One if my PC's is from a remote nomadic civilization. As part of the campaign, his people were taken control of by the BBEG's occupational army. He chose to sneak out of the encampment to join the resistance forces in hopes of freeing his people, in addition to other reasons (like rejoining the oarty after a brief absence). However, being a higher profile member of his people, his absence would undoubtedly be noticed by the BBEG's forces. I want that decision to have real consequences and the BBEG is the kind of villian that wouldnt hesitate to commit a genocidal culling of a whole tribe of people as a warning to others. However, I feel guilty destroying his people or even decimating his people for a decision that partially ocurred because he wanted to rejoin the party. In hindsight, I gues I should have come up with a better way for his return, but I canxt retcon that now. Any ideas of alternative consequences that would be high stakes enough to match his choice to essentially abandon his people in a time of need that doesn't result in him having no tribe left to save.
What does the BBEG really want from occupying the territory of this nomadic society? And if they are nomadic, do they even claim land? How do they use their land vs. how does the BBEG's forces use the land? Answering these questions might open up more possibilities for you in writing the next actions of the BBEG.
I imagine that nomads really like being free and all that. If I was a BBEG that really wanted to destroy them psychologically, they'd be my new mine workforce and make it so that they never see the sun.
Maybe the bad guys split up the nomads in an effort to destroy their culture. Break up families and send them in groups of 2 or 5 or whatever works for the plot to various places as slave labor. No one is dead, and the PC can decide how many, of any, of them he wants to track down and try to reunite.
Remember, in D&D (generally) death isn't permanent. Killing his family as a way of sending a message could set in motion a personal quest to snatch them from the world beyond our own. Maybe he killed them in such a way the binds their souls to an even greater evil and so simply a ressurection spell isn't enough.
On the Mongol Steppes, you'd often have punishments on families for the actions of their family members (as family was pretty much the only source of loyalty preceeding Ghenghis Khan's reforms in Mongolian society.) Ranging from slavery (domestic servitude) to execution by boiling or wrapping the one to be executed in a carpet and kicking them to death (fun fact: Mongolians felt that getting another's blood on them contaiminated their soul with the soul of the former owner of the blood.) What the Soviets did when they tried to occupy Mongolia was destroy the symbols important to the Mongol nationalists (namely, Ghenghis Khan's (alleged) spirit banner.) Maybe you could have the villain destroy heirlooms to the player's family, thereby dishonouring him and shaming his entire lineage. You could reflect this cost by having the character socially shunned upon returning, despite his return as a saviour.
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One if my PC's is from a remote nomadic civilization. As part of the campaign, his people were taken control of by the BBEG's occupational army. He chose to sneak out of the encampment to join the resistance forces in hopes of freeing his people, in addition to other reasons (like rejoining the oarty after a brief absence). However, being a higher profile member of his people, his absence would undoubtedly be noticed by the BBEG's forces. I want that decision to have real consequences and the BBEG is the kind of villian that wouldnt hesitate to commit a genocidal culling of a whole tribe of people as a warning to others. However, I feel guilty destroying his people or even decimating his people for a decision that partially ocurred because he wanted to rejoin the party. In hindsight, I gues I should have come up with a better way for his return, but I canxt retcon that now. Any ideas of alternative consequences that would be high stakes enough to match his choice to essentially abandon his people in a time of need that doesn't result in him having no tribe left to save.
What does the BBEG really want from occupying the territory of this nomadic society? And if they are nomadic, do they even claim land? How do they use their land vs. how does the BBEG's forces use the land? Answering these questions might open up more possibilities for you in writing the next actions of the BBEG.
I imagine that nomads really like being free and all that. If I was a BBEG that really wanted to destroy them psychologically, they'd be my new mine workforce and make it so that they never see the sun.
Maybe the bad guys split up the nomads in an effort to destroy their culture. Break up families and send them in groups of 2 or 5 or whatever works for the plot to various places as slave labor. No one is dead, and the PC can decide how many, of any, of them he wants to track down and try to reunite.
Thanks for the ideas.
Remember, in D&D (generally) death isn't permanent. Killing his family as a way of sending a message could set in motion a personal quest to snatch them from the world beyond our own. Maybe he killed them in such a way the binds their souls to an even greater evil and so simply a ressurection spell isn't enough.
On the Mongol Steppes, you'd often have punishments on families for the actions of their family members (as family was pretty much the only source of loyalty preceeding Ghenghis Khan's reforms in Mongolian society.) Ranging from slavery (domestic servitude) to execution by boiling or wrapping the one to be executed in a carpet and kicking them to death (fun fact: Mongolians felt that getting another's blood on them contaiminated their soul with the soul of the former owner of the blood.) What the Soviets did when they tried to occupy Mongolia was destroy the symbols important to the Mongol nationalists (namely, Ghenghis Khan's (alleged) spirit banner.) Maybe you could have the villain destroy heirlooms to the player's family, thereby dishonouring him and shaming his entire lineage. You could reflect this cost by having the character socially shunned upon returning, despite his return as a saviour.