RPG Blog Carnival November: TO THE REVOLUTION!

Today, we’re participating in November’s Blog Carnival, hosted by Forsaken Garden.

In the rich tapestry of fantasy worlds, social classes often play a pivotal role in shaping narratives and character motivations. One of the most interesting manifestations of class struggle is the revolution—a mass movement seeking to overturn an oppressive system. Portraying revolutions in RPGs presents an opportunity to explore social dynamics while engaging players in meaningful ways. But how can we make these large-scale upheavals interactive without reducing them to the exploits of a few heroes and ensure that the revolution remains a collective endeavor?

Emphasizing Collective Action Over Individual Heroism

To authentically represent a revolution, shifting the focus from individual heroics to collective efforts is essential. Players should feel like part of a larger movement rather than lone saviors. This can be achieved by:

• Introducing Factions and Organizations: Populate your world with various groups—rebels, unions, guilds—integral to the revolutionary cause. Players can align with these factions, contributing to their goals and strategies.
• Highlighting NPC Contributions: Develop non-player characters who are key figures within the revolution. By giving them agency and significance, you underscore that change is a communal effort.
• Creating Collaborative Objectives: Design missions that require coordination with larger groups, such as organizing protests, distributing pamphlets, or orchestrating widespread acts of civil disobedience.

Making the Revolution a Living World Event

A revolution should feel like a dynamic, evolving phenomenon that responds to the actions of many, not just the player characters. To bring this to life:

• Implement a Timeline of Events: Establish a sequence of occurrences that unfold independently of the players’ actions. This could include public executions, government crackdowns, or inspirational speeches by revolutionary leaders.
• Use News and Rumors: Keep players informed about the broader impact of the revolution through newspapers, town criers, or whispers in taverns. This reinforces the sense that the world is alive and that others are contributing to the cause. False rumors spread during revolution too, so make sure your players aren’t always hearing the truth about what’s going on.
• Adapt to Player Decisions: While the revolution progresses on its own, allow player choices to influence certain outcomes. Their actions might bolster morale, sway public opinion, or turn the tide in a critical confrontation.

Engaging Players Through Personal Stakes

Even within a mass movement, individual stories matter. To keep players invested:

• Develop Personal Connections: Tie players’ backstories to the revolution. Perhaps a family member is a prominent activist, or they’ve personally suffered under the oppressive regime.
• Present Moral Dilemmas: Offer choices that test their commitment to the cause versus personal gain or safety. These dilemmas add depth to their involvement and highlight the complexities of revolutionary movements.
• Showcase the Human Cost: Illustrate the sacrifices made by ordinary people. Witnessing the struggles and losses of others can deepen players’ understanding of the revolution’s significance.

Facilitating Meaningful Player Contributions

While avoiding the “band of heroes” trope, it’s important that players feel their actions matter. Balance is key:

• Assign Specialized Roles: Within the larger movement, players can take on specific roles that suit their skills—spy, agitator, strategist—that contribute to the collective effort.
• Encourage Grassroots Initiatives: Allow players to start local projects that support the revolution, such as establishing safe houses or training militias.
• Reflect Their Impact: Show tangible changes resulting from their actions, like increased support in certain regions or the weakening of oppressive institutions.

Utilizing Mechanics and Systems

Game mechanics can reinforce the theme of mass participation:

• Reputation and Influence Systems: Implement mechanics that track the party’s standing with various social classes and factions. Their reputation can unlock resources or trigger events within the revolution.
• Resource Management: Introduce elements where players must manage scarce resources, mirroring the challenges faced by revolutionary groups.
• Mass Combat Rules: If applicable, use systems that handle large-scale conflicts, allowing players to be part of bigger battles without centering the entire fight on them.

Incorporating Diverse Perspectives

A revolution affects all strata of society. To capture this complexity:

• Feature Multiple Social Classes: Include characters from different backgrounds—peasants, merchants, nobles—each with their own reasons for supporting or opposing the revolution.
• Explore Internal Conflicts: Highlight disagreements within the revolutionary movement itself, such as differing ideologies or methods. This adds realism and depth.
• Avoid Monolithic Depictions: Resist portraying any group as entirely good or evil. Show that individuals within the ruling class may sympathize with the revolution, and some revolutionaries might have questionable motives.

Ensuring a Good Player Experience

Ultimately, the goal is to create an engaging and enjoyable game:

• Maintain Agency: While the revolution is a mass movement, ensure players have meaningful choices and can pursue personal goals within the larger context.
• Balance Scale with Focus: Alternate between scenes that depict grand events and those that highlight personal interactions. This keeps the narrative manageable and relatable.
• Provide Closure: Whether the revolution succeeds or faces setbacks, offer resolutions to the story arcs you’ve established. A satisfying conclusion recognizes both the collective effort and the players’ contributions.

I highly recommend checking out ThisEffinGM’s Urban Exploration rules for D&D, which can easily be adapted to any other RPG. It can be great for helping you balance out different factions within a city during a revolution.

Writing social classes and revolutions into your fantasy world enriches the narrative and offers players a new and unique gaming experience. By emphasizing collective action, creating a living world, and facilitating meaningful player involvement without making them the sole focus, you honor the true nature of revolutions. This approach not only deepens the storytelling but also invites players to reflect on the complexities of social change, making your RPG campaign both entertaining and thought-provoking.