The AD&D® game is a combat-oriented
game; most of the emphasis of the system
is devoted to fighting monsters and grabbing
treasure. Thus, we have many manuals
detailing combat and plunder-oriented
information such as new monsters and
treasures. There is nothing morally wrong
with combat and looting in AD&D gaming;
it is a game, after all. But there are many
more possibilities for fun and adventure
than bash-and-cash missions; to rely solely
on combative scenarios in a campaign is to
deny the players and the DM some
wonderful adventures.

Several noncombative adventure themes
are given here. It should be noted that
each of these adventure themes may involve
combat at some point; however,
combat is not the focus of these
adventures.

Romance
Romance is for wimps, right? Well, just
ask the heroes of medieval romances, who
went through fire, flood, and worse to get
to the altar with their true loves.

How should a DM handle romance?
Through role-playing, that?s how. A player
character who is a smooth talker may be
able to turn a fair maiden?s (or powerful
lord?s) fancy for a time, but unless a wedding
follows a quick courtship, smooth
talking won?t be enough; philosophical
differences might get in the way. (?But
she?s tried to kill you twice, Rupe. You?ve
gotta get over her.? ?I know that. But even
though Jallis is an evil high priestess for
Demogorgon, I just can?t get her out of my
mind. Thoth knows I?ve tried!?)

Ideally, a romance is initiated by a PC;
that is, when the character sees an NPC
(or even a PC) of the opposite sex, the PC
(not the DM) decides that this person
might become a one true love. Then, the
character must devise ways of getting the
loved one?s attention, making certain that
the NPC returns the affection.


That?s when a DM can make things
interesting. There are two factors which
can complicate matters: rival suitors and
parents. The rivals have the same intentions
toward the desired NPC as your
player character has; they want the NPC?s
hand in marriage. Now, rivals are (usually)
people, too. They can be handsome,
strong, noble, talented, mean-spirited,
jealous, or violent, and they may have
powerful friends to counter any help that
the PC may receive from fellow party
members. Anything can happen.

Parents are a different matter. They may
not like the idea of having their ?baby?
marry someone who slays dragons for a
living. Where?s the security in that? And
all those strange creatures that they meet
-- how can parents expect their son-in-law
to be a good husband when he keeps
running into succubi all the time? All they
wanted for their daughter was that handsome
chirurgeon down the street.

Actually, this is a rather anachronistic
account. In medieval times, parents didn?t
have the concern for their offspring that is
expected from parents in today?s society.
In those days, children were viewed as
little adults; as such, they were subject to
the same expectations from society. Parents
often made marital arrangements for
their children long before the children
reached marrying age. A PC seeking the
hand of an NPC in marriage may have to
deal with such prearrangements. Money,
of course, might change a parent?s mind.

Marrying into a higher social bracket is
another problem. A king whose daughter
is being courted may demand that the PC
complete a quest to prove himself worthy
of the princess?s hand. For example, in,
Tolkien?s Silmarillion, Beren was commanded
to bring to King Thingol a Silmaril
from the crown of Morgoth -- who in
AD&D game terms would have to be considered
a greater god. In any fantasy roleplaying
game, there may be harder tasks
than stealing a greater god?s most cherished
possession, but nothing comes to
mind at present.

Players often overlook the possibility
that their characters might fall in love
with an NPC. If this is the case, then the
DM is forced to do the hard work and
create an NPC who falls in love with the
character. The PC may then reject the love
(and the Lower Planes hath no fury like a
lover scorned) or accept the NPC as a
destined spouse. Truly sadistic DMs can
devise interesting complications from
romance; love triangles can be lots of fun
(remember the DRAGONLANCE® saga?).

When a DM develops an NPC to fall in
love with a PC, the NPC should be a worthy
match for the character. A paladin?s
bride need not be a vacuous twit, but a
woman of courage and substance, even if
she isn?t of medium or high level. A cleric?s
wife, if the religion permits the cleric to
wed, should be more than just buxom and
wealthy (if that), but should be a character
for whom the PC will be willing to sacrifice
his safety.

Romance, aside from providing the
impetus for adventures, can lead to that
marvelous, if tempestuous, time in a PC's
life: raising children (future PCs). Imagine
this conversation: "You are not, under any
circumstances, to touch the Eye of Vecna.
I'm trying to get rid of it, son!" "Aw, dad, it
said I could have it. I heard it say that."

There is one more element to consider
about romance, and that is its climax ?
the wedding. A wedding should be something
special, an event that the player
remembers for years afterwards. You
don't have to kidnap the bride before the
ceremony to make it a memorable occasion,
but events such as a bachelor party,
the choice of the cleric who will perform
the marriage, inviting honored guests, and
wheeling and dealing with NPCs at the
reception can make it an interesting time
for all. The DM can use the PC romance as
a springboard for some interesting adventures,
many of which may involve exciting
conflicts. But the process of courting one?s
true love can be exciting without having to
lay a hand or a sword on anyone.

Business
Suppose your character is now wealthy
? filthy rich, in fact. What does he do
with his money?

One answer that we?ve developed in our
campaign is that a character can go into
business. Business, particularly risky ventures
into uncharted areas, can be hazardous,
but such adventures can usually be
resolved with only a minimum of violence.
More often, business ventures involve a
healthy dose of cerebral game play and a
fair amount of intrigue, if played correctly.

How should a DM handle business? As
examples, take the two businesses that PCs
started in our campaign. There are two
types of ventures: non-profit services and
enterprises meant to be profitable. In any
of these businesses, there are some basic
laws to follow: There must be enough
need for the goods or services to ensure
that the business will exist; likewise, there
must be sufficient goods and manpower to
supply these services.

Using our nonprofit example, one highlevel
cleric in our campaign is starting up
a food bank in a major city. This venture
does not turn a profit; in fact, even bolstered
by such spells as create food and
water and heroes? feast, it still costs quite
a bit of gold to feed the people in the poor
section of the city. There is a reason for
this action, of course, and that is to persuade
the poor that the cleric?s deity is the
one who cares most about them, who
loves them, and who is most worthy of
their fealty. The other good clerics of the
city are rather miffed about this, considering
their preachings are often about the
dangers of winding up in the Lower
Planes. The cleric hopes to persuade city
businesses, high-level paladins who are
required to make donations, and so on to
provide financial backing to the cause. A
hungry city populace, after all, is more
sickly, less capable in defense, and more
likely to revolt.

Our high-level thief, on the other hand,
wants to make money. Looking for a business
that might turn a profit, he discovered
that most of the major naval powers
of the world are about to go to war. In
addition, piracy has been on the increase.
Seeing a strong demand for new warships
and merchant ships, as well as desiring to
shaft a particular naval power that he
doesn?t like, the thief has set up a shipbuilding
company.

How does a business prosper? There are
three stages to the establishment of a
business, which are as follows:

1. Set-up: In order to begin operation, a
business must have several things: a base
of operations, manpower, investment
money, equipment, a market willing to buy
goods and services, a transportation system
that can safely carry goods, and so
forth.

Using the shipbuilding business as an
example, the thief must find a place where
a lumber company can be started with a
minimum amount of difficulty, and which
has the right variety of wood to build his
ships. He will certainly need money to
finance his scheme; the thief may borrow
money or issue shares in the venture
which pay off a proportion of the profits
(the dividends). He not only needs a labor
force for felling timber, but needs a specialized
laboring force as well ? professional
shipbuilders. A market for his ships
is required, and a route to transport the
ships to this market is a necessity. In the
case of our thief, he encountered special
problems because he wanted to keep his
operations a secret until he had become
firmly established (so it would be difficult
for his enemies to SABOTAGE his plans).

2. Short term: Once the business has
gotten off the ground, then the second
phase has begun. Ideally, the business
should pay off the investments of those
who backed it. If not, then the businessman
may be in debt; given a large enough
investment, this may result in undesirable
consequences (i.e., assassins may be hired
to kill off the debtor). Rival businesses may
want to stymie the progress of the upstart.
Businesses founded to take advantage of
short-term booms may go bust (businesses
in the Canadian Gold Rush town of Barker
ville were founded and folded within a
five-year period). Wars and other economic
upheavals may have a major effect
on the prosperity of the business.

In the case of our shipbuilding thief, he
must deal with finances; fortunately, he is
well off and not indebted to anyone. Rival
businesses, on the other hand, provide a
real threat, particularly since the thief is
inviting the wrath of a particularly powerful
nation. Also, because he is felling trees
without regard for the environment, he
may incur the wrath of druids, treants,
and other ?environmentalists.? There are
likely to be contracts enough for many
shipbuilders to share for the time being,
so other shipbuilders are likely to leave
him alone unless he gets too ambitious. An
end to the war would be a catastrophe for
the thief?s business, so it is in his best
interests to keep the war going (he?s powerful
enough to see to that, however).
Current economic conditions are good, but
angry druids, orc invasions at the timber
yard, and so forth could crop up. To deal
with these encounters, the DM uses the
security system set up by the thief to
protect the business when determining
how much damage is sustained in such
attacks.

3. Long term: In the long term, other
problems occur when the business is wellestablished.
More options are available to
a successful business: expansions, mergers
with other businesses, and the establishment
of new businesses, among other
things. For example, once Rogue Shipbuilding
and Timber, Inc., becomes successful,
the thief may elect to start up a
shipping company or a trading company
exploring new frontiers. At this point,
rivals definitely become a problem, and a
lot of role-playing is necessary to fully
represent the business while cultivating
contacts, making deals, etc. Supplies may
also become a problem, if timber is used
up faster than it is replaced. A businessman
must also worry about upstarts who
dare to tread on the company?s territory. It
is necessary to maintain good public relations
with the host nation; otherwise, it
may impound the company?s wealth and
send troops to destroy any ?traitors? (i.e.,
anyone richer than the impoverished
government).

There are many more businesses that
can be established. How about a professional
castle-building company? A trading
company with a royal charter? A university?
A fighter?s academy? An explorer?s
group that maps extraplanar features for a
society of sages? Use your imagination;
there are a lot of possibilities!

Certainly, as demonstrated above, the
obstacles are formidable ? which begs the
question: Why should anyone found a
business, given the obstacles which are
involved? The same might be said of professional
adventuring: Who in their right
mind goes into dank, dismal caves and
faces angry dragons? Setting up a business
can be a lot of fun, particularly if you?re
bored with dungeon adventuring. It provides
variety, and variety is the spice that
keeps an old campaign fresh.

Organizations
Consider the ambitions of your campaign
's primary characters. What are the
characters' goals in life? Do they want to
become powerful servants of the gods?
Knights of the most esteemed order? The
power behind the throne of a powerful
kingdom? The power on the throne of a
powerful kingdom? There should be more
to a character's ambitions than to merely
gain levels.

One of the most moving scenes I witnessed
in a campaign occurred when a
cleric returned to his homeland after
many years of service, a hero to his people.
As he saw the faces of those who
beheld him with obvious admiration, he
felt great sadness that they were just faces
to him. He had spent his entire life killing,
looting, and dodging traps; he had never
had the joy of knowing people, and had
not experienced the joys that come with
social interaction. Most campaigns do not
emphasize such characterization or
theme, which is a pity, but the point is that
often a character?s goals are simply to
collect magic, wealth, and levels. There is
no humanity in these killing machines.

Goal setting and interaction with NPCs is
one way in which players may bring
greater depth to their characters. This
depth can be stimulated by having PCs join
an organization and try to earn honors.

These goals are more "realistic" than
trying to go up levels. It is doubtful that
Conan, Aragorn, or Galahad would have
known what a level was if a level had hit
them in the face. "Level" is a game construct;
it is something that players worry
about, not characters. Characters (at least,
those in literature) are chiefly concerned
with achieving their goals, becoming rich,
gaining fame, or doing good deeds (in the
case of good-aligned characters). The key
to attaining these goals is to find an organization
that is suited to them.

One of the most famous organizations in
literature was the Knights of the Round
Table. To be a member of this order was
the supreme achievement in chivalry; as
the DEITIES & DEMIGODS Cyclopedia and Chaosium?s
PENDRAGON game indicate, membership
wasn't open to anyone. Not only were its
members required to be effective in battle,
they were also required to be paragons of
chivalry, to prove their honor and valor
under difficult circumstances, and to
perform difficult tasks. They gained powerful
enemies just by being members of
the Knights of the Round Table. But, for
true adventurers, the esteem associated
with the Round Table made it such an
attractive goal that many knights risked
their lives to attain it.

Honor should be a principle motive for
joining an organization. An 8th-level
Knight of the Round Table would likely
have more prestige than a 13th-level
fighter who was not a member. Likewise,
belonging to an esteemed organization
often permits the character to have more
influence in the decision-making processes
of his nation, and provides an easier way
of acquiring needed resources. For instance,
Grath Janisk, adventurer-at-large,
cannot go into a city and demand 200
infantry and 50 cavalry (plus a ballista)
needed to assault an orc fortress. Lord
Grath, Knight-Captain of the Order of
Swords, however, can make such a demand
and have a hope of seeing it fulfilled.
This power can be quite useful.

Fighter organizations aren?t the only
organizations, of course. A group of
magic-users may unite to pool their knowledge
and resources against an enemy, as
well as to fight against ignorance, as in the
DRAGONLANCE® campaign setting. If
alignments are rigid in your campaign,
then each alignment may have its own
secret society (in which members converse
in alignment tongue, of course). Then,
there are always organizations commonly
seen in campaigns, but not always considered
-- religions and thieves' guilds.

Each of these establishments has its own
hierarchy and a route by which its members
may advance, depending on their
competency. These organizations usually
award individuals with high ability levels;
thus, the Guildmaster is a high-level thief,
and the high priests are at least 9th-level
clerics. But need this be so? Could a lowlevel
but charismatic thief overthrow the
guildmaster and take his place? Could a
church award a low-level (but extraordinarily
charismatic and popular) cleric the
title "High Priest," if not the powers
thereof? Anything is possible.

An organization has goals and rules by
which it achieves its goals. An ambitious
character might desire to become the
leader of an organization. Suppose that a
High Father, the supreme cleric of a reli-
gion, is about to step down and retire for
the rest of his days. This means that the
position of High Father will be open to
those clerics who desire it -- including one
or more PCs.

How does a PC become High Father?
Deity selection is one route, but, to make
things interesting, we?ll suppose that the
deity is bored by mortal politics and is
willing to accept whoever is chosen. Thus,
the PC must prove himself to those selecting
the position of High Father (a council
of clerics, perhaps?) as the most worthy
candidate.