Rules: Metagame Concept

The Metagame Concept is an idea for collaboration between two or more people to generate content for RPG adventures. This page will be used to describe the concept and thoughts and notes about how to implement.

When designing an adventure, instead of deciding content by fiat, a DM would engage in a "meta game" with others to determine the shape of an adventure and what actions prominent NPC's in the world take. For example, a collaborator could assume the role of one of the main villains in the campaign world. The collaborator would create the villain, the villain's lair and would receive a certain amount of in-game resources which would be used to accomplish the villain's goals.

With more than one collaborator, additional competition be introduced between participants with some type of victory points or control or influence of in-game territory as part of the consequence.

The original concept evolved during planning of a Neverwinter Nights game server with multiple DM's collaborating on content.

Metagame Concepts, Examples, Notes and Descriptions

Original Concept Notes from Sept 2000:

Territories in the game world are defined and assigned a "Meta Point" point value. Collaborators use Meta Points representing resources and influence to gain control of these territories, which increase their pool of Meta Points. Controlled or influenced territories must be contiguous under normal circumstances. Other Collaborators may compete for these territories to deny the other Collaborator or to increase their own pool of Meta Points. Stalemates between collaborators are the status quo, intervention by player characters is necessary to break the stalemate. Collaborators would use their influence and create adventure content to attract players to their side of the conflict to resolve the Collaborator stalemate. Collaborators would create 'avatars' which represent heroes, leaders, villains, etc., in the campaign. Meta Points must also be expended for upkeep of existing territories and other assets.

Meta Points Defined
1 MP = 1 Encounter Challenge Rating (CR = Party Level)
1 MP = 500gp
1 MP = 1 Level of Henchmen

Collaborators can expend MP in various methods to take control of neutral territories and expend MP to neutralize the control and influence of other collaborators. Neutralization should require the actions of player characters in adventures.

Example:
Collaborator A (CA) spends 4 MP to take control of a 'territory'. In order for a group of players to defeat Collaborator A's influence in this territory, they must defeat 4 challenges with an Encounter Level (EL) equal to that of the party (See DMG pg 101). OR, they must defeat a single challenge with an EL 4 levels higher.

Encounters:
Let us say that CA has moved ogres from an Underdark cavern that he controls into a nearby 4 MP territory as his challenge for control of that territory. A group of four players who average 4th level enter the area. They will have to kill 2 ogres each in 4 separate encounters to "clear" the area and neutralize CA's influence in that territory.

Non-Combat Encounters:
Alternately, adventures could include non-fighting options, such as challenging role-playing or puzzles. These options should try to use the resources of the players equal to a combat encounter. Perhaps only the rogue has sufficient bluff to win past a sentry, or a fighter must win an arm wrestling contest to gain the confidence of an informant, etc. These situations would be difficult to assign a value to, but there should be at least one significant challenge per MP value of the territory.

Gold:
Collaborator B has goblins in control of a territory, and considers the territory to be of strategic value and wants to make the challenge more difficult to overcome by having the goblins build and fortify a small wooden fort. Using game resources, it is determined that the fort would cost 2,000gp in materials and labor to build the fort. Collaborator B could expend 4 Meta Points to now have a goblin fort instead of camps. This expenditure in "infrastructure" could also possibly increase the MP value of the territory.

For another example, Collaborator A's ogres are invading a 4 MP territory and Collaborator B posts a 2,000gp (4 MP) reward on the local mercenary's guild job postings for brave adventurers to clean the place out. Collaborator A would gain control of the territory and the additional MP until a group of players take the mercenary contract and eliminate the ogres. The territory would then revert to neutral.

Henchmen:
Meta Points could be spent on Henchmen. For example, 6 MP could be spent to "buy" a 6th Level NPC. Henchmen can be used to beef up defenses in an area, act as personal bodyguards for the Collaborators Avatar, lieutenants, or help extend control to territories away from the Collaborators current area of influence. Henchmen