It's been one of those weeks where comprehensive cleaning was warranted, even if nothing was an absolute mess: general dusting and vacuuming, removing the air conditioners out of windows, straightening up the gaming room, and even cleaning out my work bag for those few times I need to spend a day at the plant.
Hidden at the bottom of that bag might be the last time I grabbed a newspaper, August 29, 2024. It was still intact, so most gamers in my boat, if they don't toss it in recycling, would through it on the pile of papers for the paint bench.
Before I did that, I took the time to actually, re-read the paper, taking just enough notes.
Newspapers are my lifeline for my Fantasy RPGs.
My campaign world I've had for the past 35 years, "Georic" is a very Earth-centric with lots of fantasy and magic interwoven, allowing a tapestry of tech and other elements ranging from Medieval into early Renaissance
Even with a 15-year hiatus from the last face-to-face game I've run, the world has always evolved outside of the scope of the Player Character's views of the world, and if I love to do one thing, it's keep continuity in a changing world. Kings and Queens die, wars are fought in far-off lands that (probably) have no impact on them, alliances are forged, and random events happened.... even before the internet.
Where the newspaper comes in handy is to flesh out that local flavor, while translating elements from the modern day into an appropriate place in the fantasy world.
I don't plan on basing any game on a plot device "ripped from the headlines." Rather, I attempt to interpret the newspaper full of local and state news into low level campaign appropriate forms. Local events are the primary setting of the School boards and local municipalities are baronies, counties and cities are duchies, other states are neighboring kingdoms. I usually grab a paper once a week for this purpose and the weeklong story usually lasts 1-3 months in my timeline. If I really need some inspiration (or lots of filler), I'll grab the New York Times.
Plus, this is a great way to take news from outside my normal campaign world (Fantasy Europe) and re-interpret world events in Africa, Chi'in, Hindustan, and others to fit the fantasy milleu.
By default the country focusing the local attention is
Trebeizond, where many of the PCs went to retire in the local dominions.
1:
Ispatlian Banks are recalling loans from Emron Principalities in default. The court cases regarding the current Federal government student loan programs evolve into a financial crisis, with a strange resulting, Ispatlian was a wealthy syndicracy ruling the trade of the Mer Med, until the wizards of Emron seized their land during the Senzar-Emron War. After years of Emron using Ispatlia for their own devices, the syndicracy has rebuilt itself, and using
mercenary wizards to seize possessions and land from these wizards. These arcane repo men are no match for the powerful wizard princes, but they can seize peripheral assets, and together, might be able to dispel certain magicks. Court cases preventing
2. Local Ore Finds in Stronghome A local munitions manufacturer has "booming" business, thanks to the Ukraine War. Again, not a direct interpretation, as Trebeizond is not active in, nor supplying any active wars in the timeline. Moving into my fantasy Aerth, Ukraine is spread out amongst the Weissmach, Stronghome, and the Gnomish City States, with other portions flooded by the Mer Kasp. The discovery of essential ores under the normally agrarian Halfling shires changes the economy, but creates trade wars with the countries. I can determine which minerals are discovered and their impact later.
3. Magic Items Go Haywire! A fairly generic article about the design flaws of Teslas catch directly translate in the fantasy world, Maybe flying carpets? But the easiest way is a generic way, waiting to be sprung on the PCs. Utility or Automated magic items (those continual light torches die out, assembly line produced holy water fizzles, endless water decanters dry up, maybe it's everything listed in the Miscellaneous Magic tables). It's unsure if this will be a one time thing or sporadic, for a few seconds, or permanent, but there's something behind this activity, or lack thereof.
4. Yarbay Incursions into the Myrdius City-States: My extended Fantasy Middle East includes Yarbay (Saudi Arabia), Parthia (Iraq/Iran), and the Myrdius City-States. (Israel/Jordan/Syria). Yarbay is under the influence of the BECMI D&D Villain "The Master" but his invasion of the main campaign continent was thwarted by the PCs 15 years ago (and some of the Barthey Empire's troops simply kicking butt in the War Machine results. Parthia is still heavily influenced by Yarbay, while Myridius is a series of Crusader-State styled states that are secure enough to avoid most conflict. To transfer the current issues between Israel and Palestine into my campaign world isn't clean cut, as there isn't shared/conflicting Abrahamic religions to hate each other over, and any attack by Yarbay affects the Myridius natives, who much rather make money off of their knight-lords than die in a war.
5. (Marakeikos) Man Accused of Firing Crossbow at Low-Level Adventurers Around Popular Dungeoncrawl Area: Probably placing this outside of Califon (my version of BECMI Threshold) Dude was probably firing some weapon into a neighborhood, festival, etc. Are they human? Is it a Doppleganger? Why are they preying solo on low-level, wounded adventuring parties?
6. Korean Badheu Being Dishonored by Important Claims: I've never had a group venture into the Korean peninsula, but the mention of a K-Pop star with sexual and corruption rumors, I'll keep this vague. Is it a popular commoner gone wrong, or something to do with the royal court?
7. Water Buffalo Rampages Hydincall: Hydincall is the capital of Crosedes, one of the main countries I've used for hundreds of years of campaign time. Hydincall is one of the "glowing cities" of civilization for at least a few generations, with a famed magic university, the seat of power for Akana, the largest religion on the continent, and is world-reknowned for its prestigious gladiator arena.
So the idea of a water buffalo running through the streets of Fantasy Paris is not very mindful, not very demure, but I actually have an exact campaign precedent. I have two separate instances of a magic bull appearing from a box a group of adventurers released by accident by touching things they shouldn't have in a magical curio shop.
A water buffalo sounds like an odd summoning result.
If there's one thing I've been consistently complemented on, it is my ability to keep continuity. Whether it's advancing hidden storylines that characters only catch a glimpse of, or making sure the innkeeper's son, who was 2 years old at session #4 is an older kid when the party returns in session #72, the characters should not be part of a static universe.
No comments:
Post a Comment