In most tabletop role-playing games, the massive emphasis on the fantastical completely overshadows the realistic elements of the natural environment. Most settings are highlighted by what magical or unknown forces have done to physically alter the world. When you have floating mountains, rivers running backwards, and massive dragons filling the sky, the normal natural order is simply ignored or, worse, forgotten.

I suggest you bring a brutal, elemental edge to your games by employing the laws of nature and the laws of physics. Both of these forces are terrifying on their own, and they require no magical alteration to kill a party. An avalanche or a flash flood strikes so fast and with such devastating kinetic energy that almost any fantasy character will be crushed by the impact. A natural lightning strike, an out-of-control wildfire, or a tornado can instantly end whatever hijinks your players have concocted, forcing them to adapt or die.

Tactical Weather and Attrition

The weather alone should dictate the pace of every campaign. Rain-soaked fields naturally impede movement, turning a tactical retreat into a brutal slog. Frozen ground and freezing winds cause frostbite and hypothermia. Lock them in a sealed vault without oxygen, and see how long they last.

In the latest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, disease is almost unheard of and too easily waved away with a low-level spell. You need to bring that grit back. Introduce nasty infections. Force them to deal with the blinding reality of a gouged eye. If a character breaks a leg, do not allow magical healing to work unless the bone has been properly set first. A collapsing castle wall or a ceiling cave-in will ruin their day much faster than a monster floating down the hallway. The environment itself must have a natural deadliness to it, grounding your game in the unforgiving reality of our world.

Keep Fantasy Small

Fantasy is infinitely better when it is kept small. It should be suggested, not explained.

Think of Thulsa Doom in the 1982 classic Conan the Barbarian, slowly transforming into a massive snake. Think of Merlin in the 1981 epic Excalibur, summoning the breath of the Dragon to blanket the camp in a thick, unnatural mist. How does the magic actually work? No one knows. Even Merlin barely understands it. That is how you treat the arcane.

Keep the magic mysterious, and let the physical world do the heavy lifting. Force your party of armored knights to trudge through a waist-deep swamp in full plate mail, and watch them experience the most dramatic, exhausting slow-motion chase scene of their lives.

Your next campaign needs to respect the laws of physics. If you are looking for a system that embraces gritty realism, deep historical immersion, and brutal tactical consequences, you need PsychScape Historical.

You can secure the core rules right here on the Man of Ages website, or pick up your physical copy by searching PsychScape on Amazon.

Equip yourself, and happy gaming.

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