Preview of THA4: Mercenaries and Magic

 Here's a short preview of the next supplement for Treasure Hunter Adventures. This one's called Mercenaries & Magic, and presents a mercenary camp and the shop for purveyors of occult relics and lore. 

-Nate 

Plot Hooks

Here are a few ways the Condottieri can be used in treasure hunting adventures and campaigns.

• The mercenaries make good rivals because they are, after all, just doing their jobs. Should they have multiple run-ins with the heroes, however, they could become full-on recurring enemies.

• As a bit of a twist, the heroes could start out as members of the mercenary company, but then face a moment of truth when a mission forces them to decide between loyalty and doing what they think is right.

• If they wind up being captured by the mercenaries, then the heroes would need to stage a breakout.

• Similarly, the heroes might need to raid the mercenaries' base in order to rescue a prisoner, recover a relic, or accomplish something similar.

• Perhaps an even greater challenge is for the heroes to infiltrate the Condotierri, and thus to gain access to a site that they are protecting. This might require undergoing a rigorous training regimen.

• To that end, the mercenaries are known to hire occultists as support for missions that require such expertise, since they don't count anyone with Arcane Backgrounds among their number.

• Finally, if the stakes become high enough, then the mercenaries could face off against the heroes in a massive battle that uses the Mass Combat rules found in SWADE.

Plot Hooks

Here are some ways these purveyors can be used in treasure hunting adventures and campaigns.

• This is, of course, a great place for the heroes to visit if they want to receive instruction or purchase an arcane text or minor magical item.

• If they want to sell a text, or to find a buyer for a more expensive relic—for example, someone like Jennifer Flannery from page 11 of Treasure Hunter Adventures—then this is the place to do so.

• It could happen that the heroes want or need to steal an item from the shop, either for their own gain or to keep it out of an enemy's hands.