Page 28 - Dungeon Master's Guide

might be a local sage, seer, hedge wizard, wise elder, Name one person or group that plotted against
or teacher. this leader.
Rise of a Leader, Beginning of an Era. In dramatic Name three things for which this leader will be
stories, a new leader's rise often comes at the end of remembered.
a period of struggle or turmoil. Sometimes it's a war
or uprising; other times it's an election, the death of a 3. CATACLYSMIC DISASTER
tyrant, a prophecy fulfilled, or the appointment of a hero. Earthquake, famine, fire, plague, flood- disasters on a
Conversely, the new leader might be a tyrant, a fiend, or grand scale can eradicate whole civilizations without
black-hearted villain, and the era that just ended could warning. Natural (or magical) catastrophes redraw
have been one of peace, tranquility, and justice. maps, destroy economies, and alter worlds. Sometimes
A new leader shakes the foundations of your campaign the survivors rebuild from the ruins. The Great Chicago
world and begins a new era in the selected region. How Fire, for instance, provided an opportunity to rebuild
does this person or this era begin to affect the world? the city according to a modern plan. Most of the time
Here are several things to consider when determining the disaster leaves only ruins- buried under ash like
the leader's impact on the world: Pompeii, or sunk beneath the waves like Atlantis.
You can choose the cataclysm or determine one
• Name one thing that has been consistently true about
randomly using the Cataclysmic Disasters table.
the world, which is now no longer true due to this
leader's rise or influence. This is the biggest change
CATACLYSMIC DISASTERS
that occurs when the new leader takes power and
becomes the prevailing trait that defines the era, the dlO Cataclysmic Disaster
characteristic for which it is remembered. Earthquake
• Name the person (or people) whose death, defeat, or 2 Faminefdrought
loss opened the door for this leader to take power. 3 Fire
This might be a military defeat, the overthrow of 4 Flood
old ideas, a cultural rebirth, or something else. Who 5 Plaguefd isease
died, lost, or was defeated? What weren't they willing
6 Rain of fire (meteoric impact)
to compromise? Was the new leader complicit in 7 Storm (hurricane, tornado, tsunami)
the death, defeat, or loss, or was the opportunity 8 Volcanic eruption
serendipitous?
• Despite the leader's virtues, one flaw in particular 9 Magic gone awry or a planar warp
outrages a certain segment of the populace. What 10 Divine judgment
is that flaw? What person or group of persons will
do their utmost to foil this leader because of it? Some of the disasters on the table might not make
Conversely, what is this leader's greatest virtue, and immediate sense in the context of your campaign
who rises to the leader's defense because of it? world. A flood in the desert? A volcanic eruption on
• Who believes in this leader now, but still retains grassy plains? If you randomly determine a disaster
doubts? This is someone close to the leader, who has that conflicts with your setting, you can reroll, but the
the leader's trust and knows his or her secret fears, challenge of justifying the catastrophe can produce
doubts, or vices. interesting results.
With two exceptions, the disasters on the table
FaJJ of a Leader, End of an Era. All that begins must
resemble those that affect our own world. Think
end. With the fall of kings and queens, the maps of the
of planar warps and magic gone awry like nuclear
world are redrawn. Laws change, new customs become
incidents; they're big events that unnaturally alter
all the rage, and old ones fall out of favor. The attitude the land and its people. For example, in the Eberron
of the citizens toward their fallen leader shifts subtly at campaign setting, a magical catastrophe lays waste
first and then changes dramatically as they look back or to an entire country, transforming it into a hostile
reminisce about the time before. wasteland and ending the Last War.
The fallen leader might have been a benevolent Divine judgment is something else entirely. This
ruler, an influential citizen, or even an adversary to the
disaster takes whatever form you want, but it's always a
characters. How does the death of this person affect
big, bold, unsubtle sign of a deity's displeasure.
those formerly under his or her influence? ijere are
You might decide to wipe a town, region, or nation off
several things to consider when determining the effects
the map of your world. A disaster ravages the land and
of a leader's passing:
effectively eliminates a place the characters once knew.
• Name one positive change that the leader brought to Leave one or two survivors to tell the characters what
his or her domain or sphere of influence. Does that happened, and ensure that the characters feel the depth
change persist after the leader's death? of the catastrophe. What are the ongoing effects of this
State the general mood or attitude of the people under cataclysm? The following points can help you define the
this person's power. What important fact didn't they nature and consequences of the disaster:
realize about this person or his or her reign, which
• Decide what caused this cataclysm and where it
will later come to light?
originated.
Name one person or group that tries to fill the leader's • An omen presaged this event, or a series of signs and
shoes in the resulting power vacuum.
omens. Describe the omen in detail.
CHAPTER 1 I A WORLD OF YOUR OWN