So do you feel, when running a campaign, that you need to have events get more epic over time?

When your PCs just save the village, do you have to save the duchy next? And then the Kingdom?

Or are your Players happy with continuing along the same lines; ie. 'we loot dungeons at level 1, and we loot dungeons at level 15'?

It varies, but action tends to rise towards a climax, then fall back, then rise again. And the highest peaks tend to get higher over time. Likewise the scope of activity tends to rise as PCs rise in level - they travel further afield; get involved in large scale politics and war.

I would say that yes 1st level PCs do village-level stuff and 15th level tend to do more kingdom-level stuff. Although I have a high level group (9th 12th & 17th) currently doing Trouble at Imp Brucke, a high level Dyson Logos 'village' adventure with a comedic tone.

Just don't raise the stakes every time.  I find it tedious as a player, as a reader, and in TV, when the hero's save the world yet again, from a new ancient unstopible evil that we didn't know existed last week.

Not my style.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1014651So do you feel, when running a campaign, that you need to have events get more epic over time?

I do not.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1014651So do you feel, when running a campaign, that you need to have events get more epic over time?

Not really, but it sometimes happens over time. In a long-running campaign where the PCs have become nobles and command armies, they don't always want to explore a nearby cave.

Depends on whether we're playing Exalted or not:D!

Quote from: Headless;1014677Just don't raise the stakes every time.  I find it tedious as a player, as a reader, and in TV, when the hero's save the world yet again, from a new ancient unstopible evil that we didn't know existed last week.

Buffy: How many apocalypses does this make it now?

Giles (scratching his head):  Five?

Quote from: Ravenswing;1015105Buffy: How many apocalypses does this make it now?

Giles (scratching his head):  Five?

It really depends on the system/seting. It's basically a norm for anime to defeat the 'worst' baddie or save the world at least once per season (with ever increasing powers). Although it is as you pointed out also quite normal for some western shows.

Quote from: joriandrake;1015106It really depends on the system/seting. It's basically a norm for anime to defeat the 'worst' baddie or save the world at least once per season (with ever increasing powers). Although it is as you pointed out also quite normal for some western shows.

Depends on the anime:p.
Last time I watched Hajime no Ippo, and there were preciously few baddies. Saving the world didn't even look to be on the menu:D!

Quote from: RPGPundit;1014651So do you feel, when running a campaign, that you need to have events get more epic over time?

No. Though situations naturally escalate when events and PC behavior and reputation (and criminal records) and relationships (especially enemies) lead to it.

QuoteWhen your PCs just save the village, do you have to save the duchy next? And then the Kingdom?

No. Also my PCs never "have to" save the anything, though what's assailing it will do so until stopped by whoever, or not.

On the other hand, there may be, and have been, patrons and employers and lords and commanders etc of PCs who have observed them do one sort of task and then want them to do another task, possibly an even greater task. But that's an NPC or NPC organization (or sometimes a PC) assigning a task, not the GM making the game be about that... unless that's the agreement and design of the game, that it's about being assigned tasks by people with escalating requirements, which it sometimes is.

QuoteOr are your Players happy with continuing along the same lines; ie. 'we loot dungeons at level 1, and we loot dungeons at level 15'?

The people I play with rarely have characters whose motto is "we loot dungeons". They tend to go about doing whatever makes sense for their characters, and taking interest in certain types of things and getting involved with various NPCs and events. Often shifts in what they do come from the players getting ideas about what the PCs are interested in. They get involved with patrons or guilds or religious orders or rebels or a ship or going exploring places or trying to steal something or avenge someone or woo someone or whatever. Sometimes that starts to involve more and more powerful people. Naturally there is a bit of an escalation when the PCs gain in power level (or the power level of their allies), so that they avoid certain types of adversaries until they think they see a hope of success. Sometimes there's also escalation due to wild ideas (hey let's start a riot in the capital!), or the consequences of misadventure (oh crap the royal guards think we abducted the dutchess!).

I agree that it depends a lot on the type of genre/campaign you're running.