Help With Plot for One-Shot
I’m new to DMing and wanted to run a one-shot for my birthday, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to put the pieces together.
It’ll technically be set in my homebrew world, but in a city that’s essentially just a cross between MtG’s Kaladesh and New Capenna; basically a wealthy, industrial city powered by magic (“aether”). I know I want it to be like a crime thriller where they run into the mob, go to a masquerade, have a car chase and ultimately fight their boss…but I’m running into several issues that are kind of making my brain hurt. Here are my ideas:
Option 1: starting the session by intercepting the mob in the middle of stealing a shipment of aether, and giving them a perception check to either be captured and brought to their base or to notice them and fight then and there. If captured, they’re taken to their base, the boss gives them a proposition (that they’ll probably refuse) and leaves them to be “taken care of.” They then have to escape through the masquerade she’s hosting that night, have a car chase, and ultimately fight her on a rooftop.
Problems: if they’re captured, they surely would have their weapons taken and be tied up, so how would they even be able to fight back? And if not, what reason would they even have to go to the masquerade afterwards?
I also like the idea of their informant telling them about most of the city being at this masquerade so it’s the perfect time for the mob to be stealing this shipment and then having a “big reveal” that the socialite is their boss, and that would be undercut by her telling them at the outset.
Option 2: They have to infiltrate the masquerade for intel, either to find out the identity of the mob boss or where the mob keeps all their stolen aether. This is because they were tipped off that the socialite hosting the party has “connections” to the mob, and eventually find out that she IS the boss. They also may or may not go to the warehouse with the contraband, but the car chase and rooftop fight still happen.
Problems: I feel like if they’re going to a party, their weapons would be confiscated at the door, but I saw on this very subreddit that that’s a bad idea. Also, the mob would have way too much contraband for the party to reasonably take back in one go, making the trip to the warehouse pointless; they might as well turn in the intel and regroup.
So essentially, what I’m missing is a reason to tie it all together, and integrate all of my ideas into one game. Also some logistics stuff that I still struggle with as a new DM. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks in advance!