What happens to the characters in an RPG after they save the world?

[Fenring]

Spoilarz ahead

Spoiler: Hella spoilers

They're just rolling around the galaxy, when SURPRISE a giant ship blows up their old ship! Oh n0eZ! Good think they get brought back to life.

After destroying the Heart of Lorkhan, they go over to the capital of Vvardenfall and kill another God, making themselves the only living man-God. Then they head over to Soltheim and kill a Daedric God ending a plague of werewolves. After that they go exploring caves and recovering artifacts and amassing a fortune which is all held in the hero's massive estate on Raven Rock.

They go looking for Morrigan and never find her because I don't want to buy the DLC.

They continue to rule over Albion, which is quite droll, until an assassin attempts to kill them, revealing a plot to overthrow the king.

They live happily with dog and sister, having chosen the needs of the few over the needs of the many and one. They later see into the future.

They find out there is a new Oblivion portal in the middle of a bay and go into the realm of madness. After saving that, they do the same as the Ravenrock person, but with a stronghold, and for less time because it wasn't worth it since I guess the Ravenrock person still had most of the artifacts because they didn't exist in the world.

They learn about The Arrival of the Reapers and blow up a star system to stop it, increasing tensions with the Batarians. Sheppard then goes and gets ready to fuck some shit up on Earth because shit got real.

 

[ChupathingyX]

- The Courier, after pursuing the Independent route, develops a serious stim problem after years of abusing them in the wastes, and starts embezzling money from New Vegas casinos to feed his habit

I don't think in the Fallout universe you can get addicted to stimpaks (if that's what you were referring to).

 

[Fr33Lanc3r.007]

I can totally picure HK-47 with an alcohol problem.

There is epic awesomeness in that statement, and the image it conjures!

 

[iblis666]

well if its any of the characters i play in rpgs they are so loaded with cash they probably buy their own country and live as kings

 

[Bobbity]

I often wondered this of the different professions in WoW: what the different classes and races might do once Blizzard stopped making horrible things happen every five seconds.

I saw mages and priests going back to their day jobs, same as druids, shamans, hunters, rogues, etc. But Death Knights and Warriors? I can see them very quickly becoming alcoholics, mercenaries or bandits, and warlocks being shunned from society, after the need for their magics had ended.

well if its any of the characters i play in rpgs they are so loaded with cash they probably buy their own country and live as kings

Haha, forgot about that

 

[thelonewolf266]

They are now obsolete, replaced by better younger versions of themselves they can't cope with the memories of their once legendary lives they drink themselves to death.And everyone lives happily ever after.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

....Or if not that, at least suffer serious PTSD and develop problems communicating with family members and adopting a normal civilian job.

This I quite agree with.

After killing so many people and going through so much they would be severely messed up. And with the big bad guy dead they would have to return to their old lives which would be very difficult because of their changed personalities.

Why is it no game ever seems to try to show anything like that? (or not very well at least)

Also this is going off topic a bit but characters inside the game itself don't seem at all moved by the fact they are killing people and in constant danger, even if they were just regular people who became soldiers just a few moments ago.
It's like, "Oh I just killed a bunch of people and was inches away from death in a highly dangerous mission to save the world....where to now?"

 

[Angry Camel]

Breath of Fire I: Bo -> A real warior doesn't rest until he's duties are done (or something along those lines.)

But then it does leave what happens after they've done that, too. Be high priced security guards?

 

[Saelune]

This is always something that has intrigued me...what happens after the end. Not just RPGs, but anything beyond "character is dead" or if they actually tell you.
In many RPGs though, they may just continue adventuring, just in a less amazing capacity.

As for Neverwinter Nights...my heroes eventually met and founded a city on an island that became my pen and paper DnD setting. Now they are the main city's rulers (along with other characters I made in DnD RP servers)

Some endings though, somewhat haunt me if they leave alot to happen since I will dwell on it.

 

[Wintermoot]

I think they would go back to their lives before the saving-the-world adventure ( IE the courier going back to delivering parcels)

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I'm pretty sure that my Dunmer, light armoured warrior went on to conquer Cyrodiil with an army of conjured Daedra... and he ruled for many years until Kvatch was revived and Savlian Matius decided to take on the new Emperor. At which point he was so thoroughly overwheled that he couldn't conjure fast enough and was stabbed by three Captains all at once.

A fitting way to end Oblivion.

 

[FalloutJack]

They go to the Cafe Of Broken Dreams to knock back a few with all the other heroes.

 

[wolas3214]

I find that most protganoists now-a-days dont really WANT to be the hero theyre kinda forced to... So they go back to have a lifespan thats not measured in potential seconds raise a family and beat their wife like the average joe?

 

[Joshica Huracane]

Wow, thats a depressing thought. Thankfully my Grey Warden wouldn't have to deal with any downward spiral into depression involving drugs and crime, considering he's suffering from a case of death.

 

[Biosophilogical]

-snip-

Well I know that in Dark Cloud, you save the world and then not only does 'nothing' happen, but nothing 'happened'. Your victory creates a time paradox, effectively preventing you from ever having neededto save the world in the first place.

EDIT: *sigh* Fine, I'll do it right.

OT: Red, having become the greatest trainer ever, only to lose to some newcomer, spirals into a depression stemming from his own self-perceived inadequacy. He physically abuses pikachu, who then stops his heart in self-defense ... but then Ho-oh is crazy and brings backs 'zombie-red'. Now we're all doomed.

 

[kingcom]

Thats one of the most beautiful things about the Baldurs Gate series. They end and you get to find out what happens to them. Some of the best stories are the results of your gigantic adventure and how these people then go on with their lives.

 

[Laser Priest]

They go to a trans-dimensional bowling alley for all eternity.

And it's fucking awesome.

 

[Keirgo]

Those who want peaceful lives enjoy them, those who want adventure go treasure hunting (the world is full of monsters and even stronger optional bosses) those who really, really want adventure just make themselves the next big bad.

Man, Jecht really is a dick.

 

[ecoho]

well if its any of the characters i play in rpgs they are so loaded with cash they probably buy their own country and live as kings

this and also my characters tend to be peace makers who go and conquer everything to make it alright