No offense, but there is no plot here; it's only a transitional scene. There is nothing the PC's have done, or could do, to affect any of this. Looking for weapons is a red herring (sorry, seemed appropriate to the setting ;-)) - ANY excuse that puts the PC's near the docks is sufficient, and completely incidental to the shanghai. Then they wake up chained to the oars. Their only choice of action is to row or not.

There could be a number of plots starting here: Interaction with the captain could lead to an offer to trade PC skills and knowledge for freedom, or maybe join the crew; slave uprising or mutiny could leave the PC's potentially running the boat; and, of course, arriving at a foreign port could be the start of all sorts of plot lines.

Full disclaimer: Having been a PC in this scene (twice!), it's one that just leaves the players to shrug and wait for the DM to do something else. Go to Comment

Wulf is spot on with this.  Since there is not much adventure in rowing and getting whipped, this would have to be a short scene ended by something more dramatic. Like, looking left and seeing an oncoming enemy galley about to ram... 

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If you're going to use this sort of scenario, you have to make it seem fair. Either start out the PCs in this situation, using it to open up a game, or play out the scene where they are captured, giving them at least the facade of escaping the situation.

If you have the captain selling off their most treasured (and game breaking) possessions, be prepared for grumbling. I would discuss the situation with the players beforehand ("You know your Amulet of Transforming into a Triple Strength Iron Spike Golem? It has got to go!") and get some sort of agreement to lowering the power level of the game a bit.

Additionally, you should give them a chance to get revenge against the ones that shanghaied them. It could even become a major plot focus: "In the Thieves' Quarter, Fordall overheard something. Apparently there's a ship that calls here regularly: A ship with golden sails!" Go to Comment

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Fankly I don't care for the ship idea at all. Hunting down that interesting blacksmith, however, has flavor and could serve as a way to buff your PCs that are havng problems instead of bringing them down a notch. Perhaps he is reclusive and lives on an island in the center of the bay, what is in the water? Does he only come out at night? What if his ritual is sinister and includes more than just salt water?

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Forgot how glorious this sub was till it was dredged from the pits of hades. :)

That might be fun though, rewrite these a bit and leave the original as a blockquote. hmmmm

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A good way to bait the characters who have spent all their money and now need to figure out how to eat. Give them two weeks to a month to plan some kinda defenses, then got 'em Go to Comment

Minimal old school sub, not bad. To improve I would add some details to differentiate the sub from the movie. Some ideas might be giving the villagers something other than a stash of weapons to protect, or a different motive for the bandits to be stealing their grain.

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Okay, I vote 2.5 as requested by Strolen (Checking out the new .5 vote system) Go to Comment

Only voted Go to Comment

Only voted Go to Comment

I don't think a write up of Seven Samurai brings anything to the table that isn't put there by saying Seven Samurai, unless you were going to iron out some details, toss in some new character profiles and give some time lines for a GM to produce a fun retelling of seven samurai.  

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I like the idea of rallying a village to help defend it.  In the TV mini-series, Pillars of the Earth (and novel, though never read it.), there is a battle of the correct scale for PCS' - the attackers are about 20 men at arms and knights attacking a small town.  A small number of 'PCs' help rally the defense with a nice small scale battle.

 

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Easy to use for a plug in to keep the action going when the characters wander off the beaten path,. and easily adapted to sci-fi games which is a nice plus.

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Easy to use for a plug in to keep the action going when the characters wander off the beaten path,. and easily adapted to sci-fi games which is a nice plus.

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Only voted Go to Comment

For a twist: The villagers knew they could not win and poisoned their grain. The bandits have taken and eaten some of it, but not before selling off a great deal to various local populations. During a time of bad harvest can the PCs manage to find and stop the shipments before they are consumed? Should they cure the bandits if they come across them dying?

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Kinda reminds me of russian world war two tactics. You fight the enemy or your "countrymen" will shoot you. What's to keep you here fighting for the city, though? It could be as simple a thing as they are "gaurding" your family in the local jail, but that requires a well-established character. Maybe they know something you don't yet.

Assuming a walled city, perhaps it has been surronded and only the scouts from the city guard are aware of it. With the attacking forces still a good distance away, but blocking all exits, some people may try to escape before the fighting. The city gaurd could be preventing an exodus into the brutal arms of the barbarians by forcibly inducting everyone.

What ever the reason for the gaurd's actions, the fight will soon be on. Go to Comment

Oke, so I am "enlisted" in the city guard.... now what?

This might be a very decent way to start a adventure, but it is not a adventure by a long shot. It is not even a adventure hook.
With the comment of Agar, there is a start of a adventure hook though. Go to Comment

This has potential in that it creates a number of interesting questions. How common is forced conscription? What is the motivation? Go to Comment