I just read Melting Stones, which reminded me of a thought I had when reading some of the earlier books in the series (like most of TPs stuff, they are YA, but she doesn't pull any punches because of that). While this series also has serial killers, pirates, and invasions, the antagonists in the books have also included earthquakes, plague, wildfires, and volcanoes.
Now in a novel it isn't that difficult to make a story about a plague or a wildfire compelling. The question is how would you do that in an RPG? Assume you are writing a module for *your favorite rules* in which the primary challenge is going to be dealing with, stopping, and/or preventing a disaster, which means your most important "encounters" are not going to be combat ones. In fact there is no reason you have to have even a single combat encounter in these types of scenarios.
How can you make that compelling and engaging, including engaging with the system?
This would make an awesome article for someone!
Is the sun going supernova sufficiently natural and disasterous?
Supernova (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Supernova_(WEG))was a West End Games supplement with the following premise.
QuoteThe inhabitants of the Demophon system face a threat far greater than that of the Empire: their sun is about to go supernova destroying all life on the worlds around it. A band of determined Rebels must act of save those the Empire deems unfit to live...
I did a session using the Tarrasque as a "natural disaster". I followed very closely the original Godzilla movie. It wasn't a monster for the PCs to fight, it was a series of encounters as they were trying to get out of the great port City that the Tarrasque was currently demolishing.
It was a lot of fun, and the players found it exciting. It was a short session, and had a lot of saves and skill checks more than anything else. I enjoyed writing the descriptions as well.
A very good question. I think the obvious approach is - make the PCs really feel it. If it's the plague, they start rolling for it or risk being infected (unless they are somehow protected from it, but of course the simpler protection of, say, Remove Disease can be worked around with "it's a magical plague").
If it's an earthquake - they loose property, risk being smashed under the rocks, or perhaps even are trapped in a cellar underneath an inn - could make for some intense RP session.
Volcano flooded the area with lava? Deal with lesser resources around.
And of course, don't forget also the "human element" - scavengers, to name one, flocking to the site of an earthquake, trying to get the easy loot. Doomsayers prophesying end of the world as the plague strikes. People trying to kill their neighbour's wife as an offering to the Fire God as the volcano starts to smoke.
Quote from: Rincewind1;776723And of course, don't forget also the "human element" - scavengers, to name one, flocking to the site of an earthquake, trying to get the easy loot. Doomsayers prophesying end of the world as the plague strikes. People trying to kill their neighbour's wife as an offering to the Fire God as the volcano starts to smoke.
And ordinary people helping each other or needing help. Because people do a lot of that too.
Strangely enough in my experience treating them conceptually akin to regular encounters (some old TSR advice) really helped me. You start to think about issues of surprise and distance, where player caution, exploration, observation, and preparation can really alter the party's survival. Then you get into lethality basics of scale, time & tempo, and mitigation.
The GM challenge is avoiding "rock falls, everyone dies" or "run away! run away forever!" pitfalls. Think of the playable limits of each Act of God. Remember the wise dictum "make it seem like the players' choices matter." Even disasters at instant, epic levels, i.e. earthquakes (complete surprise, massive scale, short time & tempo) have opportunities for players. Cultures with long presence can have tales of observation, which affects their social and material preparation, and provide smaller moments for player mitigation.
However this necessitates greater PC world buy-in beyond survival and singular quests. The NPCs, or at least their toys, need to matter to the PCs for them to linger and engage a disaster encounter. Profit is a motive for aftermaths, altruism another, as is just plain curiosity. But there has to be some sort of player investment beyond mere passing through scenery.