BW PDF - Midnight Campaign

STORY ARCHETYPESRegardless of the setting, every game will take on its ownstory and character. There are may character archetypesand story paths that have been tried and tested andproven effective, and having some idea of what storyarchetype a plot is going to take can help a storytellerto build compelling campaign for their characters.To get the best experience out of the game, it issometimes a good idea to go over some options with theplayers before-hand. If the players have a hand in thedecision of what kind of a game to run, they can be moreactive in following the paths the storyteller has prepared.Included below is a list of archetypes, that can be usedto drive the story of a campaign. This has been includedmostly as a brainstorming tool to give a storyteller a placeto start from.THE TREASURE HUNTAll that glitters is not gold, but it is still shiny.Adventurers, as a group, love shiny things.The pursuit of lost treasure can mean intrigue,competition, and a guarantee for intense conflict.In the Crimson Realms, civilizations have risenand fallen, leaving ancient magics, valuable trinkets,and secrets lost to history. Even in more moderntimes, it is the nature of greedy, wealthy people togather possessions, and then often to hide and protecttheir wealth against would-be thieves and treasurehunters. Finding and recovering such treasure can bea long and daunting task.In many ways, the principle of the treasure huntis at work in most or all other role-playing quests.The idea is to find some goal or directive for the playersto be pursuing, and then providing both progress andchallenges as they find their path toward that goal.THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESSAt some point or another, just about everybody needsto be rescued. A rescue mission, whether going after afair maiden or captured soldier, can be a daunting task,involving chases, infiltration, and pitched battle.For the crimson Realms, a character can be theprisoner of an evil spellcaster, the slave of a demon, aprisoner of war, or any of a number of other examples.If the thought of rescuing one in need isn’t enough,there is sometimes the prospect of ransom to enticecharacters along.THE PATH TO POWERMost beings of power did not begin their existencein such a way. For mortals and immortals alike,there are many paths to power, ways of transcendingone’s own nature and entering a whole new world ofmagic and intrigue.This process can come about through arcane rites,stealing the power of others, or through the acquisitionof some arcane relic. Some caution needs to be takenwith this quest, however, as it is likely to be a deadlyand sometimes morally ambiguous process, and evenin success, the advancing into higher scales of powercan dramatically shift the campaign, often resultingin its end.The ROAD HOMENot all adventurers are nomads and vagabonds.Sometimes, all a character wants is to find home,familiarity, and rest. However, travel is expensiveand dangerous, and the path to just about anywherecan be fraught with obstacles and hazards, set-backsand detours.The Crimson Realms is a wide open place, but mostraces and characters have a homeland, a specific placewhere they would have family, friends and the comfortof being among one’s own kind. Getting home can meansolving other people’s problems for favors, gatheringmoney for passage, and often seeing many wonders andmeeting friends and foes along the way that make sucha journey worthwhile.THE ASSASSINATIONFor both good and evil, there are always people orthings out there that desperately need killing.However, the more desperate that need is, the moredangerous and protected are those foes. These kinds ofquests are never simply a matter of walking up to themand stabbing them, but involve seeking out a character’sweaknesses, breaching their defenses and guards,and then facing down the foe themselves.In the Crimson Realms, this kind of a mission couldmean dragon-slaying, demon hunting, or even theslaying of noble rulers or other public officials.However, most figures of power also have alliesand heirs, so whether storming the castle or crawlingthe dungeon lair, adventurer’s often face the laterconsequences of their exploits.189