Why keep adventuring?

[Doug McCrae]

What keeps your heroes going?

Serious gambling debts owed to the halfling mafia.

 

[Nightfall]

Bah. I say trade your debt to a gnoll mafia instead!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Somewhere in the world, a gnoll is barbecueing a baby. I must stop him.

Clearly. You don't barbecue babies. Kittens? Yes. But babies are best in stew.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Because D&D is designed to play adventurous heroes (maybe anti-heroes) that kill critters and take their stuff

Not unless D&D stands for Drafts & Deskclerks, the exciting game of sitting in an office every day and earning your wage.

 

[Phlebas]

Give a PC a home - then he has something to protect, fund and come back to.

then you just need to threaten that home and before you know it the shield and sword are off the wall, the wands out of the loft and you're going adventuring again

As DM, I occasionally have 6/12 months where 'nothing much happens' so people don't get paranoid that they're continually under attack, and also to avoid the 20th level by age 20 problem....

 

[robberbaron]

I prefer them to have a place in the world - friends, family, careers, concerns beyond graverobbing. But then I don't go much for dungeons and exploration much at all.

So what do you do, wait for the monsters to come to you, bringing their treasure with them?

We must be playing a different game.

 

[Mark Chance]

My last character, who recently died at the hands of a half-stone golem/half-minotaur, adventured to demonstrate the superiority of the elven longbow over the forces of darkness. And also to protect his wife.

My current character, a Rhennee rogue/fighter, has joined the adventuring party because:

1. The party saved him from the Deepmother, and he owes them.

2. He has no other sort of family being an outcast among his own people as well as polite society.

3. He's wanted by the authorities and the thieves' guild in nearby Verbobonc, and the extra adventurers could help cover his hindquarters.

 

[robberbaron]

Clearly. You don't barbecue babies. Kittens? Yes. But babies are best in stew.

BBQ baby back ribs. Yum.
Too much fat on a baby for stew.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Give a PC a home

Help those in need. Every bit helps! Donate today!

 

[rgard]

PCs usually retire at level 20th

Yes, most probably do retire at 20th level. It's an end point for some gaming groups who don't want to shift into epic mode.

But once you are in epic levels there is fun to be had there too. From my experience it's been a mix of "Kill Your Enemies and Take Their Stuff" with political/kingdom/empire building activities...really "Kill Your Enemies and Take Their Stuff" on a big scale. Where your characters used to be killing their enemies on a more direct and personal level, you now have the opportunity to do it via followers and minions or via less violent means.

Maybe your party has established their stronghold and control so many square miles of land. Unfortunately, the area is dirt poor and your group decides that relieving the next door group of dwarves of their platinum mine is a worthy endeavor. Now you could send your pcs or their cohorts after the dwarves and fight it out, but instead you decide to procure the note on the mine held by a neighboring bank or rich guy. How you get that note can be the basis of the campaign for a few sessions and doesn't necessarily mean having to lay out the combat grid and roll initiative.

As others have said in the thread, the motivation to keep adventuring remains the same, but how you define adventuring can vary.

Thanks,
Rich