How often do you see someone in the presence of others well-known or famous, and assume, perhaps wrongly that they too much be so because of their proximity? I'd say decently often since we see it all the time. Usually by the rich, who surround themselves with movie stars, singers and the like to try to trade off of their fame. To gain some of their reputation by association.
Now take this thinking and put it in your game. What persons, organizations and entities would seek such a method to better themselves? Would a noble sponsor a group to perform some activity on his behalf, according their success with his name? Surround him or herself with a coterie of famous or infamous figures to seem as such too?
This type of action is, honor by association or in its truest form a fallacy. An effective one though and very useful as a plot element. Villains would surely benefit from this type of association just as surely as the wealthy but cowardly; wounded or otherwise impaired.
This type of activity allows you to attack the typical types of sideways to appeal to your players in a different way. For instance, the Mc Guffin styled quests. Instead of a collector of rare things or data approaching the players to retrieve some object, you use instead the idea of a wealthy sponsor with a taste for the rare and exotic. However, not one you can approach and say uncouthly, "Hey, need me to go get that for you? I'll work cheap!". Instead, only by showing you are an equal presence to his social stature or someone that has gained his attention (such as by acquiring said Mc Guffin).
A solid GM quality that ranks those from the merely good to the phenomenally grand is where the motivation is birthed. When I, as the GM, am forced to provide the motivation for you to play in a session, I have failed at some level. Now I say this and caveat it by excluding one-shot style games. In those types of games you do not have the luxury to always begin that way but you should always turn your actions to an indirect and subtle type.
In effect, build in and support the ability for your players to drive the game and determine the adventure. When they stumble, support them. Feed them. Give them everything they can stand without giving them too much. Now let me get back to the point. I'll both on good GM qualities at a later date.
Act from the shadows with an unseen hand. Use your NPCs to inform the players and provide this indirect motivation but don't do it in a matter that directly addresses the players. Using our scenario, we would tell our players of this wealthy collectors sponsorship or interest. Instead, we'd let them gain that information in as secure a situation as possible, one where they cannot easily push to gain too much info. Especially since you want to piecemeal it some so as to make it seem that you are not leading the players. Let them believe it is their hand that drives the plow not yours and drives furrows in the land that lead to your plot destination.
Let them overhear it in a conversation; one in passing and where they lose track of the ones speaking. Drop it in between a gush of other things so as to hide it in plain sight. Speak of the activities of others but in an offhand way, such as a side comment during a transaction or blurb of a note between passing acquaintances.
Remember, we are building a need and a mystery. Make them want this without telling them they want it.
Consider:
- overheard indirect comment between people
- noting activities that lend them towards discovering it
- Lack of exotic items normally available
- influx of the types of people that glorify in gaining honor/guilt by association
- influx/outgo of people normally present
- Change in prices
- etc. the list goes on to point indirectly at the topic
- seeing material that talks about it indirectly
- change in fad/style that reflects the interest
The above list is not everything but a short jotting of thoughts. Get the players after it. Make them the motivators to do this activity you've planned. In this cause a Mc Guffin quest to find something. Don't proffer it to them, make them seek it out and then take it away from them.
Set the stage so they have to force the issue to make it happen. Not that, "no problem, I'll sponsor you" but instead a query, "you look to have talent but why would I sponsor you when I have others already employed as such freely?". Every hand someone something and then take it away, even if they never really had it in the first place? Oh, they get pissed. No one is comfortable with loss, no matter how briefly the stead of ownership.
Again, the key is the use of external motivation and reputation to enhance your games. Should our players succeed, they would languish in the grace of this wealthy sponsor. Not to build their own reputation but to gratify his own through his sponsorship or presence.
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