When Opportunity Calls (Encounter/Plot Hook)

Written by Justin Mason

In a small rural village a rather brazen thief has been “cursed” with a reverse “Tongues” spell, and the effect bound with “Permanency.” The spells were cast upon her by a powerful wizard who was annoyed with her for stealing some of his more valuable spell components. Instead of killing the thief when he caught her, he instead amused himself by casting the curse upon her and releasing her back into her home town where she would walk the streets babbling indecipherably.

Unfortunately, these simple villagers soon decided that she must have been touched by the gods and mistook her condition as an omen of good fortune. From that moment forward, she has been able to get away with pretty much anything that she wants. She is provided with free room and board, many of the villagers bring her trinkets and offerings, and if she gets caught stealing, the villagers simply take back what was stolen and say nothing more about the situation.

After months of this effortless free-reign, the thief has grown haphazard and sloppy with her skills. When she attempts to steal from the characters, she only has a 10% chance of success. If she fails, then the characters will notice. However, if the characters do anything to retaliate, the villagers angrily converge on them and attempt to drive them out of town.

If the effects of the spells are removed, the thief will continue to intentionally “babble,” though with a little persuasion, she can be made to admit to the villagers that she has been released from the effects of the spell. If this happens, the superstitious villagers will still be angered, believing that the characters have interfered with the work of the gods, and that good fortune no longer smiles upon them. The villagers will then drive both the characters and the thief out of town. In this instance, the thief will likely try to attack the characters for interfering with "her business."