Continuing on the theme from last week’s theme of Characters vs Nature, I’d like to take a look at the small things that can cause big problems: insects, parasites, microbes, and viruses. Like other Versus Nature themes, these issues are not genre specific and can be used to add ambiance to an already existing adventure or, sometimes, as a session in an of themselves.
Insects & Arachnids
Insects and arachnids are everywhere and can get into everything. In fantasy adventures, this can be as innocuous has having rations spoiled by foraging insects. Perhaps a character walked into some previously unnoticed webbing and is mildly distracted. More importantly, insects add ambiance—be it helping to “sell” an environment as dingy, unused, or even just creepy. The images or even thoughts of insects can cause a visceral reaction in people. It might be helpful to have some props. Of course, this means that someone is willing to know that they have things like cockroach props in their home. But the reactions of the players can be used for the benefit of immersion.
Swarms & Infestation
If a few insects are bad, a swarm can ruin a character’s day and infestation can cause problems for weeks. It doesn’t take much movement to rile up a nest of wasps or hornets (I write from painful experience). A disturbed ant mound could force characters to remove armor or clothing to remove the unwelcome insects. Termite damage can make a wooden structure crumble unexpectedly. A swarm of gnats, mayflies, dragonflies, beetles, butterflies or moths can prove an unwelcome distraction or visibility issue for the players (some swarms have been large enough to show up on radars). Locusts can severely damage a land’s crops (this could be used to kick off an adventure or campaign, or just be part of overall flavor text). What would the characters do if bedbugs, roaches, or similar small and resistive vermin infested their spaceship/castle/boat/whatever? Note: when having players deal with swarms and infestations, do not force them to track each individual insect kill.
Parasites, Infections, & Diseases
In most RPGs, player characters find themselves in some unclean places: dungeons, absurdly spacious sewers, bogs, abandoned towns, etc. It’s be a rare case for characters not to be fighting parasites and infection without even realizing it. Sometimes, those battles against infection and disease fail. This can slowly or swiftly incapacitate a character if not detected or not treated. In settings with magic, players might mistake symptoms for a curse rather than a disease—especially if the GM is creative/devious in their descriptions of the symptoms.
Colds, Influenza, (& Allergies)
Characters in TV, movies, books (comics and literature), and games are often immune to standard strains of sickness, but a cold or a flu can be a good way to further build (or display) character. Does the character push through an illness to get the job done, regardless of the toll it takes on their body or does the character bow out from a job or an adventure (this can sometimes be a good reason to have a character not be in game when a player can’t make it)? Perhaps a player character is suffering from hay fever or other, mild, allergic reaction. Stealth missions and sneezing rarely go hand-in-hand.
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