Victory *and* death

[Mouseferatu]

You're about to start a campaign. It's a story-heavy campaign. (Doesn't mean railroading, just means that it's focused on a particular plot line.) But you know from the beginning that

A) The world is going to end. Nothing you can do to stop it. But...

B) By winning a series of victories for the forces of good (or whatever), you can strongly influence the nature of the new world to follow. You will never reap the benefits, but your actions will determine if the next incarnation of humanity will live in peace and plenty, or in violence, slavery, and want.

Would you be interested in a campaign like this?

 

[theredrobedwizard]

We ran a game like that a few years back. It started off well enough, but after a few months it started to wear thin. Our heroes became disenfranchised and started to devolve into an "ends justifying the means" group. They'd make the giant strides towards goodness and happiness, but they'd do it the most direct way possible. There's an evil cult in the town that needs to be stopped before they finish a ritual to awaken the Dark Lord Fluffy? Well, let's just kill everyone and raze the town. We win!

Keep hope alive, and show the consequences of the means.

-TRRW

 

[vongarr]

No, I wouldn't. It'd have to be a party full of Marv's for it to work, I think.

 

[Black_Swan]

I would play it but make sure that all the players are in the same mindset. I just played a game like this and it bombed because people came at it from different angles.

2 people wanted to make the world better. 1 Person wanted to make the world evil or atleast make a big part of it heavily evil. Another peson embraced true chaos and wanted to make the world one giant chaotic ball of whatever. Some of the players just didn't care and just showed up to play.

Just a warning...

Our group eventually started shedding players as the stronger more vocal members began influencing others to their way of thinking. It all came to a head when the evil member was confronted and he decided to bow out instead of modify his character to fit with what was left of the group. After that there just weren't enough people to keep playing the game.

Good luck...I'd play but definitely make sure everyone knows what they're getting into in the beginning and are all looking at the end goal in a similar way. They don't have to be cookie cutter but should be able to come to an agreement as to what the world will be and why they are on their quest. Otherwise be prepared for infighting as members begin to get paranoid as to how the other players want the new world to play out.

 

[Mark CMG]

You're about to start a campaign. It's a story-heavy campaign. (Doesn't mean railroading, just means that it's focused on a particular plot line.) But you know from the beginning that

A) The world is going to end. Nothing you can do to stop it. But...

B) By winning a series of victories for the forces of good (or whatever), you can strongly influence the nature of the new world to follow. You will never reap the benefits, but your actions will determine if the next incarnation of humanity will live in peace and plenty, or in violence, slavery, and want.

Would you be interested in a campaign like this?

Nice. It is all about the personal honor. That can be both the toughest and most rewarding campaign type in which to play.

 

[Ry]

Yeah, the ends justify the means thing would get pretty heavy.

But if the combinations and permutations of the player-characters' souls (collectively) had a chance of becoming gods of the new world... and each good or bad deed they did shaped those gods...

well, it would still be a tough sell for me personally. I know what despair is like, and it's not something I'd jump into in my spare time.

 

[Midknightsun]

Sure, I'd play it. I'd like the challenge of seeing exactly how much I'd be able to influence events, how much I can thumb my nose at what ever forces seek to end the world before it comes. But then I'm in to campaign settings like Midnight, and Ravenloft, where sometimes just escaping with your hide attached is considered pretty darn good. I like the idea, but I can understand why some would find it distasteful.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'd put in a request for death *without* victory.

 

[el-remmen]

As with all campaign ideas, it all depends on the DM.

Generally, it sounds like a great idea to me, but even the best idea poorly implemented is little fun.

 

[Nifft]

A) The world is going to end. Nothing you can do to stop it. But...

I would so much rather play a campaign with the opposite premise... "You are going to die. Nothing you can do about it. BUT... if you succeed in this epic quest, you can die as a Big Damn Hero, and save the world."

Cheers, -- N