The House of Pho

For your modern-day campaign, set in a world where magic exists but might not be commonplace, we offer The House of Pho, a place run by a remarkable chef who prepares even more remarkable bowls of Pho. This material should be useful for almost any variation of D&D, AD&D, and d20 System games.

THE HOUSE OF PHO

By Steve Miller

At the end of an alley in the seedier part of Little Hanoi is the House of Pho. It's one of the city's best kept secrets--a place where you can not only get some of the best Vietnamese food you've ever had at the most reasonable prices you've ever paid, but where the Pho can, literally, be magical. 

Owned and operated by Ahn-Bao, a thin Vietnamese man who was reportedly old when he arrived in the city following the communist take-over of Vietnam in the 1970s, opens at 11am (every day but Monday and Christmas Day) and closes promptly at Midnight. A full selection of Vietnamese dishes are available from the menu, as well as made-to-order dishes if diners are looking for something particularly exotic. As the name implies, however, the specialty of the House is their delicious Pho.

What sets Ahn-Bao's Pho apart from what others serve is the secret combination of herbs and spices he uses in the broth. It adds a unique taste, but, more importantly, those who consume the Pho often find themselves feeling more capable than normal. (Otherwise, the Pho can be prepared with whatever meats and vegetables the diner wishes).

PHO MAGIC

Ahn-Bao is one of the Witchkind and his Pho is made with herbs that only grow on the plane where these magical beings have their primary homes. Although Ahn-Bao follows a strict recipe, the inherent chaotic nature of the ingredients makes the benefit of the Pho unpredictable. The Pho must also be   consumed within ten minutes of being served or it loses all magic potential. (It can still be taken home and reheated and taste just as wonderful.)

   Whenever characters sit down enjoy a bowl of Ahn-Bao's Pho, roll against the following table to see what benefits they enjoy, aside form simply getting a reasonably priced, extremely tasty meal.

1d12       Pho Magic  

1             No Major Effect (See below for details.)

2-3          Go Pho (See below for details.)

4-5          Mo Pho (See below for details.)

6-7          No Pho (See below for details.)

8-9          Pro Pho (See below for details.)

10-11      So Pho (see below for details.)

12           No Major Effect (See below for details.)

No Major Effect: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. DAMN! That was good! Your mood is improved, and you gain a +1 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks. 

Go Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next four hours, gain a +1 bonus to all initiative rolls and a 25% increase to the character's base movement rate. 

Mo Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For four hours, add an additional 1d6 points to successful damage-dealing melee attacks.

No Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next hour, gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws and skill checks made to avoid damage from attacks. 

Pro Pho: Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of tasty soup. For the next four hours, gain a +2 bonus to checks for Knowledge-based skills in which the character has at least 2 ranks, as well as checks for Perform skills in which the character has at least 2 ranks.

So Pho: Ahn-Bao must be having an off day. Spend at least 1d3+3 minutes consuming this bowl of mediocre soup. For the next four hours, you are so irritated at the disappointing meal that you suffer a -1 penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks, but gain a +1 bonus on unarmed and melee attack and  damage rolls. 

ADVENTURES IN PHO

Here are a few adventure seeds revolving around the House of Pho.

* A friend of one of the player characters was last seen entering the House of Pho but has since vanished. The mysterious owner of the eatery tells the party that their friend left through the back entrance with known gangsters. He tells the party where he think the friend might have been taken. (The gangsters are cultists who intend to sacrifice their friend to their dread god.

* The local authorities are convinced that some new sort of illicit drug is being distributed via the House of Pho. The player characters are either assigned, recruited, or pressured into investigating. All Ahn-Bao is doing is good great meals... even if he's getting some of the ingredients from other dimensions.

* The party is hired to steal Ahn-Bao's recipe book. They are told that it is kept in a locked room at the back of the House of Pho. Once they gain access to the room, they find themselves in Ahn-Bao's home on another plane. Here, they can either make a powerful enemy or a powerful friend... and they may be recruited to turn the tables on their original employer, who, like Ahn-Bao, is one of the Witchkind. They two have been competing to be the greatest living chefs for several centuries.

* A vampire attacks the House of Pho, injuring Ahn-Bao. The party is asked to venture to another dimension to harvest herbs to both heal Ahn-Bao, as well as ensure that the Pho continues to flow.

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