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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Levitator" data-source="post: 2841071" data-attributes="member: 40099">Generally speaking, my players initially have nothing to do with the metaplot, because they are beginning characters who wouldn't have much impact anyway.  As they grow and develop their characters, they have the option to become more and more involved with the metaplot.  They can work their way up the bad guy tree and hopefully become the heroes that save the world, movie style.In our current campaign, I am running an extremely edited FR world.  The metaplot is that the Zhentarim have teamed up with the Church of Bane and are poised to also include an alliance with the orcs, orogs, ogres, goblins, etc. to overthrow the largest governments of the Realms and establish their own world order.  It's the classic "evil sorcerer and his minions try to take over the world" plot.  The characters, being 1st level right now, have only heard rumors of Zhent merchant attacks and strongarm tactics against smaller merchant companies.  In my world the Zhents have a sort of a mafia personna.  They have basically taken control politically and economically in Scardale and plan to move west to Cormyr, after taking over Sembia.  The only impact this really has on the players at this point (who are currently in Archenbridge, miles from all of this) is higher prices for gear as a result of Zhentarim control of the markets.  In one of their first sessions, they uncovered a small Bane sect in an abandoned church outside of Archenbridge.  I developed the backstory of each player to have a personal hatred for either followers of Bane or the Zhents, to give them some common ground and sense of purpose.  Rather than just kill the low level priest and his followers, they captured them and turned them in to Sword Point, becoming local heroes.  Right now they don't know about any connections between the Church of Bane, the Zhents, and the humanoids.  They are sort of becoming a group with their own personal agenda that just happens to be with those who are trying to take things over.  It's going to be fun to see them peel back each layer of corruption and start connecting the dots as their characters become more powerful players in this story.  I give them plenty of options to go in different directions.  The metaplot will continue, with or without their involvement.  They can choose to just deal with those who personally get in their way, or work their way up the food chain and become major players in putting this evil threat down.  Either way, the large events will continue to happen around them and the stories and rumors will trickle down to them.  At some point though, they will be forced, like everyone else in the region, to deal with this threat.  They can either side up with those who want to fight back, or they can leave the region.  It doesn't matter to me as a DM.  The metaplots, for me, help make the Realms feel more like a real place.  Having lots of things going on around the players that affect them indirectly gives a deeper sense of immersion.  When their friendly neighborhood trader started suddenly charging them 25% more for gear, they wondered what they had done to make him do this.  Too scared to talk for fear of the Zhents, he mumbles something about tough times.  The trader failed his Bluff against the cleric's Sense Motive, so the party knew something was up.  At that point it can just be a flavor thing to give the party a sense of their characters living in a worsening economy, or they can try to connect with their friend to find out what's really going on.  I think metaplots are good as long as you let the players decide whether or not to be a part of them.</blockquote>

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