D&D: Curse Your Sudden But Inevitable Betrayal – Five Ways to Betray the Party
Betrayal by a trusted friend is a staple of fantasy stories. But how can you make it impactful but not mean in a game of D&D?
Treachery. Treason. Betrayal. These are some of the biggest staples of our favorite sci-fi and fantasy stories. Lando Calrissian was coerced into turning over Han Solo. Conan the Barbarian was betrayed by the sycophantic nobles of Aquilonia. Jamie Lannister, Boromir (for a little while), and going even older, Iago and Richard III.
There’s no denying that a good betrayal makes for an excellent villain moment. But how can you make that happen and feel good in an RPG like D&D? The trick of a good reveal comes in the work you put into making it happen. Here are some things to consider when you want that friendly NPC to betray the party.
What’s My Motivation
Before anything else, a betrayal has to feel earned. And the way you earn it is by figuring out the right motivation for a good treachery, even if the party doesn’t know it at the moment. Betrayal begs the question “why” and if you have a good answer, you’re golden. Here are some examples:
- Coerced into betrayal–the enemy kidnapped a loved one, etc.
- Hates the party–that one butler who keeps getting pushed around has their limits
- Just plain evil–some people are just evil and do evil things, like liches, or hedge fund managers
- Paid good money–dirty deeds are not always, in fact, done dirt cheap
- Saw no choice–works best for smarties who think they know everything, like Dr. Strange
- Is Sean Bean–I mean, it’s Sean Bean, what did you expect
This is Your Moment, You Own It
You also have to pick the right moment. Betrayal doesn’t matter much if one session you meet a shifty noble who promises to help the party out and then later that same session calls the guards on everyone. But when it’s the loyal NPC who’s been healing you up between adventures?
Of course, the key is to mix it up. Not everyone is a treacherous betrayer waiting to turn a traitor. Let the party see some betrayals coming, like our noble above, but that’s just set up for the real knife-in-the-back moment.
Consequences on Screen
Lando didn’t tell Han and Leia that they were in trouble until they sat down to dinner with Darth Vader. But then everyone had to live with that moment. After picking the right time, the right consequences are important. Does the betrayer get rewarded? Is the deal altered, with the admonition to pray the deal isn’t further altered?
How the betrayer is treated informs how the party may feel about them going forward. Similarly, consequences for the betrayed should be fairly immediate.
Moving Forward, Every Step
And speaking of going forward, the betrayal should obviously serve to move the story/adventure forward. It can be easy to get bogged down in intrigue and details but for best results. Keep things moving. Consequences should follow immediately. The betrayal creates a new encounter for the PCs or gives them a new challenge. A betrayal can be a great setup for your next adventure.
Denouement
Finally, give the betrayal some resolution. Once it happens, there’s tension between the betrayer and betrayed that needs to be cut or snapped, or otherwise released. Maybe the goal is forgiveness/redemption. Maybe it’s revenge. Any option is good as long as you don’t leave any loose ends lying around. Make sure the party gets some satisfaction.
It could be actual revenge on the person who betrayed them. It could be someone seeing the NPC getting chewed out for their trouble. There’s plenty that can happen, but just let the party see it happen.
Of course, if you’re a PC thinking of betraying your own party, that’s a whole different story.
