Heroes vs. the Overlord

Role-playing games (RPGs) have captivated audiences for decades, immersing players in rich narratives filled with adventure, conflict, and character development. At the heart of these stories lies a dynamic that is both timeless and compelling: the struggle between heroes and their ultimate adversaries, often referred to as the Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG). This post will delve into the intricacies of this dynamic, exploring how it shapes gameplay, character arcs, and player engagement.

Eye-level view of a fantasy landscape featuring a towering castle

Understanding the Hero-BBEG Relationship

The Heroes

Heroes are units with the goal of saving Teledra from the Overlord. Each one will hail from one of the 8 races, choose a class, and increase their levels through combat and quests in order to defeat the Overlord's forces.

Races & classes

• A Diverse Realm: The races of Teledra have their own strengths and weaknesses. Finding the right combination of race and class is the key to building an effective hero unit.

• Classes: Classes evolve from the most fundamental to extremely focused and specialized. Archetypes like Fighter, Rogue, and Mage each have 3 branches to choose from while leveling up, with up to 3 subclasses for most. This allows players to customize their characters to play exactly how they want them to.

The Overlord

This is the BBEG of Call to Ascension. While the heroes try to save Teledra, the Overlord seeks to dominate it. Unlike traditional "Dungeon Master" roles, the Overlord's goal is to play the foil of the heroes. While they aren't necessarily supposed to win, they have the ability if the heroes don't plan carefully.

Minions & Generals

• The Dark Army: The Overlord's forces are summoned through portals that open around Teledra. The Overlord's resources will be split between empowering themselves and summoning their minions to dominate the world. They are simpler than hero units, but can be devastating when utilized correctly.

• The Generals: These are the most elite of the Overlord's followers. They are the foundation of every portal and defend them with their lives. Felling them will close the portals they're attached to for good. While they must stay within the portals early on, heroes will be hard-pressed against them if they attack prematurely. These units are far more advanced and powerful than their lesser counterparts. As such, it's in the Overlords interest to bring them out to crush the heroes as soon as possible.

An Emergent Story

Other TTRPGs have either stories or story-tellers that players will engage with. In Call to Ascension, the story is the journey of each player involved. It takes more imagination, but as you play you will see a grand narrative unfold before you. Did you choose to save one settlement only to helplessly watch another fall. Were alliances made in order to win them back from the clutches of darkness? Did the Overlord have the heroes on the backfoot until one decisive moment, or did the world plunge into chaos until a new generation of heroes could rise up?

Each game is a new story that you get to tell.

Player Agency

Allowing players to shape their heroes' journeys enhances engagement. This is achieved through:

• Versatile Action Economy: Just about every action can be accomplished (or avoided) with the proper use of resources. Most interactions can sway to one side or the other... if the price is paid. While dice rolls play a big part of any TTRPG, Call to Ascension keeps randomness to a minimum. No rolling to "hit". If an attack or action misses or fails, it's usually because another unit paid a cost to make it so.

• Skill Customization: Call to Ascension provides players with options to customize their heroes' or Overlord's abilities allows for diverse playstyles and strategies.

  
  

Designing the Overlord

A well-designed BBEG is crucial for a compelling RPG experience. The Overlord can choose between 3 specializations of their own:

• The Dark Champion: They forgo relying on their armies and take the fight directly to the heroes of Teledra. They are devastatingly powerful, but cannot utilize their minions as effectively.

• The Evoker: These Overlords focus heavily on amassing their army of minions and making them more powerful. They watch carefully beyond the void while their armies do their dirty work.

• The Corrupter: Why summon minions when you could just turn the denizens of Teledra against their own home? Corrupters take the existing creatures, already agitated by this otherworldly influence, and drive them mad. They can make them stronger and pit them against the nearby settlements, making life a living hell for the heroes and inhabitants alike.

  
  

The Overlord's Influence on the Story

The Overlord drives the narrative forward, influencing the heroes' actions and decisions. This is achieved through:

• Strategic Attacks: Certain settlements can provide great support for the heroes' efforts against the Overlord. The Overlord can put a stop to that by snuffing them out. By limiting the quests, equipment, or other resources certain settlements can provide,

• Direct Confrontations: Epic battles or strategic encounters with the Overlord can serve as pivotal moments in the story, testing the heroes' resolve and abilities.

  
  

The Climax: Heroes vs. Overlord

Building Towards the Final Confrontation

The fate of the world will center around two elements: Salvation & Cataclysm. The Heroes will strive to bring Salvation while the Overlord brings Cataclysm. Saving or corrupting settlements will give a point of Salvation and Cataclysm accordingly. Once the necessary amount is reached of either, that side can bring the confrontation to the other party. This means either the heroes attacking the Overlord's domain directly or the Overlord breaking free of their domain to attack Teledra with their full might.

Preparing for the Final Battle

The Overlord will be amassing their personal strength and armies while the heroes gain as much experience and equipment as they can.

• Settlement Control: On top of providing top-tier equipment and quests, settlements can be enforced by the hero party to hold off the Overlord's forces while the heroes adventure elsewhere. The Overlord, by contrast, can overthrow settlements and fortify them with their minions to prevent the heroes from gaining critical resources.

• The Portals: The Overlord relies on portals to summon their minions. If the heroes are able to close them, it will greatly diminish the Overlord's ability to put pressure on the world.

  
  

Winning the Game

The heroes may fall, but they can always revive at certain settlements. Likewise, the Overlord may lose minions, but can always rebuild with their resources. But if the revival settlements are corrupted and the heroes fall, Teledra will fall with them. If the heroes, on the other hand, can seal all the portals and defeat the remaining minions, or fell the Overlord themselves, the heroes win and the world is saved.

What will your legends tell?