D&D General How to approach hostility (in the background) between in-world countries caused by players?

[Juxtapozbliss]

So the players in one of my campaigns in my homebrew world kind of...accidentally started hostility between a Kobold nation and a Wood Elf nation. Whoops!

It's not to the level out outright war, like massed troops, it's primarily diplomatic hostility however I'm envisioning that some skirmishes or guerrilla warfare may be starting to occur to a small extent.

I'm not quite sure how to approach this in a way that gets the PCs partly involved in dealing with it, making them aware of how it is growing (they currently aren't in the zone of either country), and somehow make them aware of consequences for what they have done. In the future, if nothing eases the tension, it could blow up into more active warfare. The PCs are about to hit 6th level btw.

Would love to hear suggestions, but also if you know of any GM advice books or resources that specifically give advice on how to engage PCs in bigger conflicts like this, I'd like to read some material. I follow many podcasts and have read numerous books on GMing advice, but haven't come across much in terms of different ways to involve PCs in growing hostility between well-established large countries.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

The MCDM Kingdoms and Warfare book is a popular resource for this type of content

Also might want to clarify your title that this is referring to hostility between the characters' countries and not the players. It reads like you have a real-world conflict going here between your players not liking each other

 

[MarkB]

Maybe have them come to be involved in a diplomatic meeting between the two nations. Depending upon their circumstances, they could be hired as protection by one side or the other from the start, or could come across a delegation out in the wilderness on its way to the meeting, being beset by unrelated troubles, and asked to help get them the rest of the way safely.

In the course of that journey, they learn the roots of the conflict, the grievances on each side (at least from one side's viewpoint) and the stakes of the negotiation.

Then gradually make it clear that this envoy isn't acting in good faith - that they are proceeding from a position of prejudice, and intend to make a deal under false pretences. Present it as an option for them to intervene if they wish to do so.

 

[Charlaquin]

Haha from the title I thought you meant real-world countries - like you had an online game with players from different countries and those countries were in conflict in real life. Glad to see I was mistaken

 

[Vael]

Without actually throwing them into a skirmish, some ideas:

• Having them encounter refugees moving out of border areas.
• Merchants increasing prices of weapons and healing potions as they are getting bought up by stockpilers
• Running into mercenary companies marching towards the conflict zones
• More gossip and rumors about potential war in taverns and bars
• Assuming one could run into both kobolds and elves in the same city or tavern, have one of them be noticeably absent now

 

[Juxtapozbliss]

The MCDM Kingdoms and Warfare book is a popular resource for this type of content

Also might want to clarify your title that this is referring to hostility between the characters' countries and not the players. It reads like you have a real-world conflict going here between your players not liking each other

Ah, that sounds good. I'll have to pick that up.

 

[Juxtapozbliss]

Haha from the title I thought you meant real-world countries - like you had an online game with players from different countries and those countries were in conflict in real life. Glad to see I was mistaken

Whoops. I've tried to clarify in the title now. It's a bit convoluted to summarize...

 

[Juxtapozbliss]

Without actually throwing them into a skirmish, some ideas:

• Having them encounter refugees moving out of border areas.
• Merchants increasing prices of weapons and healing potions as they are getting bought up by stockpilers
• Running into mercenary companies marching towards the conflict zones
• More gossip and rumors about potential war in taverns and bars
• Assuming one could run into both kobolds and elves in the same city or tavern, have one of them be noticeably absent now

These are great ideas! Thank you. And yes, my world is very cosmopolitan so while nations tend to be primarily populated by one species or another, there are diverse significant populations across species, and there is no racial enmity or racism in my world.

 

[Juxtapozbliss]

Maybe have them come to be involved in a diplomatic meeting between the two nations. Depending upon their circumstances, they could be hired as protection by one side or the other from the start, or could come across a delegation out in the wilderness on its way to the meeting, being beset by unrelated troubles, and asked to help get them the rest of the way safely.

In the course of that journey, they learn the roots of the conflict, the grievances on each side (at least from one side's viewpoint) and the stakes of the negotiation.

Then gradually make it clear that this envoy isn't acting in good faith - that they are proceeding from a position of prejudice, and intend to make a deal under false pretences. Present it as an option for them to intervene if they wish to do so.

Thanks for the suggestion. I think in this case, it's likely to go a different direction because one of the nations is also involved in some nefarious doings while they other isn't. But you've sparked an interesting idea...if this detente does happen in the future, and by that point, if the PCs know about the devious actions of one of the nations, it could turn into a big dramatic moment if they confront them with a big reveal of what they've been doing in that setting!

 

[Vael]

These are great ideas! Thank you. And yes, my world is very cosmopolitan so while nations tend to be primarily populated by one species or another, there are diverse significant populations across species, and there is no racial enmity or racism in my world.

Then in general, I'd suggest that patrons and questgivers should feel like they are positioning themselves towards a potential conflict. The dwarf that hires the team to find a priceless Elven relic wants it because they can sell it to one of the militaristic factions within the Wood Elven Court. Maybe clearing out that haunted mine will allow the owner to sell their ores to the Kobold kingdom that is buying up all the steel they can for forging weapons.

ETA: Also, it'd be fun to have a NPC point out that the party caused it. "Are you the (in)famous adventurers that triggered the current political tensions? Can I have your autograph"