Does this make sense?

[Angcuru]

How does it make sense for a DM who is running a newly-made homebrew to suddenly throw in a widespread hostle takeover of the known world by evil, evil, nasty bad guys?

It's sorta like saying "Ok, this is how things are, all nice and happy*Player Blinks*..and now the entire world is in the clutches of evil forces. Have a nice day."

I mean, if you're going to plunge world into darkness, at least try NOT to do it in the first run through the world, let the players get acquainted with the world before you trash it.

 

[Henry]

I agree it would better allow the players get attached to the world before turning it upside down, but I would wait and see how the game pans out for a few sessions first. It could be a very engaging plot.

 

[hunter2112]

I'm actually about to do this in my world. Fortunately the campaign has been running for over five months so far so the players are already pretty used to the world by now. One main difference I suppose was that I told everyone at the start that this campaign was meant to be used partially for their benefit (have fun gaming) and partially for mine (flesh out the world through playtesting). I didn't tell them I was going quite this far but at the time, I hadn't thought of the current storyline.

I am really hoping this goes well. If it does I'll have a very cool world when I'm done. If not I'll have a lot of displeased players on my hands. You rolls your dice and you takes your chances I guess.

 

[Angcuru]

Here's basically what happened: The characters had been spending some time at their wizard's estate, doing research on a dragon they were tracking down and getting in some training. After a month or two, they decide to visit the elven city of Arboreon to do some research THERE, and train in dragon-slaying tactics in the nearby forest. So, they get to Arboreon, only to find it sacked and in general diasarray and ruin, LOTSA dead elves. Bla bla sentiment bla bla planning, they organize a counterstrike against the Demon Elves who had attacked, and formed an army of about 600 dwarves, 50 Elite Dark(but not evil) Templar Warriors and their leader, a dude named Herod, 20 elven rangers, a couple psionic warriors, a pyromaniac psion, and about 15 battlemages. Long story short, the counterattack is a massacre, with massive casualties, and my character gets his Soul-Stealing Sentient Sword/Family Heirloom snatched by a Dragon Warrior, having to take up the sword's evil counterpart, who had been stolen from safe-keeping in the elven city. They return to see Arboreon in FLAMES, being sacked by evil humans and dwarves, nearly everybody in the city died, and the elves who survived fled into the woods, possibly to be hunted down.

ANYway, my guy is now wielding his sword's evil twin, only about 50 of their army survived the battle, and they eventually learn that the nearby Dwarven Stronghold's leader had shown his true colors and turned evil, and that EVERY kingdom they know of has been taken over by evil forces, save for Freeport, which is more of a giant thieves guild than anything else. Not only that, but our characters have anything from a 25-50 THOUSAND gold bounty on their heads for opposing the now-reigning forces, bla bla bla. That's a BIT much for only the first campaign in this world.

 

[Piratecat]

Not only that, but our characters have anything from a 25-50 THOUSAND gold bounty on their heads for opposing the now-reigning forces, bla bla bla.

Cool. The whole world's gone evil, huh? Then wait until they're sleeping, kill all your adventuring companions, and turn them in for the bounty.

That'll show 'em!

Seriously, if a number of things are happening all at once, consider the fact that the DM knows what he's doing, and that there might be a reason for it beyond just coincidence.

 

[hunter2112]

Well ok. Taking all of THAT into consideration, I'd say yes it's a pretty massive shift in the world. How long has the game been running so far? From what you said the PCs all sound pretty high level to be able to gather a force like that. Does the DM give the impression that this is how the game is going to be from now on or is it possible there may be a way for one group of heros to "thwart the evil plan and send the dark forces slinking back where they came from"?

If this is just a story he's trying out but has a way to undo it later on even if the PCs don't figure it out, then it actually sounds lile it could be pretty fun to me. You get to help build the rebellion to overthrow the new evil tyrants and carry out highly specialized strikes against them.

If this is just how the world is going to work from now on however, you might want to considering making an evil character and joing in. Go KODT on him and get the party to find a way to take over as the new BBEGs (maybe you'll get him to whimper quietly behind his screen like B.A.) If he wants evil to rule the world than you be that evil. (jk of course, unless you think it might be fun)

 

[OaxacanWarrior]

I would say that it is a little strange. Kinda feels like you're being forced to do things that you normally wouldn't. I'd say give it a few more sessions to see where it's gonig and if it's no longer fun maybe mention it to your DM (outside of the game, of course). I don't think I'd do something like that to the world I'm dreaming up, but to each his own.

 

[MarauderX]

Yeah that doesn't sound too fun. What's your alignment? When in Rome, do as the Romans...

Of course it could be a really fun campaign as you seek to hide your identities from the enemy as you act like vigilante Robin Hoods until you usurp the BBEG... or it could just be the beginning of a bad campaign. Too tough to tell yet I would think.

 

[blackshirt5]

Y'know, why didn't you just say something to me about this?

And for the record, I asked both you if you trusted me to make the world a bit darker. You're wielding a psychotically evil sword, and you've got a 50,000 Crown bounty on your head. Guess what? Darkness Reigns.

 

[Angcuru]

Well ok. Taking all of THAT into consideration, I'd say yes it's a pretty massive shift in the world. How long has the game been running so far? From what you said the PCs all sound pretty high level to be able to gather a force like that. Does the DM give the impression that this is how the game is going to be from now on or is it possible there may be a way for one group of heros to "thwart the evil plan and send the dark forces slinking back where they came from"?

If this is just a story he's trying out but has a way to undo it later on even if the PCs don't figure it out, then it actually sounds lile it could be pretty fun to me. You get to help build the rebellion to overthrow the new evil tyrants and carry out highly specialized strikes against them.

If this is just how the world is going to work from now on however, you might want to considering making an evil character and joing in. Go KODT on him and get the party to find a way to take over as the new BBEGs (maybe you'll get him to whimper quietly behind his screen like B.A.) If he wants evil to rule the world than you be that evil. (jk of course, unless you think it might be fun)

Actually, none of us are above 6th level(don't know if we gained a level after the last session, have to check with blackshirt on that). The only reason we were able to get the dwarves was because our Dwarven Cleric/Fighter, Greymore, is the son of the dejected ruler of the dwarven stronghold. He basically just walked into the forge through a secret outside entrance, and gave a big Braveheart-style speech about how their current ruler cared only for his power and not for the good of the clan, and that if the powers at hand could take out the elves that easily, they must be dealt with post-haste. TADA! 600 dwarves. The Dark Templar were taken from a regiment that was aiding in the relief effort in Arboreon, and were glad to get a crack at the Demon Elves. The Psionic characters are old accuaintances of our party's Psychic Thief, and wanted to beat ass, so they came along for the ride. The elves were all that could be spared from the Warder's Guild in Arboreon, and the battlemages were reinforcements called up by Herod.

But Blackshirt did the whole thing in a way that ALL of us have a person connection with the Events.

MY elven ranger/fighter(Angcuru) had his CITY DESTROYED and his family's sword stolen, forcing him to take up Balefire, his sword's evil counterpart. Angcuru's Motive: Get back the sword, kill Brei(the guy who snatched the sword), kill massive amounts of evil things/revenge, rebuild Arboreon.

The Dwarven Cleric/Mage Greymore already had a grudge against Theodrin, the Dwarf who usurped his father's throne, but now this guy has gone all-out evil and allied himself with the demon elves. Greymore's Motive: Kill Theodrin, hope that he can rebuild his clan.

The Human Wizard Tak's estate was sacked, and his buddies' cities have been wrecked or taken over by EVIL. Tak's Motive: Kill the punks who messed up his estate and his friend's cities.

The Human Fighter Agon's home kingdom has been taken over by an evil inquisitor who had executed his father for a crime he didn't commit. There are evil things in control, and he likes to kill evil. Agon's Motive: Revenge on this guy, liberate his country, kill evil.

The Human Psychic Thief Midnight is pissed because the bounty on his head is HALF of what it is on the other's heads. Sure, he hasn't really pissed them off, he's just guilty by association, but HALF!?!? Midnight's Motive: Wreak some havoc to up the bounty, kill the punks who messed EVERYTHING up.

So now we're fugitives from EVERY PLACE WE KNOW OF except for Freeport, but it's not exactly a friendly place, is it? I'm amazed at Blackshirt's ability to royally screw over EVERYBODY and drive their characters into crazed, murderous rages(maybe that's just me). BUT STILL! This all happened within the space of 2 sessions, all with less than 2 hours of gameplay in each. (Seriously, half of our 4-hour weekly sessions consist of out-of-game bathering and Blackshirt making lude comments about RakeRon's younger sister.) The bastard.