly, IMHO, if there's no hooks, why are you playing that game instead of another?

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 2:58 am

Czarist-Marxist revolutionaries have invaded the Senate building and taken hostages.

rampaging-poet · Post by **rampaging-poet** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:48 am

Vebyast wrote:You won the fight, but thanks to that mad druid, none of you have the right complement of limbs any longer. It doesn't seem to be wearing off.

I'm actually writing up a random table for something like that right now. I might post it here when I'm finished. On that note:

The wild mage's magic fountain was still running when he disappeared, and its enchantments are leaking into the surrounding countryside.