After Saving the World

[White Blade]

If people save the world in an obvious way, stopping resurrections of the Ancient Evil Of Doom (TM) or saving the Gods of Light, what sorta way would the world remember and honor them? I'm figuring bare minimum of a day of celebration and some large dukedoms or similar. But what other things, knighting is among things I thought of, honorific titles, monetary rewards (naturally), and societal adoration.

But there is also the world to consider, the character's names could be emblazoned on plates for good luck, figurines made in their likeness, coins marked with their image, their words and phrases could be spread, especially if one of them is a bard. Not to mention the influence they would have over politics and similar issues, their opinions would be widely considered, clerics would be raised several levels in their churches, perhaps someday becoming the High Priest of the religion, wizards would not be able to "settle down in a keep far from the people of the world" and ivory towers simply won't work.

Some of them may settle down and try and live a quiet life, but inevitably they will be bugged and bothered by some young punk who managed to find them who will grow up and go off to save the world. Perhaps a sorcerer who faced bigotry as a child could speak of his misfortune so that others wouldn't have to, a paladin might go on to found an order, or he might rise as a legendary hero of his own order, a cleric could become a travelling preacher or a high priest (as I previously mentioned), fighters could start academies, monks could invent whole new styles of martial arts, bards could write epics on level with the Iliad and the Odyssey, barbarians are the most likely to go back to an ordinary life, but its not for sure even then, they might become an equivalent to the Great Khan. Not to mention those who die in the Final Adventure will be martyrs of the world for the rest of forever.

Anyone else got any other thoughts?

[Emperor Tippy]

Killed by the evil king before they become a threat to his power?

[Thomas]

Killed by the evil king before they become a threat to his power?

Martyrs are more dangerous, though.

You want your world-saving heroes self-satisfied, fat, drunk, and lazy. Give them a few statues and some land grants to tide them over. Maybe a holiday.

[Behold_the_Void]

For some adventurers, saving the world may not be enough. That's when you dust off the Epic Level rules and take them on a romp around the multiverse, so that they can become revered heroes in many worlds.

[ExHunterEmerald]

Cities and towns named after them, grants of land, bardic tales about them sung far and wide, a nice little foray into the king's treasury, mercenary contracts, knighthood and acquired nobility...
Medieval bling.

[Cybren]

if they gave every tom, richard, and harry a reward for saving the world the calanders will be full of Tomdays and all the land will be ruled by ex-adventurers rather than the proper right of hereditary passage.

[ClericofPhwarrr]

My personal favorite: having your hero's name become the most popular baby name for the next several years. Nothing says "thanks" like meeting 5 little tykes christened after you. In every town. Well, except maybe money, and holidays, and land, and...

[daggaz]

Who sent them on the quest? If its the king, then a nobile title, some land with a keep, a celebration feast, and yeah, all the little kids start getting named after you.. A couple years later, nobody celebrates anymore and the king taxes you so hard you have to relinquish your lands, thereby losing your title.If its a mighty wizard? Well sorry, we have to keep this mission under wraps, it never happened, if the commoners knew about it, it would upset the cosmic balance you know... Thanks for coming!

[Gnifle]

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread, but here goes.

I'm not a big fan of the save the world plot.
First off all it has been done a countless amount of times, both by me and others.
It's also a little misplaced (in my opinion) that a group of adventures always happen to be in the "right" place to save the world.
Perhaps this dislike of save the world plot lines is linked to the fact that I have matured as a gamemaster (I don't think this is the case, more likely I'm just feed up with the idea.

The campaign I'm running at the moment is more on a small scale, it's the same underlying plotline as with the save the world plot line. The PC's don't affect the course of the world with their actions, but instead affect the lives of the people in a specific region.

[Tola]

if they gave every tom, richard, and harry a reward for saving the world the calanders will be full of Tomdays and all the land will be ruled by ex-adventurers rather than the proper right of hereditary passage.

And Who's to say the land ISN'T run so? Hey, adventurers are pretty bloody powerful...

[NullAshton]

My D&D group has saved the world several times. We didn't got publicly recognized for any of those times. The majority of the world simply doesn't know when the world is in danger.

[Mewtarthio]

Who sent them on the quest? If its the king, then a nobile title, some land with a keep, a celebration feast, and yeah, all the little kids start getting named after you.. A couple years later, nobody celebrates anymore and the king taxes you so hard you have to relinquish your lands, thereby losing your title.If its a mighty wizard? Well sorry, we have to keep this mission under wraps, it never happened, if the commoners knew about it, it would upset the cosmic balance you know... Thanks for coming!

You're overlooking the fact that your characters are still frickin' level twenty. They can take whatever they want. King tries to tax their lands and steal their titles? Whoops, sorry, no more king! Wizard wants to keep it under wraps? That's all well and good, now I'm going to use my ridiculous powers to buy half the continent.

[Orzel]

A group of people could augment their bodies to be similiar to you and create a new race/subrace.

Nothing says I'm special like your own race.

Flying goblins with monkey tails. The elves nearby hated them so.

[MeklorIlavator]

One thing that would influence the outcome is how visible the treat is.
If demons are poping up all over the place, yeah, public celebrations are called for. If it is preventing something that could become a threat, make the thanks less public.

[elliott20]

What about the story of the world AFTER the heroes managed to save the world and carved out their own kingdom?

One of my all time favorite SNES rpgs, Romancing Saga 2, has a story that goes on about something like that.

In the game, the 7 heroes that originally saved the world and sealed away the evil overlord ended up becoming warring factions of their own after 200 years has past. (Most of these heroes have found ways to remain immortal)

In addition, they've reintroduce war and strife back into the very same world they once saved by simply allowing the power that was given to them go to their head. Each hero turned in a corrupted, but more powerful version of themselves and have carved out their own kingdom that you as the emperor must conquer.

[Woot Spitum]

Fame in itself can be a reward. Most people in the surrounding countries will have heard of the PC's, and they will probably listen to anything you have to suggest. If the PC's belong to any organizations, they will be pretty high up in the hiarchy, if not on top altogether.

[Indon]

if they gave every tom, richard, and harry a reward for saving the world the calanders will be full of Tomdays and all the land will be ruled by ex-adventurers rather than the proper right of hereditary passage.

Heroic deeds get forgotten, you know, in fantasy campaigns, eventually relegated to the state of musty old tomes and the like.

And ex-adventurers can have children, establishing new land-holding bloodlines.

[nivek1234]

I tend to lean towards the "There is always another threat to look out for." From a stereotypical druid mindset: everything in balance. Yes, you stopped this evil from taking over the world or such, but you tilted the power towards good. In that reign, people will grow complacent until a new evil arises and the process repeats itself.

As for the characters themselves (or their deeds): they can be forgotten. It happens often enough IRL, why can't it happen in game. That and as word spreads, the likelihood of people believing the story diminishes as well. Everything in balance.