D&D General Help me avoid “Chosen Ones” trope

[aco175]

Skip them. Do not use them if they have become bland or repeatable. Save them for another campaign, even if you like them- as the DM and not a player.

Don't have the PCs as the chosen ones. They are exploring something else when they stumble upon the real chosen ones who are dead. They have the option to take up their mantle and continue.

Have the chosen ones be corrupt and the PCs need to stop them. They could be tasked by one of the real chosen ones to find some McGuffin as a minor quest and come back as a quest-giver. Eventually the PCs learn some information about one or all the chosen ones that forces the Pcs to choose a side.

 

[overgeeked]

My problem is that I can’t think of an organic reason why the PCs can see and/or find these divine fragments, since if the fragments have always been around (or visible) they would have all been gathered up ages ago.

There’s always new monsters and new crystals. In lots of Japanese fantasy power crystals form from mana accumulating in specific areas and/or specific creatures. Not all those areas are easily accessible or creatures easily killed and, like water, mana is a resource that keeps moving and flowing until it eventually pools in particular places. So even if a generation ago every last crystal was gathered up (they weren’t), there’d naturally be new crystals as time goes on. No need to the PCs to be special in their ability to see or gather the crystals, just make the crystals more plentiful.

 

[Azzy]

Early on have them stumble on a MacGuffin or a wild magic thing that allows them to find the divine shards. That way there is a reason only they can find them and it is up to them what to do about it rather than having been chosen for a purpose.

Magic spectacles would do the trick (though that might be controversial to some).

 

[Tonguez]

They are the shards from a meteor shower that recently hit the world - the said meteors were broken pieces of a shattered heaven (PCs might eventually learn about the divine war that caused its destruction)

The PCs have developed/found/been given an item that allows them to see the shards (maybe even magical glasses* - like the sunglasses in They Live

The Shards have always been known but only now have become energized - the event that caused them to activate is an active mystery of the campaign that PCs might need to investigate

The PCs are the Chosen Ones - just go with it, its a good trope and fits DnD as PCs are special

 

[CreamCloud0]

given you've just come off the back of playing the trope straight several times i doubt if you could properly play the 8-bit theatre's subversion of it: your ragtag group of misfits are mistaken by everyone as the actual heroes but very clearly to the audience/players that they don't have the right tools, meanwhile the very clearly actual chosen ones are perpetually 1 step behind in the background on cleanup actually solving things.

 

[Umbran]

My problem is that I can’t think of an organic reason why the PCs can see and/or find these divine fragments, since if the fragments have always been around (or visible) they would have all been gathered up ages ago.

....

If it matters: It is an urban campaign taking place in an enormous city.
In the hidden background, one god is trying to unmask the God of Wealth to reveal them as actually the God of Trickery.

So, it seems like your answer is right there - link it to that conflict. Some possibilities:

1) The fragments have always existed, but are normally only visible to immortal spirits, and gathering them is a way these spirits gain power. One of the actors in the conflict has done something within the city to make them available to all, either as a smokescreen, or to build up mortal allies. The spirits may not be happy about this....

2) The fragments haven't always existed - they are fragments of divine/immortal beings who have died, and this is the normal "circle of life" for the divine. When they die, bits of themselves show up in the world. The conflict between these two gods is starting to lead to divine entities being killed...

• An angel learns too much, so the God of Wealth/trickery ha them killed.
• A small god gets in the way of the efforts to unmask the God of Trickery, or threatens to snitch to them, the other god kills them.
• Either of these two major gods takes potshots at the power structure of the other, to keep them off balance.
• and so on...

As the conflict heats up, more powerful divine entities are slain, so the power of the fragments can rise over the course of the campaign.

 

[Mephista]

A major “gimmick” in my upcoming campaign is the existence of these tiny fragments of divinity that look like sharp gemstones (I have fun props for these when they appear) that can appear as treasure or even “manifest” from slain creatures. Those who find them can absorb these fragments into their auras, their blood, or their shadows, granting them themed powers.

My problem is that I can’t think of an organic reason why the PCs can see and/or find these divine fragments, since if the fragments have always been around (or visible) they would have all been gathered up ages ago.

Every idea I come up with ends up being a variation of “you are the Chosen Ones who alone can gather the McShiny Macguffins.” I want to avoid this…because my friends pointed out that I’ve used that trope in my last three campaigns.

What are other reasons why these divine shards are accessible to the PCs?

All suggestions are welcome!
Thanks in advance.
-CKB

If it matters: It is an urban campaign taking place in an enormous city.
In the hidden background, one god is trying to unmask the God of Wealth to reveal them as actually the God of Trickery.

In 13th age, there are always 13 Archetypes. When one dies, a new one takes up the Mantle.

Maybe these are used by people, but when they die, they're scattered. So random chance to find one. And there recently was a huge war, with big bodycount....

Now, why would they want to find the others? Fame, fortune, power? Being hunted by another holder?

 

[Laurefindel]

Perhaps they have been visible/collectable by all, only, no one has been able (or tried) to do anything with them. Some take them as curiosity, some weirdos collect them and have all kinds of esoteric theories about those. Someone might actually have it right.

Maybe you need to be bitten by a radioactive spider (or whatever) somehow exposed or initiated to something to see them / collect them / use them.

Maybe they are chosen ones by happenstance, like they got splashed with the blood of some monster and since then they can do whatever the story requires

 

[Azzy]

Perhaps they have been visible/collectable by all, only, no one has been able (or tried) to do anything with them. Some take them as curiosity, some weirdos collect them and have all kinds of esoteric theories about those. Someone might actually have it right.

Maybe you need to be bitten by a radioactive spider (or whatever) somehow exposed or initiated to something to see them / collect them / use them.

Maybe they are chosen ones by happenstance, like they got splashed with the blood of some monster and since then they can do whatever the story requires

I like the happenstance angle. Maybe the PCs each have a fragment absorbed into them after accidentally being exposed to fragments.

 

[Shiroiken]

It could also be that most people have absolutely no idea what the crystals actually are. Unless they learn how to unlock the divine power, everyone thinks they're just valuable crystal. The PCs are not "chosen ones," they just stumble upon the ritual on how to absorb the crystals (such as an old scroll in the first adventure). This leads the PCs to try and find as many of these crystals, coming into conflict with others who've also figured it out.