So, I`ve gathered 3 ex players of mine to play D&D 3.5.
They wanted to play a thief/rogue campaign in Forgotten Realms.

It`s been many years since I last DMed and I have some trouble figuring out and using my fantasy to get a good story/plot here.

The players class and alignment isn`t set in stone yet, but feedback I`ve gotten is that there would be:
A Chaotic Neutral Rogue Githyanki
A Chaotic Neutral Rogue Drow
A Chaotic Good Urban Ranger Hafling

Total character level at start will be 3.

The players like rogueish missions I believe and also combat heavy dungeneering.
Lots of traps and fights on a shady mission (but not directly evil) is something I think they would appreciate.

So what would be useful to get input on is story and plots for this kind of campaign. Encounters on suggested stories and plots would also be much appreciated.

What I figured so far:

All of the story in the campaign will be restricted to Forgotten Realms in mostly Waterdeep, Skullport and Undermountain.

The adventurers will start their game in prison on a merchant/slaver-ship where they will be held in the cargo hold.
A character will ask the imprioned "heroes" if they will help him and others take over the ship. If they say "yes" they will be set free and given weapons at the same time pirate ship emerges in the horizon.

After the fight for the ships command (during which also the pirate ship have boarded them), the character that freed them for their cargo hold tells them he is indeed a famous pirate captain which went in disguise to capture this prised merchant/slaver ship with as few losses as he could. He is impressed with the "heroes" and will grant them their freedom so they can go on their own way as soon as they reach land.

The pirate captain will set course (for both ships) for Waterdeep (or to be more correct Skullport). He wil steer the ship into a cliff which contains a magical portal to Skullport beneath Waterdeep. Skullport is a den of pirates, thieves, gangs and many different races (illithits, drow etc), just beneath (4 levels below) Waterdeep, the biggest city on the Forgotten Realms.

So what can happen next?

Maybe the pirate captain has some contacts in Skullport he would want the "heroes" to be in contact with?

The general campaign of the story I think may at some point be the "heroes" joining a thieves guild and climbing the ranks in the guild. Regarding that, any suggestion to ranks and what whould have to be completed or level the heeroes should have will be appreciated.

BUT, mostly input to plots ans story in Skullport with some dipping in undermountain, but soon also in Waterdeep would be helpful.

If you where a character in a urban city campaign with a "rogue-theme", what kind of plots would you like to see?

The pirate captain might ask the heroes for a favor: freeing some comrades of him somewhere? So they would get some more contacts because of / during that mission.

Obviously, setting up some famous and well guarded prize would be one option. And maybe said prize turns into something not-so-nice once the heroes have aquired it and given it to the one who wanted it. Maybe it's an evil magical artifact now in the hands of someone who could do real harm with it, maybe it's only part of something bigger and someone asks the heroes to get the other parts as well?
Or someone else is behind it as well and is slowly finding the track that leads to the heroes.

Maybe the heroes/rogues can participate in the cities politics to a certain degree? Gathering information, doing small tasks for the "nobility" (while knowing exactly who wants what)...

In reply to Beychaliban (msg # 2):

I really like the plot of the captain asking the heroes for a favor freeing some comrades of him. I will definately use this as next step in the campaign. When the heroes then gets new contacts, as you suggested, after freeing these people (belonging to a small gang in Skullport), it will definately start their way up the ladder in the den of thieves.

I think I will make several groups of thieves groups/guilds battling for turf on the both in Skullport and on the surface of Waterdeep. So by freeing these comrades of the pirate captain, they will gain new enemies of the opposed gang (or supporter of that gang).

I also like the suggestion to set opp some prize that turns into something not-so-nice after aquired. So probably a wizard-tower above ground in Waterdeep needs to be infiltrated. I need to think about if its just a magic item that will turn into something not-so-nice or a piece of a bigger epic item that several people are after. But generally I like it.

The heroes will definately participate in city politics at a certain degree after a while.

I think that after the favor from the captain-mission they will be introduced to join a gang. I will make this mission before I figure out the next step.

Thanks Beychaliban.
This message was last edited by the user at 20:48, Sun 01 May 2016.

you're welcome.
I love throwing ideas around :)

You might also have one of those guilds be part of the spy network for the mayor or head honcho of the city.
For the first few ranks, they could steal certain items from specific people at specified times, then the next few ranks could be obtaining certain information about specific people, and then setting up a useful front business at a certain rank, then making certain people your ally could be a few ranks.