[Plot Hooks] -Thirty Plot Hooks Based On Nick Cave Songs

[The Gentleman]

I have no idea where this came from.
Actually, I do, I was trying to come up with ideas for my campaign when I remembered THE LEGEND THAT IS CRAIG OXBROW'S plot hooks from the titles of songs challenge. So I decided to do that using song titles from my favourite musician, Nick Cave.
I honestly intended to just do one or two in the beginning but over the past few days it's kind of... Expanded. To thirty.
So I've decided to post them here. Because reasons. So, here's the first eleven with more to follow:

Where The Wild Roses Grow
Hook: In fair Verona where we lay our scene, civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
Problem: And two star crossed lovers arrange to meet, where the wild roses grow, and run away from their families hatred heat, so their love may forever flow.
Complications: Except the roses are actually a Krynoid.
Sub-Plots: The Companion (or the Doctors) romantic side may be awakened. Whatever that might mean for the absolutely-definitely-non-romantic relationship the Doctor and Companion have. Which isn't romantic. Totally.
Resolution: Help the star crossed lovers escape, stop the family feud (possibly by revealing their love), defeat the Krynoid.
Fun Stuff: Star crossed lovers being teenage and melodramatic. Feuding families. KILLER ROSES!!!
Theme: The course of true love never did run smooth.

Stagger Lee
Hook: Who is Stagger Lee?
Problem: Why is he forcing the PC's to help him track down his 'magic' hat?
Complications: Stagger Lee is an alien and his hat is his spaceship he needs to get back home.
Sub-Plots: How do the PC's react to being forced to help somebody as psycopathic as Stagger Lee?
Resolution: Find Stagger Lee's magic hat or give him the slip.
Fun Stuff: Stagger Lee being hammy beyond belief. 'I! NEED! MY! MAGIC! HAAAAAAAAT!!!'
Theme: Sometimes, even the bad need our help.

Jubilee Street
Hook: The TARDIS lands on a street in a new colony in space.
Problem: But it's all gone a bit western.
Complications: And the President-For-Life (One of several dictatorship phases in the galactic federations early years) whose Jubilee it is is coming to visit. And execute people if it doesn't live up to expectations.
Sub-Plots: And somebody is trying to assassinate the President. A certain Time Agent prior to meeting a certain Doctor in WW2 in the period of time from which his memories where wiped.
Resolution: Fix up the town, stop the president killing people. Either stop or help Jack with the assassination.
Fun Stuff: Captain Jack. Need I say more?
Theme: Violence is never the answer.

Mermaids
Hook: The TARDIS lands on the ocean planet Hian.
Problem: The Colonists are engaged in a dispute with the native mermaids.
Complications: The mermaids are in fact genetically engineered colonists who arrived first but have had their memories wiped
Sub-Plots: Who wiped their memories? And how might they be playing with the PC's memories?
Resolution: Find the mind wiping parasites which live in the water, develop an antidote, stop the fighting.
Fun Stuff: Mermaids, mind wiping creatures native to the planet. (Memory worms?)
Theme: Memories define us. Or, underneath our looks we're not that different.

Higgs Boson Blues
Hook: The TARDIS arrives at CERN just after a strange discovery is made...
Problem: Scientists believe they may have found evidence of time travel, which The Doctor knows isn't supposed to happen for a while yet.
Complications: Aliens appear to be trying to guide humanity to knowledge they're not ready for.
Sub-Plots: The media have entered a frenzy at the reveal of this news. The Doctor getting sidetracked by a pretty and intelligent young scientist who the companion is starting to feel a bit jealous about and The Doctor reminiscing about the discovery of time travel by Time Lords.
Resolution: Find the aliens trying to alter human history, hack the computers to make it look like a glitch, persuade the scientists to cover it up.
Fun Stuff: A pseudo-historical set in the long ago past of 2012. Time travel experiments
Theme: Knowledge is power, sometimes power we're not ready for.

We Real Cool
Hook: A teen gang stumbles across an alien device.
Problem: They start to use the device for their own ends.
Complications: The teens aren't evil, or even mischievous, they're just not entirely sure of the implications of what they're doing. Oh, and the creators of the device want it back or they'll blow up Earth.
Sub-Plots: Perhaps one of them falls for a companion, or the companion could remember being a member of a similar gang when younger in an Ace like fashion.
Resolution: Explain the situation to the teens, give the device to the aliens, defeat the aliens.
Fun Stuff: Teens with superpowers! The Doctor reminiscing about being in a gang with The Master back in his school days.
Theme: With great power comes great responsibility.

Finishing Jubilee Street
Hook: The TARDIS arrives back at Jubilee street forty years after last time.
Problem: Jubilee street is going to be knocked down so a bigger street can be built after the death of the evil president for life. First an archeological dig is taking place to make sure nothing of interest is buried under Jubilee Street.
Complications: The leader of the dig is one Professor River Song.
Sub-Plots: Oh, and the PC's have to deal with the consequences of last time they came here. And perhaps find somebody named their children after the people who saved their life...
Resolution: Help with the dig, find out why River is so interested in what's buried here...
Fun Stuff: River, old versions of previously encountered NPC's, the PC's being folk heroes, old enemies. Oh, and the cliffhanger discovery of a buried Weeping Angel.
Theme: Actions have consequences.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!
Hook: A Weeping Angel has been unearthed.
Problem: The Weeping Angel has escaped and is stalking the townsfolk, picking them off one by one as it slowly gains power.
Complications: And River Song appears to have been expecting this.
Sub-Plots: River teasing about why this particular angel is special. The actual reason is at the GM's discretion.
Resolution: Catch the angel with mirrors, evacuate everybody.
Fun Stuff: Weeping Angels stalking people in the fog. River versus Angel.
Theme: Let sleeping dogs lie.

The Ship Song
Hook: The TARDIS lands on a planet near Akhaten just as a fleet of merchant ships arrive.
Problem: One of them is deserted, it's crew killed by a dangerous thought vampire.
Complications: The police force of the planet are to busy trying to prevent inter-species war breaking out to deal with a few stray murders.
Sub-Plots: The Doctor reminisces about coming here with his granddaughter and the Thought vampire steals some of the companion and/or Doctor's memories leaving them temporarily amnesiac.
Resolution: Find the thought vampire, trap it, get your memories back, send it home.
Fun Stuff: Singing! Also, amnesia, vampires and complicated inter-species relations.
Theme: A man is the sum of his memories, you know.

The Weeping Song
Hook: After the previous adventure The Doctor regales his companion with the story of the first time he arrived here. Back when he was travelling with his granddaughter.
Problem: The First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbra arrive on the planet during the funeral of a great leader.
Complications: Someone is going to bomb the funeral and kill most of the rulers of the planet at once.
Sub-Plots: The national state of mourning has extended to the low level psychic fields and songs that cover the planet causing the PC's to start to remember those they've lost.
Resolution: Stop the bomb plot, capture the attacker, overcome their grief, help the planet overcome it's
Fun Stuff: The Players getting a chance to play some different characters and add to the backstory of The Doctor.
Theme: It's okay to be sad, but don't let grief consume you.

Into My Arms
Hook: The PC's arrive back at the home planet of the companion and meet an ex-partner of the companion.
Problem: The ex-partner wants to get back together with the Companion. Unfortunately, a interstellar bounty hunter is trying to kill them.
Complications: Said interstellar bounty hunter is one of the ex-partners other ex-partners.
Sub-Plots: The Doctor dealing with the idea that his latest companion might leave him.
Resolution: Stop the bounty hunter, find out who offered the bounty, help the ex-partner escape and have the companion make a choice.
Fun Stuff: The Companions past life, jealous interstellar bounty hunters, the Doctor dealing with his companion looking like they might leave.
Theme: Love causes just as many problems as happy moments it brings.

So that's the first eleven. I'll give you the rest in the next couple of days.

[Hedgewick]

Feb 24, 2014 12:37:02 GMT The Gentleman said:

The Ship Song
Hook: The TARDIS lands on a planet near Akhaten just as a fleet of merchant ships arrive.
Problem: One of them is deserted, it's crew killed by a dangerous thought vampire.
Complications: The police force of the planet are to busy trying to prevent inter-species war breaking out to deal with a few stray murders.
Sub-Plots: The Doctor reminisces about coming here with his granddaughter and the Thought vampire steals some of the companion and/or Doctor's memories leaving them temporarily amnesiac.
Resolution: Find the thought vampire, trap it, get your memories back, send it home.
Fun Stuff: Singing! Also, amnesia, vampires and complicated inter-species relations.
Theme: A man is the sum of his memories, you know.

The Weeping Song
Hook: After the previous adventure The Doctor regales his companion with the story of the first time he arrived here. Back when he was travelling with his granddaughter.
Problem: The First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbra arrive on the planet during the funeral of a great leader.
Complications: Someone is going to bomb the funeral and kill most of the rulers of the planet at once.
Sub-Plots: The national state of mourning has extended to the low level psychic fields and songs that cover the planet causing the PC's to start to remember those they've lost.
Resolution: Stop the bomb plot, capture the attacker, overcome their grief, help the planet overcome it's
Fun Stuff: The Players getting a chance to play some different characters and add to the backstory of The Doctor.
Theme: It's okay to be sad, but don't let grief consume you.

These are my favorites. It's an interesting two-part arrangement and the setting seems ideal. "The Ship Song" is particularly appealing because of the way in which the thought vampires might feed on the Doctor's memories of an earlier visit. Perhaps those memories are all the more delicious or sustaining because they relate to the history of this particular planet? Leaving the Doctor amnesiac would certainly shake things up, too! (Might a solution be found in the only weakness associated with the vampires, the fact that they cannot feed on any memories related to themselves? A sort of reversal on the Silents?) You've got my imagination running with this one.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Feb 24, 2014 12:37:02 GMT The Gentleman said:

I have no idea where this came from.
Actually, I do, I was trying to come up with ideas for my campaign when I remembered THE LEGEND THAT IS CRAIG OXBROW'S plot hooks from the titles of songs challenge.

(splutter)

I swiped the format from The Ravens Of Despair author Steve Darlington, for the record, but thanks! And I look forward to seeing the whole list.

[The Gentleman]

Just as a note, I tend to assume a female companion when I'm working on these. Also, when I originally developed them it was for my campaign in which the companion is an NPC so they spend a lot of time in jail/about to be executed/captured by evil villains. Even more so then normal in Doctor Who!

Love Letter
Hook: A Time Lord message cube arrives for the Doctor.
Problem: It's The Last Will And Testament of President Elect Of The High Council Of Time Lords, Lady Romana.
Complications: It directs the Doctor to a planet where apparently an ancient Time Lord super weapon has been hidden. Unfortunately, said super weapon has been triggered.
Sub-Plots: The planet the weapon is hidden on is populated by an aggressive life form genetically engineered by the Time Lords to protect it, but which is beginning to gain sentience. Removing or destroying the weapon will kill them.
Resolution: Deactivate the super weapon, save the sentient creatures and lay Romana to rest.
Fun Stuff: Time Lord technology, messages from Romana.
Theme: The dead's actions still affect us.

We Call Upon The Author
Hook: The TARDIS lands in what appears to be the events of the novel Dracula.
Problem: The TARDIS has been drawn to the land of fiction by some unknown force and the PC's are left to try and reach the castle of the Master of Fiction to which the TARDIS was taken.
Complications: But things aren't that simple as the PC's have to aid some famous fictional characters before they're told the way to the castle.
Sub-Plots: Oh, and the Doctor encounters a version of himself whose human and named Dr. Who. And when the Pc's finally manage to battle their way to the castle, The Master Of Fiction appears to be gone.
Resolution: Get to the castle, get the TARDIS, help the fictional characters rebel and claim the world as their own.
Fun Stuff: References, fictional characters, Dr. Who and references. Did I mention references?
Theme: Fiction may not be real but it is still important.

Jesus Of The Moon
Hook: The TARDIS arrives on the moon of a gas giant which is inhabited by humanoid beings being converted to a secretive new religion.
Problem: This new religion actually worships a race of Robot Locusts preparing to tear down upon the moon and destroy it.
Complications: Oh, and a young child claims to be the messiah. What is he actually?
Sub-Plots: Some of the worshipers might leave the religion once they find out the truth and start worshiping at the Church Of The Blue Box.
Resolution: Stop the aliens, reveal the truth and break whichever PC gets captured our from jail before they're burnt at the stake for heresy.
Fun Stuff: Burn The Witch! mobs, Mad Prophets being consumed by gold and silver locusts, creepy child messiahs.
Theme: Religion can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.

Let The Bells Ring
Hook: The TARDIS lands in a medieval village whose people live in fear.
Problem: Whenever the bells in the old abandoned church ring a monstrous creature emerges to hunt the townsfolk. The villagers beg for the help of the Doctor who they are reliably informed is a great wizard.
Complications: The creatures turn out to be psychic projections of people's fears created by a creature which feeds on fear. He rings the bell to create an initial jolt of fear to power the illusions.
Sub-Plots: What are the Doctor and companions greatest fears? How does seeing them affect them?
Resolution: Make the townsfolk face their fears, by Letting The Bells Ring. Or just blow up the church.
Fun Stuff: Scared medieval villagers, greatest fears, gothic abandoned churches haunted by visions of fear.
Theme: We have nothing to fear but fear, itself.

Moonland
Hook: The TARDIS arrives back on the Moon wherein Jesus Of The Moon was set many centuries later.
Problem: Only something's changed. The moon is out of sync with the sun so half of it is always day and half always night.
Complications: And the TARDIS has been taken by raiders (along with any resident NPC's) into the dark side.
Sub-Plots: Finding a hundreds of years old tombstone of someone you met first time around can have a profound effect.
Resolution: Find the raiders, buy back the TARDIS or have them arrested, work out why the planets been pushed out of orbit.
Fun Stuff: Westerns on a planet of shadow, settlements in places of eternal night, cowboys riding strange blind creatures in fields of darkness.
Theme: Life finds a way.

Jack The Ripper
Hook: The TARDIS lands on a colony on an alien world.
Problem: Somebody is murdering women in a manner reminiscent of Jack The Ripper. Then the Doctor and the police capture an alien in the act of attempting to kill someone.
Complications: But the alien is from a species who mimic the psychology of those they interact with. Meaning the real killer, or someone with that potential at least, is still out there...
Sub-Plots: The PC's could become friends with one of the victims before they're killed.
Resolution: Track the killer using old fashioned detective work, set a trap using the companion, use the alien to work out who they are.
Fun Stuff: An episode of Sherlock set in the future starring the Doctor. The fun stuff goes without saying.
Theme: Humans are capable of great evil.

The Mercy Seat
Hook: The murderer from Jack The Ripper has been caught. Now it's time to administer the punishment.
Problem: It's at this point the Doctor finds out this planet uses the Lazarus Drug (see The Adventure Book for the Tenth Doctor. It's essentially an immortality drug that keeps you alive but allows the body to Rot and is one of my favourite ideas ever) as a punishment for murder.
Complications: If the Doctor chooses to intervene then he'll find that the companion is suddenly discovered to have been involved in a robbery and is put on Lazarus Row as well.
Sub-Plots: The Supreme Judge of the planet looks awfully familiar...
Resolution: Prove The Companions innocence, break her out of prison, find a cure for The Lazarus Drug
Fun Stuff: The Doctor acting as a lawyer for a companion accused of a crime in a world where it's guilty until proven innocent (it's all starting to sound a bit familiar!), moral dilemma's, plenty of opportunities for black comedy.
Theme: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

The Lyre Of Orpheus
Hook:The PC's land in Greece where a group of archeologists hope to dig up the skeleton of the person the mythological figure Orpheus was based on.
Problem: They also discover The Lyre Of Orpheus which turns out to be a psychic device capable of swaying anyone's opinion. And the alien race that created it want it back.
Complications: One of the archeologists want to use The Lyre for their own ends.
Sub-Plots: Perhaps the temptation of the Lyre begins to have an affect on The Doctor... A machine capable of stopping all the Daleks without killing a single one...
Resolution: Find the Lyre, stop the alien race, break the Lyre.
Fun Stuff: Mind control which isn't so much mind control as it is suggestion, an archeologists-discover-terrible-weapon story in the boiling sun of Greece rather then the Arctic.
Theme: Free will is our greatest privilege.

Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow
Hook: The TARDIS lands in the snowy mountain range which covers the North of the planet Ariel. And are soon snowed in by an avalanche.
Problem:The TARDIS needs to refuel on the Ariel Rift so they can't dematerialise. They just have to wait in the TARDIS. And then they hear a scream from outside.
Complications: A group of climbers have been trapped under the snow but are being attacked by something which lives in the avalanche.
Sub-Plots: If you have a PC from a particularly alien world, could this be their first encounter with snow? If not, how do your PC's react to being stuck together Edge of Destruction style?
Resolution: Rescue the climbers, defeat the snow beast, call the authorities, find a way to melt the snow.
Fun Stuff: SNOW! Falling in it, building men out of it, fighting with balls of it. Climbers being trapped just like in those films with the thing and the man who cut his arm off. Or something.
Theme: Isolation shows our true selves. Also, snow is good.

I'm starting to struggle for ideas a bit.
The above hook is intended as a Christmas Special. In case you couldn't tell. Also, my younger brother has been complaining about the fact it didn't snow for the past few weeks, so I needed to work out the trauma of snow being every third word I hear. I apologise.

God Is In The House
Hook: The TARDIS arrives in a shadowy realm of nothingness.
Problem: The Celestial Toymaker, who has been manipulating events since the beginning (any plot holes in previous scenarios are totally intentional signs of his meddling), has drawn the PC's to his land to play games for their lives.
Complications: Course, the games are utterly impossible to win. He challenges the Doctor to chess using his companions as pieces, the have to play too in a far to realistic version of (insert RPG you and your players sometimes play to get a cheap laugh here).
Sub-Plots: What events has the Toymaker been manipulating? Who does he draw from the companion's and the Doctor's life to play with and what affect do them being used in his games have on the companion and Doctor.
Resolution: Beat the Toymaker at his own game, rally the people he's used as game pieces to defeat him, escape.
Fun Stuff: Deadly versions IOC childish games, old friends in mortal danger, the Toymaker acting like a child but a child whose tantrums can kill.
Theme: Others are not just toys for our amusement.

Far From Me
Hook: The Companion is captured by (what have I done so far? Policemen, raiders, ah, I know!) slavers and taken halfway across the galaxy, along with the TARDIS
Problem: Crossing the galaxy is difficult at the best of times and even when the Doctor finds a small merchant ship capable of taking him there it's still a difficult journey.
Complications: Oh, pirates, black holes, the police since this bunch of traders are a fairly shady bunch and the occasional alien race bent on feasting on the delicious looking fleshy things inside the big metal thing.
Sub-Plots: The Doctor could befriend the crew of the ship and how does the companion react to being captured. Again.
Resolution: Find the slavers, free the slaves, blow up the slave market.
Fun Stuff: Firefly style ship crew, space slavers, space opera.
Theme: Friends appear in the strangest places.

Water's Edge
Hook: The TARDIS arrives in a small seaside town, but something is taking the fishermen.
Problem: An ancient shark known as a Megladon has been transported to the waters just by this seaside town.
Complications: The fishermen are superstitious lot and may suspect the new arrivals of being involved.
Sub-Plots: The Rift which brought the Megladon here may attract the attention of some old friends.
Resolution: Capture the Megladon, send it back in time, take it to deeper waters.
Fun Stuff: Jaws with a giant prehistoric time travelling shark. Scared fishermen, unintentional time travel, Primeval ripoffs and perhaps an encounter with whichever Torcheood agents are meant to guard this rift.
Theme: For all our modernity nature can still kill us.

What A Wonderful World
Hook: The TARDIS lands in what is apparently a utopia.
Problem: Except citizens keep on disappearing never to be seen again and a intricate surveillance network sees everything.
Complications: The city is being ruled by a psychopath who got into power by allying himself with a certain group of eyestalked foes...
Sub-Plots: The Daleks have information on the Doctor's future. Important information he'll need in a battle which is coming soon. They'll give it to him, for a price...
Resolution: Work out why the Daleks have gone to such lengths, defeat the Daleks, steal the information, bring down the government, lead the people in a rebellion.
Fun Stuff: Daleks, a mad dictator, futuristic totally-a-Utopia-nothing-wrong-or-creepy-here city.
Theme: Utopia cannot be enforced, it has to be agreed to.

Abattoir Blues
Hook: The TARDIS lands in a shadowy slum on an alien world where the PC's witness a group of people being taken away.
Problem: This world is overpopulated, underfed and due to an ancient and archaic tradition unable to venture into space. Things where getting desperate when a organisation stepped in and started providing a new source of food, just as some people starts disappearing from the slums...
Complications: The company are willing to go to any lengths to cover up the truth, as are the government and the people of the world might not want to hear the truth about where their food comes from.
Sub-Plots: The company believe they are doing the only thing they can do under the circumstances an that it is for the greater good.
Resolution: Reveal the truth, rescue the captured, help the people of the planet overcome the no space travel tradition and leave the over population problem behind.
Fun Stuff: SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!! Shadowy disappearances in alien slums, overpopulated houses filled with families.
Theme: We are what we eat.

More News From Nowhere
Hook: The TARDIS land on an apparently unremarkable planet, so why do the. scanners insist they've landed on Skaro?
Problem: A town of humans, each one a genius, every second of their existence spent training their minds. Their legends speak of a race of masters who will return at the end of days... And the end of days is tomorrow.
Complications: The Daleks are trying to engineer a perfect race of Dalek Battle Computer children (see Remembrance Of The Daleks) and are prepared to sacrifice anything for it.
Sub-Plots: The Battle Computers have been programmed to know everything about The Doctor, what secrets might he not want his companion to know?
Resolution: Save the Battle Computers, kill the Battle Computers, blow up the Daleks.
Fun Stuff: Mind controlled families, Dalek scientists.
Theme: Beware Daleks bearing gifts.

The Rock Of Gibralter
Hook: The TARDIS lands on a ship from Ancient Greece heading out of the Pillars of Hercules and leaving the known world behind.
Problem: And they're being attacked by a Hydra.
Complications: The Hydra is an escaped alien prisoner being chased by it's sea serpent-esq prison guard.
Sub-Plots: The Greeks believe the PC's to be gods. How do they handle that kind of respect?
Resolution: Lead the prison guard to the prisoner, capture the Hydra.
Fun Stuff: Ancient Greeks, Ancient Greek monsters, the PC's being treated as gods.
Theme: Sometimes we encounter things we can't explain, and so we create stories to explain them for us.

The Carny
Hook: The Celestial Toymaker is back.
Problem: He's manipulating events and trying to lead the Earth Federation and Draconian Empire into a conflict, purely for his own amusement.
Complications:The PC's have been captured and are being used as exhibits in his space circus he uses as a base of operations in the real world.
Sub-Plots: A small group of Draconians who want to abolish some of the more archaic laws of their people are in league with The Toymaker but have no idea of the scale of his plans.
Resolution: Escape the Circus, Reveal the truth to the Draconians and Humans, beat the Toymaker at one of his games.
Fun Stuff: Evil Circus, Draconian and Human politicking, The Celetial Toymaker.
Theme: We are all the toys of those in power.

Bring It On
Hook: The Draconian Empire and the Humans are no longer on the brink of War but what to do with The Toymaker?
Problem: The Toymaker and his it us appear to have escaped.
Complications: Oh, and a small group of Humans and Draconians are still convinced the other is trying to start a war and so commence with the giant space battles.
Sub-Plots: The Draconians and Humans are being forced to work together to catch the Toymaker, perhaps this creates closer bonds between the two species
Resolution: Find the Toymaker, stop the battle and trap the Toymaker in his dimension. Which is only possible to do from the inside...
Fun Stuff: Space battles, awkward Human-Draconian meetings, the Circus on the run.
Theme: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

People Ain't No Good
Hook: The TARDIS arrives on a planet in the middle of a genocide.
Problem: Two factions had been fighting for years, now one has captured almost all of the other and are systematically killing men women and children.
Complications: The Doctor has just lost somebody close to him and is in no mood for having his faith in humanity tested like this.
Sub-Plots: The Doctor encounters a young, pretty, resourceful woman. Who then dies. Horribly. Or not, at GM's discretion.
Resolution: Free the prisoners from the death camps, start the peace talks or give a hammy speech about pacifism to the leaders of each side.
Fun Stuff: How far can you push The Doctor before he cracks and starts to be The Time Lord Victorious?
Theme: People ain't no good. Or, perhaps, they might be better then we think, depending on how cynical a GM you are.

When I first started writing these they were intended for my campaign which takes place before The Waters Of Mars. Indeed, People Ain't No Good should set up the events of The Waters Of Mars and is the temporary finale.

[The Gentleman]

Feb 24, 2014 15:38:10 GMT Hedgewick said:

Feb 24, 2014 12:37:02 GMT The Gentleman said:

The Ship Song
Hook: The TARDIS lands on a planet near Akhaten just as a fleet of merchant ships arrive.
Problem: One of them is deserted, it's crew killed by a dangerous thought vampire.
Complications: The police force of the planet are to busy trying to prevent inter-species war breaking out to deal with a few stray murders.
Sub-Plots: The Doctor reminisces about coming here with his granddaughter and the Thought vampire steals some of the companion and/or Doctor's memories leaving them temporarily amnesiac.
Resolution: Find the thought vampire, trap it, get your memories back, send it home.
Fun Stuff: Singing! Also, amnesia, vampires and complicated inter-species relations.
Theme: A man is the sum of his memories, you know.

The Weeping Song
Hook: After the previous adventure The Doctor regales his companion with the story of the first time he arrived here. Back when he was travelling with his granddaughter.
Problem: The First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbra arrive on the planet during the funeral of a great leader.
Complications: Someone is going to bomb the funeral and kill most of the rulers of the planet at once.
Sub-Plots: The national state of mourning has extended to the low level psychic fields and songs that cover the planet causing the PC's to start to remember those they've lost.
Resolution: Stop the bomb plot, capture the attacker, overcome their grief, help the planet overcome it's
Fun Stuff: The Players getting a chance to play some different characters and add to the backstory of The Doctor.
Theme: It's okay to be sad, but don't let grief consume you.

These are my favorites. It's an interesting two-part arrangement and the setting seems ideal. "The Ship Song" is particularly appealing because of the way in which the thought vampires might feed on the Doctor's memories of an earlier visit. Perhaps those memories are all the more delicious or sustaining because they relate to the history of this particular planet? Leaving the Doctor amnesiac would certainly shake things up, too! (Might a solution be found in the only weakness associated with the vampires, the fact that they cannot feed on any memories related to themselves? A sort of reversal on the Silents?) You've got my imagination running with this one.

It's good to know I've fired someone's imagination with theses. I really like your interpretation on the idea, I want to run it now but my player would kill me if I mentioned anything related to TRoA. Oh, well, perhaps you can find some use for it.

[The Gentleman]

Feb 24, 2014 23:09:19 GMT Craig Oxbrow said:

Feb 24, 2014 12:37:02 GMT The Gentleman said:

I have no idea where this came from.
Actually, I do, I was trying to come up with ideas for my campaign when I remembered THE LEGEND THAT IS CRAIG OXBROW'S plot hooks from the titles of songs challenge.

(splutter)

I swiped the format from The Ravens Of Despair author Steve Darlington, for the record, but thanks! And I look forward to seeing the whole list.

I know you took it from him (didn't he do some Firefly ones?) but I first encountered the format with your ones so they're the ones that inspired me, if that makes sense. I'm glad that you're interested, sorry it took a little while to get them up but real life got in the way, so there you go. I hope you enjoy them at any rate!