I avoid Artifacts of Cosmic Power that are likely to destroy the world in the long run.
Longtime readers know that I usually prefer a fantasy role-playing game that leans heavily toward “a life we believe could exist but does not.” That means, after the initial premises that introduce magic and another world, I want something believable. World-destroying artifacts do strain that definition.
The problem with these artifacts is that, given the opportunity for someone to destroy a world, sooner or later that destruction WILL happen. There’s just no way that the world can be threatened multiple times, yet always survive. Even if the chance of saving the world, at each occurrence, is 90%, after ten such threats (which may come from fewer than ten artifacts) the chance of ten successes (saves) is only .9 to the 10th power: 34.87%. Change that to 20 times: 12.16% success. Or put another way, the World is Doomed if there is more than one Artifact of Cosmic Power.
Comics suffer from this most, with so many cosmic artifacts that it’s easy to lose track. Comics tend to repeat themes as new readers come in, revisiting plots that position the heroes as the only ones who can save it. This is a convention that comic book readers accept, just as they accept the notion that a major character may die, and act as though that character is really dead, even though they know in their hearts that the character is very likely to be brought back in some way, especially in the days of multiverses.
The Star Wars franchise has similar hurdles; the heroes are positioned to save the galaxy from a planet-shattering threat in the Death Stars, but after the first two, Starkiller Base just seems egregious.
Conversely, if anything can happen, the game is potentially at risk. The stakes are high, but if failure isn’t an option the players are playing through a linear plot more than a game where anything can happen. Some game masters might be willing to gamble their game world by putting at the mercy of a single artifact, but it’s not for everybody.
Too much of this ruins pacing. If you’re saving the world nearly every week there aren’t enough lows to offset (and make more intense) the highs of the campaign. One is usually enough. Use them at your own (or your world’s) risk.
Your Turn: How many Artifacts of Cosmic Power are in your campaign?
Longtime readers know that I usually prefer a fantasy role-playing game that leans heavily toward “a life we believe could exist but does not.” That means, after the initial premises that introduce magic and another world, I want something believable. World-destroying artifacts do strain that definition.
Artifacts of Cosmic Power
This brings up the question of “Artifacts of Cosmic Power,” devices that can drastically change an entire world, or even destroy one. Comic book fans are familiar with artifacts like the Infinity Stones and Gauntlet from Marvel superheroes (including the Infinity War movies). When “saving the world” is the objective of players, such artifacts will often be involved.The problem with these artifacts is that, given the opportunity for someone to destroy a world, sooner or later that destruction WILL happen. There’s just no way that the world can be threatened multiple times, yet always survive. Even if the chance of saving the world, at each occurrence, is 90%, after ten such threats (which may come from fewer than ten artifacts) the chance of ten successes (saves) is only .9 to the 10th power: 34.87%. Change that to 20 times: 12.16% success. Or put another way, the World is Doomed if there is more than one Artifact of Cosmic Power.
What’s Wrong with an Artifact?
The issue with these artifacts is that usually one is enough (see Lord of the Rings). One type of world-shattering artifact is challenging but believable (we all live with the modern threat of weapons of mass destruction); but multiple plots involving multiple devices begins to strain credibility.Comics suffer from this most, with so many cosmic artifacts that it’s easy to lose track. Comics tend to repeat themes as new readers come in, revisiting plots that position the heroes as the only ones who can save it. This is a convention that comic book readers accept, just as they accept the notion that a major character may die, and act as though that character is really dead, even though they know in their hearts that the character is very likely to be brought back in some way, especially in the days of multiverses.
The Star Wars franchise has similar hurdles; the heroes are positioned to save the galaxy from a planet-shattering threat in the Death Stars, but after the first two, Starkiller Base just seems egregious.
Artifacts in Role-Playing Games
There’s nothing wrong with powerful magic items in high fantasy campaigns. It’s the world-destroying artifacts that get problematic, not the least of which being that if the player characters fail, it potentially can utterly change the game master’s world. If the game master is imposing a story on the players, cosmic artifacts are dangerous because their use by the players may be unpredictable. A storyteller must control what happens in their story, or it’s no longer their story. But if there is only one artifact, and its player use is carefully circumscribed, carefully constrained, then it can become an interesting part of a story.Conversely, if anything can happen, the game is potentially at risk. The stakes are high, but if failure isn’t an option the players are playing through a linear plot more than a game where anything can happen. Some game masters might be willing to gamble their game world by putting at the mercy of a single artifact, but it’s not for everybody.
Too much of this ruins pacing. If you’re saving the world nearly every week there aren’t enough lows to offset (and make more intense) the highs of the campaign. One is usually enough. Use them at your own (or your world’s) risk.
Your Turn: How many Artifacts of Cosmic Power are in your campaign?
