What do you AS A PLAYER want the world to become?

[Yair]

Let's say you're playing in a long campaign, that spans levels 1 to 20. You start as young adventurers, and when the campaign concludes you're powerful level 20 individuals. The setting is a typical D&D backdrop with dungeons, dragons and mosters, humanoid hordes, a semi-medieval society of kingdoms, and all that jazz.
My question is: what would you AS A PLAYER like the setting to change into by the campaign's conclusion? What change (if any) would be fun to play out? Here are some options, feel free to comment or suggest others.

This is a comparison I'm making across boards, so the options may seem a little weird. Here is an explanation:

No Fundamental Change: The setting will remain the same in broad outline at the campaign's end. If there is the threat of an orc horde coming from the north for example, that threat will remain (even if the current wave of raids was contained).

A Foothold of Change: While the world at large may remain the same, at least at the local level the PCs can instigate a fundamental change. If the world is threatened by horrors from beyond this reality for example, perhaps the PCs could build a haven that is warded by powerful magic - perhaps even protect an entire kingdom. Or perhaps they can abolish feudalism in the kingdom, or estalibsh a democratic city-state.

Affecting History: The PCs affect the gross progression of events, but not the structure of the world. You may brake that orc horde or set up one king rather than another. But you will not make the world suddenly lose its magic, or curtail the underlying threats, or institute a democracy. The specific politics can change, the basics stay the same.

A Change in the World: The world changes on a basic level. Perhaps there is an industrial revolution. Perhaps magic becomes rare, or the gods die, or the world sinks into the abyss and becomes another layer of it. Perhaps the orc hordes stampede over everything, ending the Age of Man.

A Change in Adventuring: Perhaps a law passes that forbids magic use and bearing arms, making adventuring a clandestine affair. Perhaps the adventuring guild is formally recognized and becomes an instrument of royal justice and might. Whatever the change, the world is still fairly similar but the role of adventuring changes substantially.

Other: Feel free to give us the details!

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Affecting History at a minimum, A Change In The World can be really cool but would get pretty dull if those were the only campaigns you ever played.

Also the "game that runs as long as it possibly can" model isn't my single preference in roleplaying, so it's not always appropriate.

 

[Gold Roger]

Other: Everything from change in history upward. But it's less how much the world changed than why the world changed. If there are some honking big changes, but all because of metaplot or somesuch, then I don't really care much, as a player. It's cool, as background, but as player (and DM) I want the actions of the PC's to make the really big impact.

 

[sckeener]

oh I wanted some multiple options on this poll. As a player, I would like to change the world. I usually come up with my own agenda outside of the daily grind of adventuring and want to have that happen.

Here are some examples of things my characters have wanted to do/have done

• Create a safe haven for myself and my npcs (a given for all my NPCs)

• Kill or weaken gods that I dislike

• Have a family (that is a world changing event in a small scale)

• Start a business (one of my favorites was a Black Company-ish business)

 

[DragonLancer]

Affecting History. I agree with repercussions of actions affecting the game world. But the world doesn't revolve around the characters so there shouldn't be sweeping changes or no changes, IMO.

 

[Aaron L]

Affecting History. As happened with my oldest character, he rose to power from the military, founded his own Duchy, upgraded it to a Kingdom. Fought wars, battled dragons and demons.
Befriended archmages and heads of churches.

Over the course of decades, though. If that all happened in like 5 years, it would be cheesy.

 

[LostSoul]

I voted A Change in the World. I could have been cheesy and voted for Other, because I think it would depend on the character I would want to play; but I'd want the option to effect the world deeply if that was my desire.

I guess I'm saying that I wouldn't always want to change the world, but I'd always want the option.

Affecting History. I agree with repercussions of actions affecting the game world. But the world doesn't revolve around the characters so there shouldn't be sweeping changes or no changes, IMO.

The question isn't about characters, though; it's about player goals. So you're saying that you don't want to be able to change the world with your PCs, because you don't want to play in a game where the world revolves around the PCs, right?

 

[el-remmen]

I voted "Foothold of Change" - but really it depends on the scope of the campaign and what is appropriate for it.

 

[Joshua Randall]

I voted "Affecting History". I like to have my PCs take part in some important, world-shaking events at high levels -- even though I know it's a cliche, I want to save the world and all that.

I don't, however, want to destroy magic or do anything that would make it not a typical D&D world.

Basically I want an opportunity for my PC to be heroic on a grand scale.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I voted Affecting History.

I don't particularly want to see my PC destroy the setting's atmosphere (be it High Magic, or post apocalyptic, etc.) by completely changing its nature. But I want to see my PCs have a powerful impact for the better.

For instance, in game I currently play in, my now 14th-level paladin has founded a new order of paladin knights, become the leader of a group of national defenders (that includes the other PCs) and his working towards ending the centuries-old threat of the Tarsan Emperor.

Should he be successful, he will leave a temporary peace in his wake (who knows what will eventually replace the Tarsan Empire?) as well as a new paladin order and hopefully a stronger organization of national defenders. It will still be generally the same kind of D&D world, filled with goblins and orcs and dragons. But the better for my PC having been there.

On a personal note, I also enjoy campaigns where my PC is able to have some sort of epic romance.