SHARK
First Post
Greetings!
Epic-Level Campaigns
In reading several threads of late that deal with epic level campaigns it occurs to me that epic level campaigns are often little understood, and/or poorly executed. Indeed, many people seem apprehensive about running or playing in epic level campaigns. That apprehension seems to be based on the experience of Game-Masters who often have poor execution of such an epic campaign, or players who see epic-level campaigning as little more than an exercise in number-crunching to achieve an easy victory over an ever-larger stat-block dressed up in a different suite!
Certainly, opponents that are opposing characters that are 20th, 25th, or 30th level require more robust and potent abilities, stats, and magic items. However, having more fun with epic-level campaigns, and getting more satisfaction out of that level of play requires both the Game-Master and the players to change the way they think. They must change their paradigms in the whole way they look at their characters, and the world.
To be most effective, I would suggest that this process of changing one’s paradigm be pursued at a much earlier time than when the characters reach 20th level. Problems arise in thinking of “Role-Playing” or “Hack-and-Slash” as either/or propositions. In my experience, it is a balanced synthesis of—BOTH—driving concepts that will elevate everyone’s playing experience to the higher level of epic-level campaigns. That isn’t to say that the “Higher-Level” of play is in some way an intellectual besmirchement upon people who don’t play with such a paradigm, but rather, and acknowledgement that epic-level campaigns involve a greater level of detail, complexity, and sophistication that taking an “either/or” approach just can’t deal with effectively.
Admittedly, the core rules don’t address these concepts at all, or only address them in passing with the most minimal in discussion. It is understandable that many people—Game-Master’s and players alike—often feel lost and overwhelmed in such an environment. However, with a greater degree of thought, open-mindedness, and a willingness to change one’s paradigm can make entering into epic-level campaigns more successful and more enjoyable.
In my own campaigns—some of which feature player characters that are a minimum of 18th level—several different details and approaches stand out. Characters that are of epic-level in experience and power have vast resources and abilities that lower-level characters just don’t have. This is as true for player-characters as it is for monsters and non-player characters, enemies and friends alike. For example:
(1) Forget the core rules implication that parties are made up of four characters. Even if there are only four such player-characters, they will almost certainly have access to regiments of followers, cohorts, and soldiers. This will have a huge impact in the entire way that adventures unfold, and are pursued. Enemies will not be conquered by a group of four individuals, no matter how powerful or how well equipped. This fact will change the entire array of options and approaches that player-characters can choose to take in pursuing a particular adventure. This must be understood, in order to design adventures that are interesting, and challenging.
(2) Player-characters of epic-level should have diverse, well-developed backgrounds, as well as many different interests. It is from these richly detailed backgrounds and interests that interesting epic-level campaigns are often made of. Likewise, enemies are not merely dressed-up stat-blocks, but they too will have richly detailed backgrounds, and diverse interests.
(3) Epic-level campaigns should, and will have fantastic combats and epic fights. However, these episodes of bloody and decisive combat should be carefully integrated with those richly detailed backgrounds and diverse interests. Enemies will have networks of intelligent, well-equipped servants and allies that will operate intelligently, using all of their resources to protect themselves and achieve their own goals. They won’t merely stand still and let the player-characters take the initiative and slaughter them.
What does all of this mean? At epic-levels, the Game-Master should be prepared to role-play different relationships with player-characters, and all of their families, lovers, and friends, and so on to a much higher degree of emotional and relational depth. An epic-level adventure may involve the salvation of a player-character’s reputation before a court of jealous, power-hungry nobles, or it may involve careful negotiations with the city of Cloud Giants before being able to move on to assault the Citadel of Fire, ruled by powerful half-fiend champions and their demonic minions. The player-characters have higher skills to achieve various skill-checks, but the challenges, whether it is scaling a 2000-foot cliff face while being attacked by demonic Gargoyles, or attempting to persuade the haughty Cloud-Giant Prince to support the attack with some of his valiant champions, are going to be far more difficult. Characters of lower level wouldn’t have the abilities or resources to deal with such circumstances and situations. Such player characters may have to involve themselves with a girlfriend who has fallen in love with the vampire-lord, or deal with a noble father who has decided that the kingdom can only be made safe by exterminating the herds of Centaurs from the realm!
Many political, romantic, or relational problems have nothing to do with whether or not the player-characters have a +5 Vorpal sword, or a Hammer of Doom. It has far more to do with who the player-characters are as people, and what their characters are really like, and what they value and what they stand for. The adversaries that face the player-characters should be played with the utmost in appropriate intelligence, ruthlessness, and ability, while other challenges may have absolutely nothing to do with “stats” but everything to do with what kind of relationship they have forged in years past with the King’s sister, or that young Silver Dragon, or what kinds of issues the party has stood for in the past, throughout their careers.
With such a different paradigm in mind, playing with characters that are 20th, 25th, or 30th level may certainly be more complex and challenging, but epic-level campaigns can indeed be far more interesting and rewarding than ever imagined. The Game-Master and the players much change their paradigms though, for this to be achieved.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Epic-Level Campaigns
In reading several threads of late that deal with epic level campaigns it occurs to me that epic level campaigns are often little understood, and/or poorly executed. Indeed, many people seem apprehensive about running or playing in epic level campaigns. That apprehension seems to be based on the experience of Game-Masters who often have poor execution of such an epic campaign, or players who see epic-level campaigning as little more than an exercise in number-crunching to achieve an easy victory over an ever-larger stat-block dressed up in a different suite!
Certainly, opponents that are opposing characters that are 20th, 25th, or 30th level require more robust and potent abilities, stats, and magic items. However, having more fun with epic-level campaigns, and getting more satisfaction out of that level of play requires both the Game-Master and the players to change the way they think. They must change their paradigms in the whole way they look at their characters, and the world.
To be most effective, I would suggest that this process of changing one’s paradigm be pursued at a much earlier time than when the characters reach 20th level. Problems arise in thinking of “Role-Playing” or “Hack-and-Slash” as either/or propositions. In my experience, it is a balanced synthesis of—BOTH—driving concepts that will elevate everyone’s playing experience to the higher level of epic-level campaigns. That isn’t to say that the “Higher-Level” of play is in some way an intellectual besmirchement upon people who don’t play with such a paradigm, but rather, and acknowledgement that epic-level campaigns involve a greater level of detail, complexity, and sophistication that taking an “either/or” approach just can’t deal with effectively.
Admittedly, the core rules don’t address these concepts at all, or only address them in passing with the most minimal in discussion. It is understandable that many people—Game-Master’s and players alike—often feel lost and overwhelmed in such an environment. However, with a greater degree of thought, open-mindedness, and a willingness to change one’s paradigm can make entering into epic-level campaigns more successful and more enjoyable.
In my own campaigns—some of which feature player characters that are a minimum of 18th level—several different details and approaches stand out. Characters that are of epic-level in experience and power have vast resources and abilities that lower-level characters just don’t have. This is as true for player-characters as it is for monsters and non-player characters, enemies and friends alike. For example:
(1) Forget the core rules implication that parties are made up of four characters. Even if there are only four such player-characters, they will almost certainly have access to regiments of followers, cohorts, and soldiers. This will have a huge impact in the entire way that adventures unfold, and are pursued. Enemies will not be conquered by a group of four individuals, no matter how powerful or how well equipped. This fact will change the entire array of options and approaches that player-characters can choose to take in pursuing a particular adventure. This must be understood, in order to design adventures that are interesting, and challenging.
(2) Player-characters of epic-level should have diverse, well-developed backgrounds, as well as many different interests. It is from these richly detailed backgrounds and interests that interesting epic-level campaigns are often made of. Likewise, enemies are not merely dressed-up stat-blocks, but they too will have richly detailed backgrounds, and diverse interests.
(3) Epic-level campaigns should, and will have fantastic combats and epic fights. However, these episodes of bloody and decisive combat should be carefully integrated with those richly detailed backgrounds and diverse interests. Enemies will have networks of intelligent, well-equipped servants and allies that will operate intelligently, using all of their resources to protect themselves and achieve their own goals. They won’t merely stand still and let the player-characters take the initiative and slaughter them.
What does all of this mean? At epic-levels, the Game-Master should be prepared to role-play different relationships with player-characters, and all of their families, lovers, and friends, and so on to a much higher degree of emotional and relational depth. An epic-level adventure may involve the salvation of a player-character’s reputation before a court of jealous, power-hungry nobles, or it may involve careful negotiations with the city of Cloud Giants before being able to move on to assault the Citadel of Fire, ruled by powerful half-fiend champions and their demonic minions. The player-characters have higher skills to achieve various skill-checks, but the challenges, whether it is scaling a 2000-foot cliff face while being attacked by demonic Gargoyles, or attempting to persuade the haughty Cloud-Giant Prince to support the attack with some of his valiant champions, are going to be far more difficult. Characters of lower level wouldn’t have the abilities or resources to deal with such circumstances and situations. Such player characters may have to involve themselves with a girlfriend who has fallen in love with the vampire-lord, or deal with a noble father who has decided that the kingdom can only be made safe by exterminating the herds of Centaurs from the realm!
Many political, romantic, or relational problems have nothing to do with whether or not the player-characters have a +5 Vorpal sword, or a Hammer of Doom. It has far more to do with who the player-characters are as people, and what their characters are really like, and what they value and what they stand for. The adversaries that face the player-characters should be played with the utmost in appropriate intelligence, ruthlessness, and ability, while other challenges may have absolutely nothing to do with “stats” but everything to do with what kind of relationship they have forged in years past with the King’s sister, or that young Silver Dragon, or what kinds of issues the party has stood for in the past, throughout their careers.
With such a different paradigm in mind, playing with characters that are 20th, 25th, or 30th level may certainly be more complex and challenging, but epic-level campaigns can indeed be far more interesting and rewarding than ever imagined. The Game-Master and the players much change their paradigms though, for this to be achieved.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
I agree fully.
