Global Enhancements as Treasure

[GMforPowergamers]

Ok, so I have been working on a few new campaign settings for upcoming games (my current game is not over yet) and I had an idea to run by. I am ‘spam/cross posting’ this in my middle earth thread and a new one…the reason is this may be used for that but maybe for others too.

Here is what I asked my players:
[sblock=from group chat] What would you guys think of a truly Global enhancement as treasure. I don't mean "All the PCs gain +1 to x or y" I mean literally by unlocking X the entire campaign world gains a new enhancement...something that you can all use, but so to could NPC allies, and maybe even some NPC antagonist. (I use antagonist not bad guy because for it to work there would have to be limits on it...)
Example: If you go to the shrine of light and unlock the font of power, all good aligned people of the world gain +1 AC
or
If you go to the pillar of dragon fire and rekindle the magic pyre all fire magic in the world gains +3 damage
what would you think of that? Also keep in mind it would be a choice IN campaign, something you could decide to do or not do (so may cause some gridlock like we have seen before). So in the above examples you would know "Hey if we unlock this font of power all those of pure heart will be protected" or "Hey if we fix this fire, then fire magic will become more deadly." [/sblock]

Do you think this kind of magic changing of the campaign world could work, or is it a bit too much?

The idea would be to seed the location early in a campaign. My first idea was since my Martial only game based on a mix of A Song of Ice and Fire, Thundercats, and Middle Earth would be a Points of Light setting, so I was thinking of taking from deadlands and torg.

In deadlands you can tell stories and beat dark monsters to lighten the mood, and bring light back to the world.

In torg they have a mechanic called ‘laws of reality’ and the earth laws make a circle of power where being the underdog and winning a fight inspires other underdogs and makes them more likely to win there fights…

Glory spreads hope. Hope inspires more underdogs and underdogs become heroes...

Positivity can and will embolden the people...

Ok, so my idea is to unlock a place of power. A place that has the ability to send ‘shards of light’ into the world that can be kindled with heroic actions. Then as they travel from point of light to point of light they can enhance all the good people to push back against the shadow…
I don’t have real rules yet, but I was thinking of some kind of extra effect that PCs could call on to do amazing things, but it only recharged when they did good and showed the world good could still be in the world.

The problem is that this may make the world too cartoony.

 

[Henry]

I think it's a freaking fantastic idea, and one which goes to show why I prefer tabletop RPGs over CRPGs any time I have a choice of either. Talk about making an indelible change to the campaign world...

 

[Dessert Nomad]

This seems like a good idea, it doesn't read as 'cartoony' to me. My suggestions:
I don't like fixed bonuses like +1 AC for this. They can easily throw off the balance of the game, especially when multiple bonuses accumulate, and are easy to ignore - the players will just record them on their sheet and forget they're there. Also some like "+3 to fire damage" scale really weirdly; that's a huge buff to low level casters who go from 1-10 damage to 4-13 damage on their fire bolt (over 50% increase), but almost negligible to a mid level caster tossing an 8D6 fireball vs 8D6+3 (around 10% increase). I would make the bonuses be a larger effect that can only be used occasionally - this way players have to actively call on the bonus to use it (so it keeps coming up in the game) and each time it's used it will be notable instead of background math.

For example, if the shrine of vision were to give good aligned people +1 to hit, that's boring and forgettable, but also affects every encounter and skews the math. If instead it allows you to channel the energy of the shrine to get advantage on all attack rolls for a round once per day, then it is still incredibly useful, doesn't skew every attack roll, and will remain in player's minds much better. The shrine of fire can give anyone using fire one 'reroll any damage dice' chance per day, the shrine of light can give 'cast shield once per day', and so on. This also opens up another dramatic option: What if the forces of darkness take back the shrine and corrupt it again? Then when a player announces that he's calling upon the shrine of vision, you inform him that instead of feeling enlightened by the energy, his vision is shrouded and he has disadvantage for the round. Now the party knows not to call on that shrine and might need to mount an expedition to find out what happened and take it back, but in a much more interesting and dangerous way than 'a courier informs you that the temple of light has fallen'.

Also I'd consider making it a regional effect rather than a world effect. Using the map of Earth as an example, you could have the early adventures unlock shrines that affect the Mediterranian (Southern Europe and North Africa), but when that area becomes more secure, they go to the kingdoms of Western Europe where they have to start from scratch again. Then after sorting out that area, they have to go into the wilds of Russia or the unknown lands across the sea where the dark forces are already established, and this time the shrines are controlled by the enemy, so they're not just losing their bonuses but facing enemies who already have them. This makes the world feel much bigger and solves the problem of accumulated bonuses making PC power levels snowball to the point that what should be challenges become trivial as the campaign goes on.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I'm going to echo a lot of what OverlordOcelot has already said. static bonuses aren't really very flavorful. Also, Having opposing forces vying for control over Ley Lines and Places of Power makes for some cool stories.

Another neat idea is having small shrines that sit inert until you 'rescue' or activate some kind of shrine or place of power.

For instance, maybe there are shrines of Tymora dotted all over the world but her influence is, somehow, blocked. But, one day, the PCs clean a long forgotten and desecrated temple of Tymorra. Now the small shrines have a connection to something bigger and Tymorra's influence is free to spread throughout the world. Now when you go to the small shrines and make an offering, one of your coins offers you 'luck' in the form of advantage or a re-roll. It can be used any time but only 'recharges' when you make an offering at a shrine.

Overall, I like your idea

 

[Satyrn]

I like it!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I was thinking of the first one being an inspiration mechanic...

In deadlands you can tell stories and beat dark monsters to lighten the mood, and bring light back to the world.

In torg they have a mechanic called ‘laws of reality’ and the earth laws make a circle of power where being the underdog and winning a fight inspires other underdogs and makes them more likely to win there fights…

glory spreads hope. hope inspires more underdogs and underdogs become heroes...
Positivity can and will embolden the people...

Ok, so my idea is to unlock a place of power. A place that has the ability to send ‘shards of light’ into the world that can be kindled with heroic actions. Then as they travel from point of light to point of light they can enhance all the good people to push back against the shadow…
I don’t have real rules yet, but I was thinking of some kind of extra effect that PCs could call on to do amazing things, but it only recharged when they did good and showed the world good could still be in the world.

something like a chip you can cash in for rerolls or to do special type things...and anyone who tells the tale and spreads the hope can gain the chip...


So I reworked some of the green lantern oaths and started to think about the new She-ra series. the idea that a power of light could enhance defenses and make something or someone stronger, maybe even heal the weak or sick.

there is a light that hasn't died. A lighthouse on the shore. This is a beacon of hope, a strange tablo of the idea of the light...


In fearful day, in raging nights,
For those alone in the bleakest night,
When all seems lost join the fight
Love conquers all when Hope burns bright

 

[Quickleaf]

The problem is that this may make the world too cartoony.

I did this in my Tomb of Annihilation game, and it didn't feel cartoony.

PCs used a magic diamond to weaken all zombies in Chult – stripped them of hit points and reduced Constitution to 10, they are now auto-killed by crits & radiant, otherwise must make Con save (straight d20 roll) versus the damage dealt or they're destroyed.

I described their subsequent river travel as feeling a bit more buoyant and optimistic, more light filtering in through the oppressive canopy at least for a little, their companions cracking more jokes and telling more stories, fewer signs of undead presence. Then, when some PCs fell into a pit trap filled with zombies I described these zombies as really decrepit with sloughing skin, fingers worn from trying to claw out, had one PC land on top of when when they fell and squish it dead.

It worked really well to confirm that the decision they made about what to do with the magic diamond was having a tangible effect in the game world.

 

[Laurefindel]

I’ve used epic boons from the DMG as one-off rewards before. Even if they a permanent, some of them would not be too over-powered at mid levels.

 

[MNblockhead]

You could tie this into magical healing. For example, in some great war against the forces of evil certain temples were destroyed or defiles. The forces of good focused on survival and winning the war, let certain battles be lost. After a centuries of struggle and war the forces of good overcame the forces of evil. The evil empire is long gone and but a dark spot in history. But the forces of good never reclaimed the ancient temples. New temples were built but that didn't satisfy the goods. Or maybe the death and destruction of the wars cause the people to turn to new gods. Over time certain magics weakened/disappeared.

Maybe there is no magical healing, other than basic potions of healing, which are are incredibly expensive.

Buy reclaiming, cleansing, rebuilding, and bringing new devout caretakers to a certain temple, 1st tier healing spells become unlocked. And then additional positive magics become available as greater threats are overcome to reclaim ever more important temples.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

You could tie this into magical healing. For example, in some great war against the forces of evil certain temples were destroyed or defiles. The forces of good focused on survival and winning the war, let certain battles be lost. After a centuries of struggle and war the forces of good overcame the forces of evil. The evil empire is long gone and but a dark spot in history. But the forces of good never reclaimed the ancient temples. New temples were built but that didn't satisfy the goods. Or maybe the death and destruction of the wars cause the people to turn to new gods. Over time certain magics weakened/disappeared.

Maybe there is no magical healing, other than basic potions of healing, which are are incredibly expensive.

Buy reclaiming, cleansing, rebuilding, and bringing new devout caretakers to a certain temple, 1st tier healing spells become unlocked. And then additional positive magics become available as greater threats are overcome to reclaim ever more important temples.

cool idea, since my world is very low magic that could work great.