Incentives for Adventuring
The driving force for each adventurer is the path they take. The discovery of new and amazing powers, the relationship one has with their path and the goals of each adventurer all drive a character. There is but countless ideals each character uses to improve, from forces inevitable to those of choice. Destiny and Freedom forms a character. We try to accept our destiny and form it with our freedom. This is the lesson we yearn to learn. Feeling comfortable with it causes peace.
There is four paths to choose from in a campaign: Military, Arcane, Espionage and Citizenry. A group of adventurers choose one of these paths, then fills it in with the classes they choose. Destiny calls them into their path and they are free to choose how to affect that path. Destiny is what the referee presents to them. Powers to become free in that path is what the players choose. I'll present the four paths in comparison to the type of refereeing.
Military paths include dungeon crawls. Improving a characters ability to control damage and defenses are the core of this path. Role playing is a smaller part of this path, but not obsolete. These characters are the primary force of determining destiny for the community around them. A strong party will cause their community either peace or war, whether it is the infrastructure of the community or the extra-structure. A campaign designed in this area should reward characters with heightened powers of the player's desired damage or defenses. These powers should be conferred to their community. This is where the role playing is strongest. Associating with your community to make them feel well is the core of the campaign; searching for treasure, making a dangerous place safe, extending control on the present society officials or even presenting yourself to the community as a power to be reckoned with are all parts of these character's life.
Arcane paths include dealing with the environmental status of the world. A heightened awareness of how the entire world effects the individual communities, regions, nations and even planets all are the centricity of these characters. They do not associate with the community yet the community associates themselves with them. Officials, citizens, criminals even the farmer all go to them. The arcane path for adventuring chooses the attitude of the world around them. Although in a destiny for effecting the entire world, characters may choose the affect. Each character develops a relationship with the driving forces of the major parts of the world: politicians, lords, deities, domains, geography and history are all major parts. Role playing becomes a matter of respect. Characters enforce the damage and defenses of a nation toward another nation.
Espionage paths develop the person to person lives. This is the most role playing type of campaign. Knowledge is the driving force. Knowing your suitor's favorite cuisine may take several years, if not a whole campaign. Laughter, crying and many other emotions are put into the campaign. NPC development is fun. Players may become attached to their characters, as they 'develop'. Destiny puts the characters into relationships. Freedom grants the character's choices to effect those relationships.
Citizenry. This is the path choice of how players relate to each other. Being a brother, best friend, lover, team mate or troupe mate all are being parts of this path. Characters adventure to build a better 'Us'; improving your connection to each other becomes the most important quality of the party. Party becomes the destiny - character's destiny with each other. Character development is the freedom players have to relate to each other. Eventually, as the campaign goes on, the characters understand their relationship as a citizen. The focus of the referee becomes how the party deals with each other when presented with different citizen demands. For example, when a paladin and rogue are presented with a situation, how do the players relate to each other?
Each of the four paths may include any character class. Some classes are more attuned to each path, evidently. The desires of the people who play must be considered when they choose a path. The destiny is even chosen out of freedom. Referees may present different campaign ideas to the players, as having freedom as the ref. It's encouraged to focus on one of the above paths; yet, the campaign should not dissociate from the other paths. Short campaigns are more advised. A lengthy campaign asks a lot from the referee. With short campaigns, characters level just a few times. To advance, characters should be put through several campaigns. Each campaign may have a different path as mentioned above. Asking several people to referee brings a variety. Each referee may enjoy one of the paths above better than another, enabling the game group to experience the best suited referee for each path.
