Campaign and adventure tiers
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:56 am
In Earthdawn characters advance in circles. As they gain in power, legend, and abilities, their challenges should be different. I am not an experienced GM, and even less so running a fantasy RPG. I used to play in a long running LotR RPG, and in that game we as players gave feedback to the GM that it was annoying that when our characters became more competent, the opposition seemed to level up at the same pace. After giving the feedback, we started to also sometimes encounter weaker opponents, which gave us the feeling of having become more powerful.
Now that I'm GMing Earthdawn myself, I'm trying to think how to do this organically. I suppose in my head, first circle character should be dealing with rather mundane stuff, like helping out the common man. Combat opponents could be bandits and animals. When they reach epic tiers with circles in the teens, opponents and encounters might be major horrors, rules of nations and dragons.
I'm seeking help in trying to figure out the gradual development in between those two extremes. I think it would be fun if the players know that they start as low level mooks and dream of something big. When they get there it will feel all the more satisfying.
For example, if they are traveling, maybe at an inn they encounter a more experienced adveturing group. From them the characters learn about more powerful dangers that themselves are still too inexperienced to deal with.
What other methods might there be? I'm afraid that if I let them know about rumors or possible quests that are meant for more powerful characters they might still go for it, putting me in a difficult situation.
Also, what "levels of society" might there be for them to interact with at different circles?
At initiate: Common man
At novice: ?
Journeyman: ?
Warden: ?
Master: Kings
Now that I'm GMing Earthdawn myself, I'm trying to think how to do this organically. I suppose in my head, first circle character should be dealing with rather mundane stuff, like helping out the common man. Combat opponents could be bandits and animals. When they reach epic tiers with circles in the teens, opponents and encounters might be major horrors, rules of nations and dragons.
I'm seeking help in trying to figure out the gradual development in between those two extremes. I think it would be fun if the players know that they start as low level mooks and dream of something big. When they get there it will feel all the more satisfying.
For example, if they are traveling, maybe at an inn they encounter a more experienced adveturing group. From them the characters learn about more powerful dangers that themselves are still too inexperienced to deal with.
What other methods might there be? I'm afraid that if I let them know about rumors or possible quests that are meant for more powerful characters they might still go for it, putting me in a difficult situation.
Also, what "levels of society" might there be for them to interact with at different circles?
At initiate: Common man
At novice: ?
Journeyman: ?
Warden: ?
Master: Kings