GMs may use random eventcharts or their own storylines in creating major happenings in their campaigns. Yet PCs often pay small attention to the greater things going on around them.
The evelns are not really their problem. Their concerns are centered on more immediate
considerations, like getting money and experience points. The GM is then placed in the awkward position of forcing something down the party's throat (GM: the rumors of war none of you bothered to listen to are true. Looks like you're going to be called up by the army again. Sounds of disgust are heard by the players).
Some players prefer simple challenges to be resolved wit a certain finality. Ongoing bickering with NPCs who can't be conquered, influenced, or bought may bring on the feeling that the GM is persecuting the party.
Realistic? Maybe, but not very heroic. The players have become bored with dealing the
same people and problems. They need a big, different kind of challenge.
Rather than usual campaign occurrences like floods, fires, famines, peasant revolts, and
plagues, THE BIG EVENT is a dominating circumstance that affects everyone and lasts quite
a long time. It totally changes the nature of a campaign. When it's presented as an act of nature or society as a whole, there is less resentment and antagonism by players. Their NPC rivals are in the same boat and need help as much as anyone. The party will be so distracred hy the new problems that their old concerns will disappear. It's a way of getting all the PC's involved, too.
Not only is THE BIG EVENT a significant change. It will be a memorable occurrence, that the
players will long talk about. It's a long-term backdrop that sets the mood for a revitalized
campaign. Sometimes it can lead to new adventures, other times is must just be endured. It is also a way on ending a campaign with a bang instead of a whimper. Don't watty about overdoing it. It's supposed to be radically different from what's gone on before.
The following is a list of twenty rather drastic themes that can be used by a GM to
revitalize a stagnant campaign and get the players involved in something new. Although they are
designed for a fantasy games, they can be modified to fit other genres.
1. Ominous Omens and Fantastic Phenomena: It starts with unusual atmospheric
conditions causing fear, death, and destruction,
including sinister auroras (lower NPC morale at
night), violent meteor showers (2%, chance to
encounter, minor to heavy damage; occasionally
a building is destroyed), balls of fire (4%, chance,
minor to moderate damage), dry ice hail (3%. chance for an light to moderate damage), foul
winds (5% chance for a minor damage), deadly
rays (1% chance of encounter, critical damage),
poisonous vapors (1% chance of heavy damage),
acid rain (3% chance, moderate damage) a green
moon (lower all luck or saving throws by 25%)
and the sky going dark during the day (panic and
fear among NPCs). This is followed by a massive
assault of vermin (rats, snakes, toads, birds,
insects, etc.) which horrifies the populace. The
creatures ravage food supplies and spread disease
creating a famine and plague. Communications,
travel, and trade come to a halt as everyone except
the boldest or most foolish huddles indoors.
These conditions persist for 2-8 months.
Whether they are a precursor to something
worse (like #3 or #6) or just some quirk of the
cosmos is up to rhe GM.
2. Phantasmagoria: The dead arise! Ghosts,
hauntings and psychic phenomena massively
increase in number (dou ble, triple, or quadruple
these types of encounters). Vampires stalk the
land. Infestations of undead are common. Tombs
barrows, old battlefields, and gravqards teem with
monsters (automatic multiple encounters).
Anyone who dies is 90% likely to "come back" as
some undead. Spells, magic items, and tumings
affecting or protecting against the dead are
reduced in effectiveness at least 50%-75%.
Isolated villages msy be completely overrun. The
wave of horror lasts 6-30 months.
3. The Danse Macabre: A massive wave of morbidity engulfs the world. Deaths due to disease, accidents, violence, and inexplicable causes greatly and inexplicable causes greatly increase. Fully 50% of "raise dead" type spells will fail to function, and anyone casting such a spell is likely to die on the spot. Other curative magics are likewise reduced in effectiveness. Funerals, mourners, and corpses become a common sight. The land seems empty villages and castles lie deserted and abandoned. Survivors become obsessed with death. Made your will yet? The
situation lasts up to 1-10 years.
4. Economic Collapse: The worst financial
crisis in history. All money in banks and
investments are lost. Nations are bankrupted.
Most businesses go under (including the local
magic shop and jeweler). Property has only a tiny
fraction of its former value. There's no market for
any services or treasure the party may have.
Prices skyrocket and inflation is at ten thousand
percent. There's nothing like the PG having to
cart around bushels of money to buy a loaf of
bread. Up to 1-lO years are needed for recovery. This is a good way to restrain PCs who have too much cash.
5. Superstition Mania: The populace is obsessed with mystic revelations and taboos.
Fortune-tellers, seers, mediums, diviners, astrologers, soothsayers, oracles, charlatans, and
quacks become omnipresent. No person will begin the smallest activity without making an occult
consultation. People look for hidden meanings in every occurrence in their lives. (Broke your bootlace? Better not do any traveling today!) Every PC should have lucky and unlucky days, numbers, planets, colors, items, etc., assigned by the GM. PCs who scoff at superstition will he considered pariahs and jinxes by the population, and should have continuing "bad luck" arranged by the GM (their "bad luck" might rub off on other PCs, too). The mania persists for 1-8 years.
6. Millenarianism: The end of the world is near! Strange portents and predictions of
impending ruin cause large numbers of people to quit their jobs, sell their possessions, and pack the churches and temples. Many become highly paranoid, and will arm and barricade themselves in strongholds and hideaways. Doomsayers abound and mobs everywhere will wail and publicly chastise themselves for their sins. PCs who don't join in repenting will be considered agents of evil by the mob, and subjected to the utmost hostility. The frenzy will increase until the date set for the "end" ( 12-48 months) after which conditions will quickly return to normal.
7. Decadence and Moral Decay: A major decline in morals gives rise to degeneracy and
degradation. Alcohol and drug abuse are rampant. Few bother to work, but instead spend their time in licentious revels. The weak are vilely exploited by the powerful. Government becomes totally corrupt. Violence and crimes of unspeakable horror are commonplace. Evil is actively embraced. Persons of virtue are scorned, and do-gooders are put to an agonizing death for the public's enjoyment. This continues for 2-20 years. The party may covertly lead the resistance to the evil around them, while carefully hiding their identities.
8. Persecution and Witch Hunts: The public is filled with irrational hatred towards some real or imagined enemy (often mages, but possibly minorities like elves, followers of a
particular religion, foreigners, etc.). There are constant numors of plots and conspiracies. Anyone falling under suspicion will be hunted down and arrested. Prisoners are forced to test against themselves and their friends. They will probably be tortured, and allowed no defense at their trials. Almost all will be found guilty and executed. The persecution lasts 12-36 months (60%) or 3-6 years (40%). Characters are likely to be involved either as suspects or unwilling accomplices in the persecution ("You're either with us or against us!").
9. Holy War/Civil War: Death to the unbelievers! The two sides are divided into extremely hosrile, uncompromising factions. Anyone claiming to be neutral is regarded as an enemy by both. The war spreads rapidly, and is fought to the bitter end. Wasting of lands, razing of cities, and massacres of civilians become routine. The war lasts 10-100 years. The PCs must either take sides, or find some distant refuge (which will inevitably become involved...).
10. Mass Insanity and Delusions Large numbers of people are aMicted by hallucinations,
irrational or violent kits (15% chance for each PC to be affected), and there is no cure. Vilbgets cower from fanciful fears or are oblivious to reality -- "I don't see any army of trolls approaching." Another possibility is Dancing Mania (10% chance to strike a PC on any given day), which causes character to dance uncontrollably for 2-8 hours after which they will
sleep for twice the amount of time they danced. The event lasts from 3-12 months (50%) to 1-8
years (50%). This also gives the GM an opportunity to play mind games with the party, describing encounters differently for each person, for example.
11. The Anti-Magic League: Some say that magic must be believed in for it to work. A band of magic doubters wants to suppress its use. They tell the common folk to disbelieve in magic because it is used by the privileged few to oppress them. They might employ magic-negating or magic-eating objects. They buy or steal every magic item they can and destroy them. They
picket, harass, and even attack spell-casters and magic stores. They pressure, bribe, and blackmail govemment leaders to pass laws restricting the use of magic, to require all magic items to be registered, licensed and taxed at a exorbitant rate, and to outlaw productios1 of new magk. If a substantial part of the population begins to disbelieve in masic the GM may reduce the effectiveness of spells. Certainly if a wizard doesn't have faith in his own spells they won't work! The League lasts 2-9 years.
A variant on the Anti-Magic League is the "Magic Goes Away" scenario where some unknown force slowly reduces the power of magic. For starters, the most powerful spells won't work, any spell has a chance of failure, magic items lose their abilities, everyone gets extra magic resistance, and damage from magic is halved. A series of long, arduous quests is needed to save the magic.
12. Cult of Personality: A mighty and charismatic new leader has arisen, and the masses flock blindly to his banner. He is worshipped by his fanatic followers, and demands total, unthinking obedience. He reorganizes society to suit his whims. His agents, secret police and informers are everywhere, looking for the slightest signs of dissent. Any who even dare to question his policies are treated with the utmost severity. The leader survives 3-30 years, after which his regime crumbles.
13. Massive Societal Change: Government collapse and anarchy, the invasion of a countless horde of unstoppable barbarians who kill everyone who resists and enslave the rest; a revolution that turns the social order upside down -- knights, nobles and the wealthy are dispossessed and despised, while peasants rule; mass migrations of strange peoples or monsters; technological advances, like gunpowder, steam engines, space travel, or a new religion which causes enormous amounts of controversy and contention.
14. Nature Goes Wild: Normal weather patterns are disrupted. Fierce storns appear out
of blue skies, or maybe it blizzards in August. Domestic animals become violent, untamable, and
run away. Ordinarily inoffensive wild animals become hostile and vicious (watch out for that
rabbit!). Monsters reproduce at an astounding rate and are more active. Weeds thrive while crops fail. Killer vegetation spreads with an alarming frequency. This lasts 1-4 years. The party must find the source of the trouble and extinguish it.
16. Revenge of the Little Folk: What if all of Faerie and their ilk became implacably hostile towards humankind? The GM should create an appropriate reason for such a conflict, possibly involving the party. ("We didn't know it was the ancient crown of the first dwarven king, made by the greatest smith of the elves, when we chipped out the gems and melted it down! Honest!") Sneaky elves and cruel dwarves would make both forests and underground settings doubly dangerous, and don't forget the nuisance value of other wee folk. Non-human PCs would be considered traitors by their own races and would be mistrusted by humans. This conflict continues until peace is made or the short people are exterminated.
17. Climate Change: This event occurs over a long period of time (1-20 years). The
change is permanent. Weather becomes worse; temperate areas could become much colder, fertile regions turn to deserts, increased rainfall changes land into swamps, glaciers cover the mountains, oceans rise, etc. The parry can adventure in arctic or tropical environments without leaving home!
18. New Lands Discovered: A new and reputedly wealthy region is open to trade, conquest, and colonization. Land companies, private expeditions, merchant ventures, and
all sorts of speculators, stock traders, and swindlers spring up overnight. Everyone wants a
share, and supplies and transport are in short supply and then only at exorbitant prices.
A significant part of the population either runs away to the new lands or is shipped there
involuntarily. No one wants to be left behind. The actual status of the find is up to the GM.
In any event, it's likely only a few will profit, and hardship, poverty and bankruptcy will
descend on the rest whether they stay or go.
19. Cataclysm: Widespread destruction is caused by a collision or near-collision with a planet or asteroid, the wrath of a deity, battles between ultra-powerful creatures, weapons of incredible potency, evil or out-of-control magic, etc.
Continents sink, volcanic eruptions obliterate cities, mountains crumble, earthquakes shatter
the landscape, and so on. Characters who survive will be living in a changed world. I played
in one campaign where two characters who outlived the destruction of a previous world;
one got a .45 pistol and a carwash, while the other changed classes and went up several levels. Well, the ways of the gods (or GM) are inscrutable.
20. Ragnarok: So you really want to end your campaign? Don't just call it quits. Wrap things up with a bang. Start off with themes #1 or #6, and bring in some of #2, #3, #4, #7, #8, #9, and #10. The big finale can he #19.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
When a role-playing campaign has gone on for a long time, the players and game master have often exhausted the possibilities of simple adventuring. The dungeon is hold hat, all monsters (or aliens and mutants) have been eradicated, and more appeals for quests by kings and mysterious strangers are getting a bit thin.The GM can supply a challenge by increasing the power of the opposition, but this may lead to an escalation that may border on the ridiculous as the party gains more power and gizmos. He can encourage the party to travel, conquer their own domain, or engage in politics, but some players are remarkably resistant to much of either. Something new and potent is needed -- like the BIG EVENT.
15. Megamonster: What about introducing ultrapowerful creatures that can't be destroyed by any means? It's up to the patty to creatively minimize the destruction caused by the megamonster's rampage, and help restore order in the wake of disaster. This gives them a chance to save people rather than killing things. Although the rampage only lasts 1-20 days, you can be sure the monsters will be back.
Back to Shadis #25 Table of Contents
Back to Shadis List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines
© Copyright 1996 by Alderac Entertainment Group
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com