The Premise
A politically powerful NPC is in need of a marriage – and fast!
The PCs must quest around the world, guided by a ledger of suitable suitors, to seek out the best match for the NPC.
This campaign premise is entirely combat-optional and works in any setting. It helps introduce players to your world and helps them make connections with powerful NPCs who can later become quest givers or Big Bads.
The Ledger
I created a Google Doc ledger to share with my players. (It is also avaliable below!)
I offered them suggestions of 5 suitors that would potentially work for the NPC – though you can give fewer or more depending on how long you want the season to be.
Next to each potential suitor, I had noted that certain PCs would know about the politics of the area etc.
In this same doc, I also had a summary of what the quest giver is looking for in a suitor just in case they forgot. I went with: has a sense of humour and likes making things.
But obviously, if you wanted to use it in your game you can use your own NPCs!
The Sessions
The ledger led to very episodic style play – almost like a monster of the week, but instead of a monster, it was a suitor!
This meant I could play with different genres, settings, and types of game. And that I didn’t have to plan really far in advance what was going to happen in each session.
Most sessions started with them doing some recon about the potential suitor, then working out how to access them.
Some of the potential suitors were royalty, or very wealthy nobles so they were harder to get an audience with.
Others were easy to access but were unwilling to socialise without the PCs doing them a short favour first.
My players ended up doing lots of different things including a dungeon crawl, a 3 PC vs. 3 PC arena fight, infiltrating a royal birthday party (and accidentally killing the crown prince), and posing as ambassadors to break one of the suitors out of a prison.
The Finale
Normally, a campaign ends with a Big Boss Fight.
This season ended with a wedding episode – as they did indeed find a suitable suitor!
It was light-hearted and fun. But I ensured there was some drama akin to a big boss fight by putting them in charge of things at the wedding that started to go wrong: the rings were missing, someone put blushberries (hallucinogens) on the cake instead of raspberries, one of the guests is a scorned ex-lover who is getting dangerous drunk and ready to proclaim things.
The PCs were allowed to bring a plus one to the wedding. A few of them chose NPCs they had met in the season – further cementing bonds that I can use later.
The Combat
Of course, as I have already mentioned, the PCs did choose to get into a few fights. But each of the fights felt dramatic and important, as the players made choices that led to them – rather than being put in a position where violence was the only option.
Overall
I am really happy with how the season went. It was full of great RP moments and drama, and also great combat – which I wasn’t really expecting. The PCs have made a real impact on the setting as they have created a powerful match – changing the landscape of political power. As well as this, the PCs visited various nobles, merchants, and other powerful people across the world. This worked very well to introduce them to the world and setting up the major players for later stories. Inevitably, the players made powerful friends and enemies. I am very excited to play with some of these relationships later.
TLDR: I ran a campaign where the players were matchmakers and it went really well!
The Ledger
Admiral Morgan Raventide
Age: 32
Pronouns: She/Her
Race: Tiefling
Admiral to one of the finest fleets on the Seas, Morgan Raventide is a respected captain and businesswoman.
She is currently thought to be docked in Kyrosh.
Under is from Kyrosh, so has heard of the Admiral. Under knows she is one of the wealthiest shipowners to come through Kyrosh. She normally doesn’t dock for long before she is off on another adventure.
Tal knows: one of her ships, The Scarlet Queen, is thought to be the fastest ships to ever have existed.
Senn knows: the Admiral has in the past allowed some of her ships to be used to transport refugees free of charge
Mr. Gold
Age: 56
Pronouns: He/Him
Race: Gnome
Quickly becoming one of the richest men around, Mr. Gold, an academic turned businessman, has amassed a small fortune from his base in the Sands of Balance Desert, on the vast continent of Mhorium.
Under knows: Mhorium lies around a 5 day sail to the west of Phand and the best way to sail there is from Kyrosh
Gruntled knows: it is possible to sail to Mhorium from King’s Seat but it is a dangerous journey
Harman is from the Sands of Balance which is a vast desert. He knows its main inhabitants are nomads, hermits, and cacti – not thriving businesses or cities.
Princess Laurena of the Rayne Kingdom
Age: 20
Pronouns: She/her
Race: Human
First born of King Arthur XII of the Rayne Kingdom, Laurena lives in the castle at King’s Seat.
Though she is not due to inherit the throne, she is entitled to a vast estate or a place high in government, church, or army.
Gruntled is from King’s Seat so knows their way around. Gruntled knows that King’s Seat is a patriarchy (it’s King’s Seat, not Queen’s Seat!), so the next in line to the throne is Laurena’s younger brother, Prince Arthur XIII.
Senn knows: there are multiple skilled tradespeople in King’s Seat who might be able to create artillery or other fixtures for your castle
Under knows: they are very snooty in King’s Seat
Sun Through Leaves, Warden of Summer
Age: 28
Pronouns: They/Them
Race: Half Halfling, Half Elf
A powerful druid who protects Summer – an area in the Sannavaire forest.
Harman knows: this would be a good place to find someone to help create a flourishing garden and food supply at your Castle.
Senn, Tal and Zan are from the Woods so know that there are four distinct areas that are in perpetual seasons. The land in each season is protected by a Warden.
Senn is from Autumn, Tal is from Spring, and Zan is from Winter.
Crown Prince Damianos of Ithika
Age: 26
Pronouns: He/Him
Race: Mainly Human – though one of his grandmother’s was a Minotaur.
Prince Damianos is the chosen son of Queen Thea and sole heir to the lands of Ithika and it’s fortune. He resides in the Palace at Andros – Ithika’s capital city.
Harman knows: the palace has a teleportation circle.
Gruntled knows: Ithika is extremely wealthy. This is a good place to pick up luxury items for your castle.
Under knows: the royal family were the first to open up trade routes between the two continents.
Tal knows: Damianos’s mother, Queen Thea, is also known as The Lioness of the South, there are many songs about her epic adventures.
Senn knows: Ithika is a huge country, stretching from the Sands of Balance in the West to the Shadow Lands in the North – where you have rescued many a lost traveller.
Find a match for: Tasha Ironhelm
Age: 52 (human equivalent around 25)
Pronouns: She/Her
Race: Dwarf
The only blood relation of Yana Ironhelm, the Heart of Fire. Her successful marriage is the key to preserving democracy in the Windsong Mountains.
A young dwarven artificer, she makes her own armour and weapons.
She has said she doesn’t care about race or gender – she wants someone who likes making things or likes people who make things, and someone who is not very boring – preferably someone who likes japes or jokes.
Jenny Lester 
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