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Uprisings are a great setpiece for aDungeons & Dragonscampaign. They situate the party as underdogs, give them a cause to champion, and provide access to a lot of storytelling options for how and why they’re fighting. There are also a lot of things to keep track of, since an uprising is simultaneously a political and military campaign.
As the DM you’ll want to think carefully about how you approach the topic, what influences you use when writing the plot, and the opportunities for the players to express their characters. Here are a few ways you’re able to keep the campaign interesting.
Make An Enemy Worth Opposing
An uprising is defined just as much by what it opposes as by what it champions. You want the entrenched power that the party is resisting to have meaningful flaws that the rebellion seeks to address. At the same time, you likely want to avoid moustache-twirling villainy where the bad guys kick puppies for fun and are evil mostly out of obligation.
An important part of this is tothink about the power structures. Does this empire oppress people? What lines does it draw for who is given power and who is forced to kneel? Simultaneously, you want to look at what hierarchies and systems have prevented them from already being overthrown.
A fantasy setting allows for a lot ofoptions that differ from real-world history. A sorcerer king might actually be individually stronger than a national military. A Lich King will be broadly immune to assassination. Both will still need bureaucrats, tax collectors, and police, but military power can be much more consolidated.
The way the empire enforces its will can change how the party approaches scenarios. The party might have to use different approaches when fighting mercenaries, peasant conscripts, or magical constructs.
Build Unstable Alliances
One of the big opportunities that a rebellion story can allow isexploring thenetworks of factions pursuing the same ends with different goals and reasons. Each character can have their own allegiances that allow for compelling story arcs, dramatic betrayals, and tense political drama.
An important point is that each group should have something they contribute that persuades or forces the others to work together. Here are a few common factions that can serve as playmakers in almost any rebellion plotline:
Risk
Ideologues
Believers in a cause are a classic component of every popular movement. These are alsothe group players are most likely to trust.
Groups motivated by morals are liable to haveschisms over differing opinions. They might have conflicting ideas about how to fight, who to trust, and what happens afterward.
These groups are less likely to have a clear hierarchy, slowing down decision-making.
Organised Crime
Criminals can make an unsavoury but necessary ally.They’ll know all the best routes for smuggling goods and peopleand have access to resources that more ideological factions may struggle to muster.
They’re also likely to be swayed by money. Even if their leaderships are invested in the cause, theirunderlings are likely to sell each other out.
Insiders
People with positions of power arewell-equipped to leak vital informationfor the party to make use of.
They’re also difficult to trust and areliable to have their own motivations. Their position of influence makes it difficult to police their conduct.
Downtrodden
The people most persecuted by the existing system have the most to gain from opposing it.
Other groups might struggle to trust them, especially if they’reused to looking down at these people.
External Powers
A rebellion is able to go a lot further with the support of a foreign power, whether a rival nation or organisation that operates across borders.
Outside groups are going to be detached from local consequences andtheir support might be contingent on getting certain concessions.
Topics like slavery and bigotry can be powerful tools for telling stories about overcoming evil empires. They’re alsotopics you’ll want to run by your group in session zeroand have safety tools for.
Use Asymmetrical Combat
A great way of making a resistance movement feel like the underdogsis toemphasize the power of their opposition. If the rebellion has enough strength to win on a level playing field, they’ve already won.
There are a few different ways to have enemies stronger than the playerswhile still keeping combat balanced.
Method
Alternate Objectives
Creating different scenarios for combat means that even a stronger opponent can be defeated byoutmaneuvering them or stalling for time.
Instead of reducing all enemies to 0hp, you’re able to force them to hold a position for a specific amount of time, steal a protected item, or capture a hostage.After achieving their goals, provide a way for them to escape.
Stronger Reinforcements Over Time
Having enemies respond with escalating forceis a good way to emphasize danger while keeping the party able to fight.
you’re able to have the initial enemies of an encounter be composed of enemies equal or lower level. If the party takes too long,gradually increase the CR to represent overwhelming numbersand elite forces being redeployed.
This pairs well with alternate objectivessince the party doesn’t need to defeat all the enemies to win.
Targets Of Opportunity
Forcing the players to perform reconnaissance and thengiving them the choice of several targetsallows them to play strategically. Some of the targets might be entirely non-viable, protected by enemies too strong for them to defeat or bypass.
Missions deemed too dangerous at lower levels become viable targets once the party becomes stronger. If you prepare an encounter the players aren’t ready for, you can reuse it later.
Require Planning
Have the players create their own plans for how to approach these situations and evade the superior numbers and strength of their enemies.
They might devise a route that evades the bulk of the enemy forces, or plan a diversion to delay a response.
Consider Restricting Certain Character Options
Some spells and abilities that would be entirely mundane in a normal game are able to greatlychange the tone of an intrigue-focused campaign. Consider limiting player access to certain options and preparing countermeasures for others.
Make Public Opinion Matter
The way the party acts should have an impact on the popularity of their cause. If the members are widely recognised for previous adventures, their reputation may have people at least willing to look the other way. Similarly, if their faces are well known it may be more difficult for them to move covertly.
Propaganda against the party can be a strong narrative point, and it’s up to you as the DM how that conflict plays out. The party is less liable to throw fireballs in public spaces if they know they’ll be blamed for collateral damage and this adds more variety to how they fight.
Think About What Happens Afterwards
Most movies and books following a civil uprising end not long after the civil war ends and a vaguely described provisional government steps in. It might even end when the Good King replaces the Bad King. Most D&D campaigns follow a living setting where you’ll wantto continue telling stories after this conflict is resolved, needing you to continue writing past the epilogue of other stories.
A good approach iscreating new threats that expand on previous events: Former allies scramble to fill a power vacuum, loyalists attempt to reinstate surviving heirs, and neighbouring powers exploit the weakness for diplomacy or warfare.
All of these can tell interesting stories, andyou can have several of these events happening at the same timeto raise the stakes further than during the original conflict.
For writing beyond the ending, look at Lord of the Rings. The final battle with Mordor and the confrontation at Mount Doom are followed by an entire act about the Scouring Of The Shire.
