Wizard Dad's Work Shop: A bundle scene starters sans context: Part 1.

First, let me give credit where credit is due. The inspiration and primary tool I will be using for this project come from various Word Mill Games products, with perhaps a few other randomizing tools thrown in. I am only going to be giving outputs so I don't believe the I will be doing the authors any injustice using there tools. With that said, though I don't this caveat will be necessary, please don't reproduce this article in whole or in part for commercial use.   

The primary tool I will be using is The Adventure Crafter Deck, which I have found be extremely useful in coming with with starting scenes or pushing a game forward when it seems to be running out of steam. 

I will probably get some minor use out of The Game Master's Apprentice: Base Deck. It is especially useful when you need a little more inspiration to tease out detail about a scene.

What I am going to do is make generic, context-less, game hooks, that can be used as rumors, catalyst, or mid game jump starters. I will provide a little who and what, but the context of your own game will determine what that finally looks like.

If this is popular I will do the same with NPCs and Locations, but there is no point in either of those without some reason to go there. 

In the first few hooks I will provide a fantasy, fantastic modern, sci-fi, and pulp adventure  interpretation just to show how it works."

This is a bit of an experiment, in sharing with others, but having random hooks, NPC, items, and locations with no context laying around has save a huge amount of time in my own games. 

The 5 hooks provided alone do not have to be used alone, you can randomly roll several and combine them for a more dynamic scene. I may string several of these pages together into a mega table, if there grow to be enough of them.

1-2 Some exotic [monster, alien, a person in a Halloween costume] character springs forth unexpectedly from an unpredictable direction [shadows, a parallel dimension, from behind a cloaking device]  and from and threatens, perhaps even attacks, your PC(s), but with no intention to kill, but very loudly, while from behind a concealed [shrouded in darkness, protected by a blur module, simply very stealth] and skilled co-assailant seeks to steal the most valuable thing to be seen [a wallet, briefcase, weapon, jewelry], after which both fade back into the back ground [magically vanish, mundanely run into the dark]

3-4 Social: At a popular celebration [Christmas Parade, Harvest Festival, Coronation], , in which your PC(s) have a front row viewing, in a major urban metropolis [New York, Fanatsy New York, Sc-fi New York, Metropolis (which is New York)], the local leader's [Mayor, King, Archbishop, Celebrity] body guards vanish from the scene, while he/she/they are giving a speech.

5-6 The PC(s) are approached, a well informed quest [ giver (but not one familiar to them) to assist them with the investigation of a strange and violent crime, that seems to have no rational motive, that is within the realm of expertise of your character(s). They bring all the case information and hold nothing back.

7-8  The PCs are drawn to a back water district after hearing of a friend/allies death (or wounding). The PC (or one PC if there are multiple) is the target of a failed assassination attempt by the lieutenant of a new local warlord/crime boss, to remove he/her/they as a potential complication before they can settle in. 

9-0 Something that has upset a formerly known NPC has come back from the PC(s)'s past to haunt them. The NPC now is powerful enough to exert threat over a distance. The PC's must avoid bounty hunters and/or law enforcement until they can either clear up/make amends/disappear.