Campiagn Concept!

[shadow_archmagi]

So, late at night I was thinking about the nature of neutrality, and it occured to me that if the two sides of the war were literally completely good and evil, the only way to stay neutral would be to either be from a completely different place with no contacts in the world, or to be completely apathetic about the people you *did* know.

So the perfect candidate for this is a god. Of course, the god is still involved, because his worshippers are being mass murdered. He *could* intervene and end the war and everyone lives happily ever after, but he's not that kind of guy. Instead, he just wants to convert some evil beings to worshipping him, so that no matter who wins, he isn't forgotten.

The player(s) go around trying to convert beings of utmost evil and hatred to the cause of said deity.

[DamnedIrishman]

Or he could be deliberately prolonging the war, as it defines his position.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

The player(s) go around trying to convert beings of utmost evil and hatred to the cause of said deity.

Have Marvin shoot them with a PoV gun.

[Malacode]

Is it just me, or is everything Pharohs' Fist says a pop-culture reference?

On-topic, I'd say that's a pretty cool idea. The Deity themselves would have to be Neutral, I guess. Not many good deities are into conversion, and are far more into the "Smoke the mutha****ers" approach to evil.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Not much else to say. There wasn't really a question attached to the post.

[Demons_eye]

Is it just me, or is everything Pharohs' Fist says a pop-culture reference?

I think hes just geting his post count up he only joined 9 days ago and has 300 post.

On topic: Do the PC's have to be like a pally and Cleric or do they get to pick there class?

[Vortling]

The overall question I'd ask about this is, how are you going to run the conversions? It sounds like this may be more of a social skills campaign but depending on how you run it the focus could shift one way or the other. So, details?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Instead, he just wants to convert some evil beings to worshipping him, so that no matter who wins, he isn't forgotten.

Why not the good guys?

[Ganurath]

So I take it the players worship Boccob, who is sometimes known as the Uncaring?

Also, who's the war between? Organized theocracies of Heironeous and Hextor that follow strict traditions for military conduct (such as no area damage spells, but buffs, summons, and targetted damage are fair game?) A confederated nation of city-states uniting against the orc horde at the behest of the elves who live on the opposite side of the human nation from the orcs? Pelor's Shadowguard against the dupes and minions of Vecna's devoted?

[MrEdwardNigma]

So I take it the players worship Boccob, who is sometimes known as the Uncaring?

Also, who's the war between? Organized theocracies of Heironeous and Hextor that follow strict traditions for military conduct (such as no area damage spells, but buffs, summons, and targetted damage are fair game?) A confederated nation of city-states uniting against the orc horde at the behest of the elves who live on the opposite side of the human nation from the orcs? Pelor's Shadowguard against the dupes and minions of Vecna's devoted?

From the nature of the question I'd deduce that these aren't known gods that are being used, or at least not the neutral deity mentioned, seeing as how it was introduced as a new idea rather than one pilfered from a sourcebook. In fact, perhaps we're not even talking about D&D (though that may be a stretch considering the concepts good, evil and neutral are involved).

[Narmoth]

or you could hire yourself out as mercenaries to both sides, switching sides after who you think will win and who pays most

[shadow_archmagi]

Why not the good guys?

Because the good guys already worship him. The god has, of course, a simply divine public relations setup from the past few thousand years and so he is pretty much universally favored among them as the very avatar of everything they hold dear. He isn't, of course, but he likes them to think that.

[Randel]

Or, as a neutral you would rather the world exist in a non-war state where most problems could be dealt with via discussion and legal means or at least be limited to local battles. Sort of an anarchy or objective existence.

aka, if the area is filled with hundreds of five-man parties who each act in their own self-interest, either attacking, trading, or helping the others then its okay since in the end all their individual actions would cancel each other out into a more neutral state.

If there is a big good vs evil battle going on then neutrality gets squished in the middle and eventually either 'good' or 'evil' will control the area. Neutral doesn't mind the existance of either good or evil, only when all the goods and evils gang up to fight eachother.


Neutral would prefer it if either the goods and evils were to either get along (have boarders between Goodville and Evilsburg where people can move between as they wish but not try to destroy the other) or mix them up and see what results (like a giant metropolis like Sharn or New York City where there are good people and evil people alike, law prevents any one group from really taking over the city but there are plenty of groups to make things interesting.)

All in all, the neutrals could be more of a shades-of-gray sort of group who are willing to lie or tell the truth, kill or spare, or whatever they need to do to get their job done.


From the Bioshock Wiki, Andrew Ryans announcements

What is the greatest lie ever created? What is the most vicious obscenity ever perpetrated on mankind? Slavery ... the Holocaust ... dictatorship ... NO! It's the tool with which all that wickedness is built. Altruism.

Whenever anyone wants others to do their work, they call upon their altruism. "Never mind your own needs," they say, "think of the needs of ..." of ... whoever. Of the state. Of the poor. Of the army. Of the king. Of God. The list goes on and on.

How many catastrophes were launched with the words "think of yourself"? It's the "king and country" crowd who light the torch of destruction. It is this great inversion, this ancient lie, which has chained humanity to an endless cycle of guilt and failure.

Neutrals see the whole good vs evil war as just political manipulation orchestrated by whoever is running the war. Some god wants to plunge the world into darkness? A king wants wipe out the nasty orcs? The orcs are raiding farmlands in stupid messy battles because of their 'proud warrior heritage' instead of just getting jobs and you know... making money?

No Man should sacrifice their free will to either abstract ideals like Good or Evil, no Man should throw their lives away for the sake of a god or king who views them only as pawns in a greater game.


The Neutrals would probably team up with the Good side, if only because the Good side is less likely to try and steal their stuff once the war is over. If they beat the Evil side, they would make sure and grab as much loot as they can (since they were fighting more out of self interest then anything and what more self-interesting then getting paid for the work you did... and then some?).

Good always wins because Neutral prefers friendly Good neighbors over jerk ass Evil ones. And two against one give Evil a tough fight.


(edit: sorry, just started rambling for a bit and now I have no idea what I was originally trying to say)