We talk a lot about what characters fight in fantasy RPGs; goblins, dragons, liches, whatever’s on the random encounter table that day.
But what really matters? What sticks?
It’s what they overcome.
And I don’t just mean hit point totals.
Sometimes it’s the curse that’s been lingering for three levels. The guilt over a party member’s death. The temptation of a dark deal that still echoes in their dreams. The fear that they’re not the hero the prophecy promised.
Those are the real battles. The quiet ones. The personal ones.
I love when players come to the table thinking, “We’re going to win the day,” and leave thinking, “My character just grew.” They faced something hard, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and came out the other side a little different.
That’s overcoming.
It might be finishing off the necromancer who burned your village. It might be choosing not to take revenge. It might be sacrificing power for the sake of someone else. It might be finally, finally, telling the truth.
In fantasy RPGs, we often start with heroes already equipped to face the world: magic, swords, destiny. But the best stories show us that even heroes have things they struggle with, and that overcoming those things can be even more epic than slaying the monster.
The witch who overcomes isolation. The warlock who breaks their pact. The paladin who overcomes doubt. The thief who finds something worth protecting.
As DMs and writers, it’s easy to focus on obstacles that hurt the body. But don’t forget the ones that hurt the heart. They’re harder to stat, but so much more rewarding to resolve.
So next time you’re writing an arc, or running a game, or building a character, ask yourself: What have they overcome? And what still lies ahead?
Because the adventure isn’t just about who they fight.
It’s about who they become.
Questions
Where. Proud. Genre. First all matching roll, all 3s.
Where was I particularly proud of a genre? Easy. Victorian era RPGs. As a genre I see very little infighting between groups of games, and nearly everyone gets along and lover to share ideas with each other.
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