WFRP: Help wanted (21)

"My Anton is missing! He hasn't been home for a week, and his mother is sick and needs his care. He went to work for The Fish at the dockside but now he's gone! Please, anyone, can anyone help!"

 - A distraught young woman pleading for help in the Drecksack Bezirk.

 

Will the player characters respond to the call for help? Anna Shipulin and Anton Trotter is supposed to be married as soon as Anton earns enough money for them to move from Drecksack to Sindelfingen district. But now he is gone! Anton has a penchant for get rich quick schemes, but he invariably fails and ends up with nothing but dreams of a better life for him, his fiance and his crippled mother. But how will the players react? There's not much money in a mission like this ... unless Anton's disappearance is a part of a much greater enigma!

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WFRP: Help wanted (20)

"Are you discrete? A writer or an artist? Have books, need someone capable of copying. No knowledge of languages required, but previous experience with ink and feather critical. Interested parties should ask for Herr Schmitt at the the Black Velvet tavern. Generous compensation."

- Something for those of the academic persuasion. Posted at the University Library.

Yeah, well, this one should make even the most trusting character feel unease. But the compensation is supposed to be generous, and a student of the humanities need to eat. Or drink, as it may well be. The text could be heretical, an insidious Slaanesh tome forbidden to read, or it could be a description of how to find the long lost tomb of a fallen hero, or tracts that are copied and passed out to incite riots.

Taking a cue for sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the job could also be a cover for something else, such as a way to guarantee the character's absence from home while chaos cultists use his abode for nefarious plotting. And also, "Herr Schmitt"? Any character taking a job from a mysterious "Herr Schmitt" needs to keep eyes and ears open for ill doings!

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/Magnus

WFRP: Help wanted (19)

"Have lost heirloom in River Reik. Dropped from Reiksbrücke. Will pay 100 Gold Crowns for retrieval. Contact Jürgen Vasser at the Hangman's Tavern."

- A difficult job indeed. Notice posted at several inns along the river Reik.

This little job could open up for splendid opportunities for the players to show their ingenuity. Will they try to find a submersible boat? Or invent a diving bell? Or simply dive from a boat? And what is it that's been lost? It might indeed be Herr Vasser's heirloom, but more probably something he has stolen. Maybe from a mage?

So decide what's been lost, toss this note out to the players and things will roll along nicely from there. Don't forget that the Niederhafen Pike should play a part in this adventure!

/Magnus

WFRP: Help wanted (18)

"My neighbour is a vampire! Will pay handsomely for someone to dispose of him before he sucks my blood! Priests of Morr won't do anything, so you are my only hope! Also, premium paid to those who can remove the rats in the walls."

- Curious note stuck on the Dead Tree at the North Gate.

One of my traits as a Game Master is that I set up situations that never are what they seem to be. Unfortunately, my players have become very skilled in figuring this out, so half the time they are still way ahead of me figuring out who to burn and who to suck up to.

The help wanted ad above could very well concern a real vampire. It could also be a clue into something else entirely, a drug ring, a lone blunderbuss man planning to assassinate the Emperor, or just someone who's afraid of sunlight.

/Magnus

WFRP: Help wanted (17)

"Guards needed for transport of 10 barrels of Imperial Stout from the Moot. Oxen and carts provided, applicants must bring own weapons and armor. No alcoholics!"

- Bruno's Brewhouse gearing up for a halfling festival. Note pinned to their door and distributed at the tables.

The competition for this job is going to be frantic, but most of those who feel called will not make the cut. Bruno's Brewhouse is looking for serious applicants only, so a good reputation is a must. Which might be difficult for many groups, actually ...

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/Magnus

WFRP: Help Wanted (16)

"Help needed to secure building site for construction of luxury mansion! Able-bodied men and women welcome, food and torches supplied. Ask for the foreman at Westenstrasse Tower, next to the Ruhstatt Cemetary."

- The Stonecutters' Guild advertising for expert help.

Did you ever watch Poltergeist? This could be an adventure in that vein. Or an outing akin to The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson. You could even make it into a zombie fest. Or have the problems at the site be entirely mundane; a construction rival, moisture in the foundation or even rats in the walls ...

Go here to download the complete iAltdorf map!



/Magnus

WFRP: Help wanted (15)

"My dear Hilda has disappeared! Last seen near the Imperial Palace, all by herself and trying to make contact with sympathetic souls! I miss her company dearly, and will pay 50 Karls to anyone who can bring her back safe! Please contact Jan Wachtmiser in the Palast Bezirk! Hurry, hurry!"

- A somewhat unusual advertisement in the Altdorf Presse.

Who is Hilda? Or should I say, what is Hilda? Is it Wachtmiser's fiance? Or daughter? Or dog? Or even a cat? Only the GM knows, and what his choice is will shape the adventure to follow. And remember, roaming about Altdorf trying to find a dog called Hilda can provide the players with hours of fun ... and frustration, I suspect.

/Magnus

WFRP: Help wanted (14)

"Goblin raiders sighted near Altdorf. Need able bodied men to form a posse to track the green skins down and obliterate them. Goblin possessions must be returned undamaged! Contact the office of General Reinholdt Waffenkammer in the Palast Bezirk!"

- Notice distributed among adventurers, sailors, mercenaries and other riff-raff of ill repute among the taverns of the seedier parts of Altdorf.

WFRP: Help wanted (13)

"I need two strong, healthy men for an experiment in travel to one of the moons. VERY reasonable rates paid, plus medical expenses covered. Please see Heirodüle Krangelschaft, Universität Bezirk for details."

- Handwritten notes spread all over the Altdorf University and the Niederhafen Bezirk.

WFRP: Help wanted (12)

"Cleric of Morr needed for transport of deceased corpse to Middenheim. Also in need of guards for trip. Enquire at Morr's Temple, Morrwies. Note: applicants should not fear darkness!"

- Short and discrete note pinned to the Dead Tree at the North Gate.

WFRP: Help wanted (11)

"Family jewels lost. 50 Karls to those who return them. No questions asked. Contact Axel von Lachse in Obererik Bezirk for more information."

- Poster distributed among the taverns of the Werksviertel and Niederhafen Bezirk.

WFRP: Help wanted (10)

"Dirt cheap coach travel rates at Cannon Ball Express! Also, drivers needed for race. Apply at stables in the Bankbezirk and show us your best!"

- Poster on the Dead Tree at the North Gate.

Help wanted (9)

"Wanted: adventurous young male with fencing skills wanted for romantic purposes. Must own good clothing and know how to dance! Also, no living relatives! Ask for Othilde Knaus at Imperial Palace!"

- Exquisite letter distributed by a middle-age woman to every likely looking candidate in the Bankbezirk.

I must admit that thinking these help wanted ads up can be a riot. I know many characters who would kill to get a chance to check this item out! And I'm sure we'll hear from one of them in a bit.

Magnus

Help wanted (8)

"Will Purchase glands from mythical beasts for manufacture of perfumes. Talk to Herr Gutgeruch of Klein und Laurent in the Werksviertel Bezirk!"

Note distributed at disreputable taverns in the Niederhafen Bezirk

There are many ways to kick-start an adventure. Not everything have to involve lost artifacts, kidnapped noblemen or nefarious cultists out to destroy the Old World as we know it. Even the most unlikely patrons might want adventurers to go out and slay beasts and creatures of myth.

Of course, how do they know that you've been all the way to the World's Edge Mountains to slay a griffon, and how do they know that the bloodied thing in your bag is really the liver from a jabberwock? Well, if they have the money to send people out on strange adventures, they probably have the means to tell a fake heart of a deamon from a real one ...

Magnus

Help wanted (7)

"Scrubbers needed in The Marble Baths! No prior experience necessary. No dwarfs need apply. Talk to the Master of the Baths today!"

- Note glued to the wall of The Marble Baths

Scrubbing might mean scrubbing the backs of rich nobles or the floors of the establishment after they close at midnight. It all depends on the applicant and how high a Fellowship he or preferably she has.

A job such as this might seem boring but it could lead to any kinds of adventures. Who knows what people talk about when they think no one is listening. And who knows what goes on in the steam filled marble rooms ... murder? Or worse?

Magnus

Help wanted (6)

"Strong men needed to enforce a debt! Ask for Thomas Fahber at the Merchants’ Guild. Percentage of debt recovered paid!"

- Post on the North Gate Dead Tree

Business in Altdorf can be brutal, and sometimes even honest people need to back up their claims with brute force. Then again, dishonest people will also need help, and probably more often. As for the downright criminal people ... well, the possibilities for adventure are endless. For who knows if the characters' employer is honest or dishonest?

Magnus

Help wanted (5)

"Greta, I have to see you again. My bethroted suspects foul play. Contact me at The Priest's Rest so that we can finish our business before the wedding."

- Note pinned to a door of a disreputable tavern in the Reikhoch Bezirk.

Not all help wanted signs are posted because someone is looking for help from the characters. You can use notes and posters to give your players clues into what is going on in the capital and to foreshadow coming events. Notes like the one above can also raise a lot of questions that makes the players think and to pay attention to what's happening around them. Is someone planning a wedding? Can they find out who's getting married? Can they profit from the information gleaned from the note?

Magnus

Help wanted (4)

"Do you know Paul von Meier? Ten crowns for salicious information. Contact Hermann Fœgel at The Ruddy Wench, Niederhafen Bezirk."

- Poster passed around in the taverns of the Werksviertel Bezirk.

There is always someone looking for information about someone else, or about their affairs of various sundry natures. They might offer rewards for gossip, or employ spies or bounty hunters. What the people do with the information varies, but blackmail for favours is fairly common among the aristocracy of Altdorf, as is using information to thwart business competitors.

Magnus

Help wanted (3)

"Cargo needs hauling. Strong or stubborn applicants must be prepared to work nights! Seek out Earnest Erich by the docks."

- Scribblings on a warehouse wall in the Niederhafen Bezirk, close to the docks.

The docks of Altdorf are ripe with opportunities for adventure. There is the ongoing conflict between The Fish and The Hooks, every day smuggling, teamster action, mysterious cargoes and passengers, barges ... even burning barges depending on who your Game Master might be ... you can find it all on the docks!

Magnus

Help wanted (2)

"Strong men and women wanted to help clear blocked sewers and drains. Must have own weapons and armor. Apply at Council Hall. We will supply soap and hot water after the job is done."

- Poster glued to a wall near the Bankbezirk Main Sewer Entry.

Sewers are always a good place for short encounters and backdrops for longer adventures. Maybe the sewers are blocked by monsters building a lair, creating the basis for a standard bug hunt ... but be sure to add a twist or two. But don't make that twist be skaven! Ghouls, mutants, a giant snake or an escaped wild beast from the Imperial Zoo, all are in my opinion better than using skaven. If you want to go another route, the blockage could be remains of a gruesome ritual dumped by cultists to avoid detection. This could be the start of an investigation that first tries to find out where the remains were initially dumped, and then who dumped them ... a bit more WFRP style than the bug hunt, but it also takes a bit more job by the Game Master to pull off.

Magnus