Intrigue: A secret scheme. A machination. A plot. Also, a secret love affair like that shared by young Michael and Hanna in The Reader- if you’re jaded enough to call that love. Intrigue is also the name of a Norwegian joik band, which doesn’t pertain to this article but similarly intrigue games can be a nice source of role-play stimulation, like joiking off … or out, like rocking out?

Commonly, narrators, storytellers and game masters interpret intrigue to be sinking their heroic parties into a sea of backstabbing liars. Making all of your NPCs the seedy conniving type is not only predictably dreary but trains players to trust no one. The most expedient way to deal with such hives of scum and villainy becomes: 1. Find the most popular tavern in town; 2. Seal the exits; 3. Burn it to the ground; 4. Sift through rubble for loot and 5. Tithe 10% to the church.

Plots are best plumbed like peeling an onion. It gets more painful and pungent the deeper it goes. The first layer is the Pigeon, non-player people that believe they’re doing the proper thing in propositioning the player character party. Above scrutiny, since they are honest – if gullible, they are the best way to get the PCs involved in a scheme since part of the adventuring gene mandates doings tasks for strangers that are nobly intended … and promise coin. Often the Pigeons of another competing group influence can oppose this charge by those in the know.

Those in the know, TitK or “Ticks”, are the shady bastards that have steered these patsies wrong. They know a piece of the plan and have been commissioned to bring about some dark deed to forward the conspiracy. They are the focus of righteous butt cleaving, if you don’t pardon the crack, and stand in contrast to the innocence of the Pigeons. Being in it for material reward they’ll not fight to the death, dead men spend no coin – which is why you travel with friends to spot you for a resurrection, but once bested will offer their piece of the puzzle by implicating or hinting towards a more powerful Tick or, if enough Ticks are picked away, The Hand.

The Hand is the power behind the gilded throne, ornate desk, prestigious podium or most properly privy – since he gets the shit done. This lieutenant is the major operator of the scheme coordinating unaffiliated Ticks within their plot and flicking others to spy the actions of competing pigeons. They’re the managers, so the party going to have to go ahead and take them down but should expect a lot of trouble in doing it. Ironically, the Hand is the ultimate fall guy since all roads lead back to him and he provides deniability to his boss … drum roll … The Boss.

The Boss is going to be some very powerful corrupted public figure: mayor, sheriff, vice president or governor of Illinois. With or without +5 Wig o’ Charisma, he’s got a pack of excuses of the type:

“I merely mentioned the number of rich adventurers was destabilizing the economy. I didn’t intend for my aide (The Hand) to spread false dungeon maps leading to the ancient temple of TeaPeekay, god of vicious traps, Drow and cursed items!”

Taking the Boss down may not be possible, but can definitely tarnish his reputation and force a resignation … if the party doesn’t kill him outright and valiantly flee the area as heroic assassins.

Not all of this is Paladin/Cleric stuff. The key to make this really entangling is to have all of the party getting involved. The warrior can recognize a supposed peasant mob fighting with organized tactics. The ranger notices the forged map isn’t accurate. The Bard sleeps with a serving wench that caught the Dire Itch from the thief’s guild, while the thief notes the cases of special ointment being shipped to the king‘s castle.

The onion has many layers, make sure the party is crying by the end … like the bard is.

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