Saving Your Villages From Murder Hobos?

[JohnnFour]

I just sent some tips out today about how to help protect your world and its denizens from our players.

How do you protect commoners and settlements in your campaigns from an aggressive party?

 

[JochenL]

I don't. But transgressing has consequences. The next higher lord will hire righteous adventurers a level higher than the party.

 

[Jaymes77]

Easy: make the NPCs or stuff they WANT to protect. Through
1. Dating Relationships. Later on, perhaps marriage
2. Give them something to protect. Maybe kids
3. They're the PCs teachers
4. They're the ones who sell the PCs supplies
5. The PCs count on them for information
6. The PCs get stuff to do / quests from
7. The PCs have pets/ followers they can't take with them everywhere
8. Maybe the PCs have an experiment going on (think a "clone" or something), and need someone to guard it
9. Maybe the PCs have built up wealth, art, etc. they're not going to take with them everywhere and have staff to take care of it.
10. They saved the PCs life and they would feel REALLY bad if they were put in harm's way.

 

[MOT the Hoople]

I'm right there with @JochenL - I don't protect my NPCs. I run my world just like real life - when a rampage happens, the folks in charge send out as much firepower as necessary to deal with the issue.

All this being said - I run a "heroic" campaign world, and the PCs are supposed to be HEROES, not villains. All this is settled in Session 0 before the first gaming session, and every one understands that actions have consequences: Save the blind nuns and orphans and the locals will remember you. Slay the occupants of the tavern, and the locals will STILL remember you.

 

[Ahkmed]

I am on board with the "every action has a reaction". I shy away from using a higher local force to punish transgressors, but an odd curse or encounter coming from the shadows seems to keep them "honest". Of course I am blessed with the fact of being with the same general group of people for 20 plus years and we have all had our time as GM and understand that some things are frowned upon.

 

[ExileInParadise]

Reputation counts as well ... people trade among villages ... people have family or neighbors ... word spreads - usually describing the perpetrators as the evil scourge.

"Word of your treacherous evil has preceded you... the town gate is shut to you - be moving on."

Johnn's "Knowledge Table" and "Legends System" from the first Adventure Building Workshop describe how to manage this pretty well / easily.

Whatever time and place the MurderHoboing happen ... becomes the center point of the rumors which spread over time to adjacent hexes.

Imagine if the PCs come back that way and hear tales of some evil scourge from recent times past ... to come to realize that everyone is describing them as the wandering monster.