D&D General ‘Witcher’ Style Adventures?

[TheSword]

To be honest I don’t think it’s necessary to take the whole setting across. It’s more about style of adventure.

I agree with @Paul Farquhar when he says there are similarities between witchers and a typical adventuring party… mercenary, dangerous and mistrusted.

Pretty much every campaign setting has kings and queens, conflict between nations, monsters, powerful sorcerers/mages, and farmers/townsfolk struggling to make ends meet. It’s about how and when those elements are used.

Im really surprised there aren’t adventures with more of these elements in D&d history or third party products. I’ll check out Symbaroum’s mega adventure though.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Another thing that makes politics hard to do is itinerant adventurers usually aren't invited into the corridors of power. In other media you can cut to a scene between the monarch and their advisers, but in D&D if the PCs aren't there they have no idea any of this is happening.

 

[Lyxen]

Another thing that makes politics hard to do is itinerant adventurers usually aren't invited into the corridors of power. In other media you can cut to a scene between the monarch and their advisers, but in D&D if the PCs aren't there they have no idea any of this is happening.

It really depends on the type of game that you are playing. For me, what started it all was really the Companion Set of BECMI, because there are great ideas there. Of course, the PCs can have a dominion to manage, which is one of the core ideas of that set, I've done that many times with many editions and it works well. But even if they don't they can still have ears in high places, whether through NPC contacts or through a guild, thieves or assassins work well, or a spy network that they have worked with/for before for example. Or it can simply be through magic and spying, etc. If you really want your PCs to play in the political arena, there are many ways to do this, and what they centre about are the NPCs, are well pointed out by @TheSword. Create the right NPCs as contacts and a large part of your work is done. Of course, it only works if that is the kind of game that your players like. In our groups, it works really well, most of the players are delighted with NPCs interactions and getting news about the current intrigues, etc.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you put the PCs in the castle playing politics, then they aren't traipsing round the countryside killing monsters for petty cash. So what I really mean is having both elements at the same time is difficult. I've experimented with inserting "cut scenes", like say Dragon Age Origins, but it doesn't really work. If the players aren't interacting they are not playing.

 

[Yora]

How much of a stretch would it be to once again recommend Against the Cult of the Reptile God?
It keeps getting recommended all the time in a number of different contexts, but I think it also applies here.

 

[Lyxen]

If you put the PCs in the castle playing politics, then they aren't traipsing round the countryside killing monsters for petty cash. So what I really mean is having both elements at the same time is difficult. I've experimented with inserting "cut scenes", like say Dragon Age Origins, but it doesn't really work. If the players aren't interacting they are not playing.

Nothing prevents the PCs from alternating sequences, exactly like in books, they don't have to kill monsters all the time or do politics all the time. Two weeks ago, my PCs were generals in the blood war doing politics and alliances with devils, demons and yugoloths and last week, they were exploring a crypt...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Nothing prevents the PCs from alternating sequences, exactly like in books, they don't have to kill monsters all the time or do politics all the time.

Plausibility? People who live in castles and run countries have employees to kill monsters for them.

 

[jayoungr]

I backed a Kickstarter a while back for a module that describes itself as a "Slavic adventure." From the updates, it's sounding like it should be released pretty soon (they're in the layout stage):

The Devil's Bridge: A 5th Edition Slavic Adventure

A haunting tale combining Slavic folklore with classic DnD fantasy. Inspired by myths & legends ingrained in real historical locations.

www.kickstarter.com

 

[Lyxen]

Plausibility? People who live in castles and run countries have employees to kill monsters for them.

First, if these employees are powerful enough to kill monsters, they are also probably powerful enough for a nice little coup, assassination, or simply for protection. And note that this happens to Geralt a number of times, noticeably in Seasons of Storm for example.

Second, reverse situations, the PCs are lords, and probably amongst the most powerful people around, then the monsters are at their power level forcing them to do the job themselves, this is the Companion hypothesis.

Or maybe all of that mixed together, which is for me the best as it is way more varied.

 

[bedir than]

Plausibility? People who live in castles and run countries have employees to kill monsters for them.

if the idea is to channel The Witcher, or Arthurian Legends, or Narnia, or Game of Thrones, or Wheel of Time, then your statement is just throwing out the intent of the game in question.
The fact is that the literature and other fictions upon which D&D is founded and continues to interact with includes the adventuring nobility -- so much so that it is an official background while being a farmer is not.