The Generative GM Method + Example (Part 2)

Ok, so this is the second part of the Generative GM Method. In this part, I'll be exploring plot hooks! Enjoy!

We are in the city of Balirne. For more information about the city or about the Generative GM Method, go to Part 1!

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

I printed a version of the map and colored the different sectors it had to make all information more evident. I also identified the different buildings I thought were interesting, such as the temples, inns, and other important locations. It was a fun process that allowed me to see this city under a new light.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Continuing with the Generative GM Method, I started ideating my plot hooks. The two steps for this were:

1. Write down 3 to 5 loosely related plot hooks (i.e. basically, each plot hook will lead to the main plot).
2. Each hook should be about 4 sentences long:
•  Quest giver (Q.G.)
•  Perceived problem (P.P.)
•  Real problem (R.P.)
•  Clues to the main plot (Clues)

I first brainstormed five of them based on a few things I discovered about the city, and then added more details.

1. mysterious disappearances of folks in the slums
2. apparently forced labor (at the farm)
3. slave trade to coastal cities (e.g. Hostifell)
4. rumored mining underneath the jail's building
5. a boom of nouveau-rich citizens thanks to a new technology

Plot 1: 
(P.P.) Irwin Munchhousen, a renown gnome inventor and gadgeteer (Q.G.), has gone bankrupt and is now living in the slums. He needs to retrieve his old book on gadget history (a family heirloom) that he forgot in his old shop at the heart of the city.
(R.P.) He closed his shop due to the boom of a new type of technology that was discovered by his competitor. He suspects there is dark magic involved, and his book contains some notes that could prove this because in reality, the book is not just a tome on gadget history; it is his family's old book of shadows (i.e. spellbook) disguised as a history tome.
(Clues) Something dark is going on in the city, and it has to do with magic.

Plot 2: 
(P.P.) Isra Wurabungee, a dwarven innkeeper in the slums (Q.G.), has started losing clientele thanks to an annoying noise that can only be heard very late at night. She wants to find out the origin of the noise.
(R.P.) Isra's inn is a disguised bordello and her workers are complaining of heavy headaches after working their night shifts. Also, she has had to conduct lots of repairs around the building because the floor has been shaking a lot as of late. As a dwarf, she suspects those may be side effects of underground mining right under her lot.
(Clues) There seems to be an underground mine under the city. Someone has access to it and is using it to extract... what?

Plot 3: 
(P.P.) Kamala Laverne, a human food vendor at the bazaar (Q.G.), has lost her oldest son, Omar. She knew he frequented the slums for gambling. It's been 3 days since she last heard of him, and she fears for his safety.
(R.P.) Kamala knew her son had incurred debt with some members from the Thieves' Guild after borrowing some money from them. She also knows from rumors that the guild is known for capturing debtors and forcing them to work for them at concealed locations, although some of them are never seen again. It's probable Omar was taken by the guild and sent somewhere to work for them.
(Clues) Apparent forced labor at unknown locations. The Thieves' Guild is behind it.

Plot 4: 
(P.P.) Raghu Gizmort, a human beggar (Q.G.), is looking for his friend Daukady Carroll, a halfling beggar. He says the demons have taken him to their lair, and he needs adventurers to kill the demons.
(R.P.) Raghu is heavily schizophrenic and is able to see the hidden traits of people. Although, he's not aware of this gift. He calls the priests of the church of Evett's Saints "demons" because Raghu sees their true nature as a demon-worshipping cult. He saw how his friend was taken against his will to one the church of Evett's Saints' temples.
(Clues) Beggars are being taken away by the city's hidden cult. It sounds ominous!

Plot 5: 
(P.P.) Madeleine Joy, a young naive girl, daughter to a local brewer (Q.G.), was assaulted by a group of bandits who stole the money she had been given by her father to buy some needed supplies. If she gets back home empty-handed, her father will punish her.
(R.P.) Madeleine fears her father because he has threatened to sell her to the "black caravan" if she ever messed up again.
(Clues) There's a "black caravan" that agrees to purchase people as if they were merchandise.

It's interesting because by just looking at the different plots, the underlying story becomes more or less evident. What I'm initially thinking is that the church of Evett's Saints is the one responsible for everything: they're kidnapping (or purchasing) people to make them slaves. These slaves are sent to the city's secret underground mines, or to other cities in which they have temples by means of the "black caravan". The Thieves' Guild seems to be helping them with the process. Whatever it is they're extracting from the secret mine must be the cause behind the city's booming nouveau-rich, which also connects them to the Merchant's Guild. As a last note, I wouldn't be surprised if the material they're mining for has something to do with their demonic cult because there seems to be black magic involved.

To learn about the next step: Asking questions to characters, please check Part 3!