This I posted about this in the other thread, but decided it would probably be better off as its own post for discussing (so as not to potentially confuse the two subjects for each other).
I've often thought about something I would love to see for a one-day faire event: An all-NPC event used to simulate some otherwise "offscreen" battle or whatever that takes place far from where the PCs are, with the results of the event being related to how the campaign progresses onward. The way I envision it would be in the wake of the PCs arranging for various offscreen assistance to an NPC ally (arranging a shipment of weapons to a militia, sending healing supplies to the militia, convincing a local monstrous race to lend some assistance for a battle, etc.), then have the players all be NPCs at a Faire and actually play out the fight in question, so it's not pre-determined how the fight will end (and how it might end potentially varying drastically depending on the variables inputted by the PCs ahead of time). The players represent combat forces of notable size and have multiple spawns when they die, though the amount of spawns/healing/protectives are limited depending on the size/resources of the forces in question. There would be a "protagonist/PC-equivalent" side and an "antagonist/NPC" side, both directed by some Plot team member(s) on their side (and potentially not having very little information on what the other side is capable of, which I think would make it even cooler and more engaging).
I don't know about y'all, but I reckon it would be super cool for players and be a really organic way of determining how the resources contributed by the PCs' actions actually helped out their ally's battle rather than plot just arbitrarily deciding on a victory or a loss. Some details still need to be fully hammered out, and if anyone would like to offer their ideas on making it run smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
Thoughts?
I've often thought about something I would love to see for a one-day faire event: An all-NPC event used to simulate some otherwise "offscreen" battle or whatever that takes place far from where the PCs are, with the results of the event being related to how the campaign progresses onward. The way I envision it would be in the wake of the PCs arranging for various offscreen assistance to an NPC ally (arranging a shipment of weapons to a militia, sending healing supplies to the militia, convincing a local monstrous race to lend some assistance for a battle, etc.), then have the players all be NPCs at a Faire and actually play out the fight in question, so it's not pre-determined how the fight will end (and how it might end potentially varying drastically depending on the variables inputted by the PCs ahead of time). The players represent combat forces of notable size and have multiple spawns when they die, though the amount of spawns/healing/protectives are limited depending on the size/resources of the forces in question. There would be a "protagonist/PC-equivalent" side and an "antagonist/NPC" side, both directed by some Plot team member(s) on their side (and potentially not having very little information on what the other side is capable of, which I think would make it even cooler and more engaging).
I don't know about y'all, but I reckon it would be super cool for players and be a really organic way of determining how the resources contributed by the PCs' actions actually helped out their ally's battle rather than plot just arbitrarily deciding on a victory or a loss. Some details still need to be fully hammered out, and if anyone would like to offer their ideas on making it run smoothly, I'd love to hear it.
Thoughts?